The CATHEDRAL TIMES The weekly newsletter of the Cathedral of St. Philip · Serving Atlanta and the World · February 4, 2024
THE CATHEDRAL OBSERVES THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION! By the Very Rev. Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral
The feast day has gone by many different names, but the Christian Church has long observed the holy character of February 2, roughly forty days after Christmas. It is the Feast of the Presentation. Tradition says that the holy family of Jesus presented the child in the temple, for the first time, forty days after his birth (thus, around 40 days after December 25). According to the Gospel of Luke, there were prophets in the temple, waiting for the child. Old Simeon broke out in song, “Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for these eyes of mine have seen the savior!” Old Anna, a widow, joined him in praise. Since then, many traditions have blossomed. Candles have come to be used in Christian churches for this event, especially in the northern hemisphere when winter is at its deepest this time of year. So, the popular name, Candlemas, has also been given to this feast. It is a glorious feast, coming as it does in the middle of winter, when we wonder about whether spring will come again, about whether things will grow. We wonder, too, about the growth of a savior, and about the growth of our salvation. The Lucan passage describing the event says that, “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40). At the Feast of the Presentation, we marvel at the growth of all children! Again this year, the Cathedral of St. Philip will observe this feast on the Sunday after February 2, which is this Sunday, February 4! At all our services, the Cathedral will be observing the Feast of the Presentation. Further, following another old tradition, we will use this day to bless all the candles of the Cathedral! Here in Atlanta, we continue a new feature of Candlemas. Bring your own candles! We invite you to bring your own household candles! Bring whatever candles from home that you want to bring, and we will bless those candles, too! At various points throughout our lives, each of us presents ourselves to God. This Sunday, we present ourselves again, in the “temple,” in our glorious cathedral space. We will be welcoming light in the world, and we will be presenting ourselves in the temple of God! And, in the deepest part of winter, we will be encouraging the growth of light. Saint Paul, too, talked about presentation; he said, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). Yes, I realize that some people, yearning for light and the end of winter this week, will be depending upon … a groundhog! Others may be depending upon the Super Bowl to provide excitement. Those events are fine. But, that will not be us in the Christian Church. We will be depending upon, and celebrating, the Light of Christ this week! On February 2, and on February 4! We will light candles. We will bring the Light of Christ to the world!
This SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 4, 2024 · The Feast of the Presentation, Year B Malachi 3:1-4 • Psalm 84 • Hebrews 2:14-18 • Luke 2:22-40
8:45 A.M., 11:15 A.M. AND 4 P.M.: IN-PERSON AND ONLINE CATHEDRALATL.ORG / THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. PHILIP APP / FACEBOOK / YOUTUBE
7:45 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, MIKELL CHAPEL Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Canon George Maxwell
8:45 A.M. AND 11:15 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, CATHEDRAL Celebrant: The Rev. Canon Cathy Zappa Preacher: The Very Rev. Sam Candler 8:45 a.m. Cathedral Singers: Johannes Eccard (1553-1611), When to the temple Mary went William Byrd (1543-1623), Senex puerum portabat 11:15 a.m. Cathedral Choir:
Ēriks Ešenvalds (b. 1977), Nunc dimittis (Merton College Service) Johannes Eccard (1553-1611), When to the temple Mary went
11:15 A.M. LA SANTA EUCARISTÍA, MIKELL CHAPEL Celebrant: The Rev. Dr. Thee Smith Preacher: The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval
4 P.M. CANDLEMAS PROCESSION AND CHORAL EUCHARIST, CATHEDRAL Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Canon Julia Mitchener Cathedral Schola: Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1585), Nunc Dimittis, Short Service Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594), Missa Brevis Johannes Eccard (1553-1611), When to the temple Mary went
SUNDAY AFTERNOON RECITALS JESÚS CASTRO-BALBI, CELLO, AND GLORIA LIN, PIANO Kennesaw, Georgia SUNDAY,FEBRUARY 4 — 3:15 P.M. IN-PERSON AND ONLINE AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG/RECITALS
Program: Franz Schubert (1797-1828), “Allegro moderato” from “Arpeggione” Sonata in A minor, D. 821 Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), Le Grand Tango Ernest Bloch (1880-1959), Prayer
ADULT Education ADULT EDUCATION THIS SUNDAY Old Fashioned Sunday School The Screwtape Letters: A Lenten Look at Life through the Eyes of C.S. Lewis 10:10 a.m., Child Hall Part of life is being tested. The Lenten season marks the time that Jesus was tested by the devil in the wilderness. C. S. Lewis offers a satirical, but playful and perceptive take on the idea of such testing in The Screwtape Letters. In the letters, the senior devil, Screwtape, advises his nephew and devil-in-training, about how to best sabotage a human being’s attempts to live a faithful, fruitful, beautiful life. Lewis makes us laugh and then makes us cry as we realize how often we get in our own way. We will start preparing for Easter a little early this year and then (with one interruption) proceed through Lent by talking about some of the themes running through the letters. Canon Maxwell will be working from a Lenten devotional titled C. S. Lewis And The Delightful, Diabolical Daring Of Lent: A Lenten Companion To “The Screwtape Letters.” A downloadable PDF will be provided through the Old Fashioned Sunday School newsletter and at cathedralATL.org/OFSS.
Living Faith 10:10 a.m., Room 239 Our topic until Lent is “What makes for a meaningful life?” Drawing on the book Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters by three scholars from the Yale Institute for Faith and Culture, we’ll reflect on some core questions of human existence within the context of our Christian calling and hope. All are welcome! Young Professionals: Exploring Our Faith and Our Spirituality 10:10 a.m., Room 368 For the next few Sundays, we will examine the Biblical understanding of our faith and spiritual life, led by the Rev. Salmoon Bashir. Our discussions will center around how one can begin to gain spiritual knowledge and nurture their relationship with God. We will also focus on spiritual growth by exploring various methods found in the Christian traditions. Enjoy Biblical Greek! 1:15 p.m., Room 239 and on Zoom Provided on a drop-in basis, first-time visitors need no previous knowledge of Greek. Please contact the Rev. Dr. Thee Smith, tsmith@cathedralATL.org, for more information.
The CATHEDRAL off ST. PHILIP
The Very Rev. Samuel G. Candler, Dean Dale Adelmann, Ph.D., Canon for Music The Rev. Lauren R. Holder, Canon for Community and Education The Rev. George M. Maxwell, Jr., Vicar The Rev. Canon Julia B. Mitchener, Canon for Mission The Rev. Catherine Zappa, Canon for Liturgy and Pastoral Care The Rev. Salmoon Bashir, Curate for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval, Deacon for Hispanic Ministries and Pastoral Care The Rev. Theophus “Thee” Smith, Ph.D., Priest Associate Geoff DeLong, Senior Warden Melody Palmore, Junior Warden
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SPIRITUALITY LENTEN QUIET DAY WITH THE REV. DR. ROBERT WILLIS, DEAN EMERITUS OF CANTERBURY February 24, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lanier House The Essential Quality of Silence in the Lives of Jesus and the Saints The use of quiet time in our modern world has become more and more vital. In so many ways the noise, busyness and concerns of the world force their way into every part of life by so many different means. It means that "quiet time" has to be programmed into our thinking and praying time. In the past, local, and to a degree, national issues have always been there but now the affairs of the whole world are set out before us in our pockets the moment they occur. This makes a day like this, which we set aside, even more vital. We shall be exploring this aspect of our lives with illustrations and quotations from saints throughout the ages but most importantly in the life of Jesus himself. Join us on this day and explore the gifts of space and silence. The Quiet Day will take place in the Lanier House on the Cathedral campus from 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Saturday, February 24. The cost is $20 and includes lunch. Space is limited so register soon at cathedralATL.org/quietday! For more information contact Jeannie Mahood, jmahood@cathedralATL.org, or 404-365-1031. About our Presenter: The Rev. Dr. Robert Willis served as Dean of Canterbury Cathedral from 2001-2022, and was recently named Dean Emeritus. He and his partner, Fletcher Banner, became known on social media for their Garden Congregation broadcasts of Morning Prayer during the pandemic. Their cats, Leo and Tiger, often joined them while filming from the Deanery Garden at Canterbury Cathedral.
WOMEN’S LENTEN RETREAT: LIVING IN THE LIMINAL March 15-17, 2024 St. Mary’s Sewanee Liminal spaces describe times of transition—the threshold between what was and what will be. Our Lenten journey with Jesus begins in the liminal space of the wilderness and ends with the liminal space of the tomb. The path to new life is through these liminal spaces. Our Women’s Lenten Retreat will explore the liminal spaces we inhabit (adding or losing a family member, starting or ending a career, moving to a new home or new town) and how Jesus meets us there. Whatever in-between space you find yourself in, come share it with the community, creativity, and quiet of the Women’s Lenten Retreat! All Cathedral women are invited to our annual Women’s Lenten Retreat at the beautiful St. Mary’s Sewanee retreat center in Tennessee. The retreat will be led by Canon Lauren Holder. The cost is $320 for a single occupancy and $260 for a double occupancy (price includes meals from dinner on Friday through breakfast on Sunday). Contact Canon Holder, 404-365-1036 or lholder@cathedralATL.org, or Jeannie Mahood , jmahood@cathedralATL.org or 404365-103, with questions. The registration deadline is February 20. Space is limited so register soon at cathedralATL.org/lentenretreat!
FRIENDS OF CATHEDRAL MUSIC PRESENTS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2024 7:30 P.M.
VOCES8 is one of the most sensational choirs on the international music scene, having earned its reputation by touring throughout the world, more than a dozen critically acclaimed compact discs, and ravishingly beautiful virtual concerts and YouTube videos.
—Draw on Sweet Night— A place inhabited by the moon and stars, by solitude, dreams, fears and prayers, the night has given us centuries of exquisite poetry and music. This nocturnal program features a wide-ranging repertoire stretching from Venetian renaissance
composer, Giovanni Croce, to the contemporary cross-genre American Pulitzer Prize winner, Caroline Shaw, and rising young English composer, Kerensa Briggs. The sacred portion of the program takes us from the end of day into night, praying
Tickets: cathedralATL.org/concerts
for God’s protection during sleep and giving thanks for Christ the morning star. The concert will also include selections from VOCES8 arrangements of pop and jazz feature swing tunes, ballads, and even James Bond songs.
PRAYER List FOR THOSE WHO ARE ILL OR RECOVERING: LONG TERM PRAYERS: Harris Allen • R. Huntley Allen • Randy Allen • Lucy Baker • Virginia Bicksler • Cornelia Bird • Ed Black • Don Bomgardner • The Bryant Family • Joe Burton • Connie Chapman • Geraldine Charles • Heather Clark • Miguel Boaz-Contreras •
The Crossley Family • Jerri Darnell • Terry Dornbush • Jill Dyas • Deborah Ellington • Paul Fekete • Joyce Egan Ferris • Phoebe Forio • Susan Frierson • Tom Frolik • Ken Griffiths • Steve Gunter • Jenny Ham • Tory Hartness • Karen Howard • Jane Jones • John Kelly • Earline King • Harry Lamon • Liza Lanier • Ralph Lewis • Robert Lewis • Lisa Krysiak • Jill Mahaffey • Barbara Maples • Leslie Marlowe • Camille Martin • Tommy Mason • Wynetta McNeill • Christopher Mitchum • Barbara Moore • Lee Moran •
Graham Mulling • Susan Myers • Jim Myrick • Charlie Neal • Emmanuel Odumosu • Marian Palmore • Patricia Payne-White •
Catalina Barragan Oliveros • Sue Redd • Rubye Reid • Lorraine Reynolds • Barbara and Joel Rice • Bob Riggins • Agnes Elizabeth Robertson • Betty Roper • Louis "Skip" Schueddig • Tommy Truesdale • Len Wagner • Ron Wallace • Jonathan Wright
FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Josephine Rose Adams • Elizabeth Alexander • Shaista Bashir • Bettina Bass • Ray and Pat Bell • Josh Bennett • Eleanor Blount and Justin Blount Murray • Donna Burgess • Jason Brady • Chet Brewer • Paul Brewer • Catherine Brinton •
Darnell Brown • Lila Jo Callaway • Milton Campbell • Bayard Stout Chapin • Mika Chorey • Anna Clifford • Marie Corrigan • Ava Corroon • Heather Dyas Coy • Ron Dyer • Bob Eaton • William Erb • Kyle Garcia • Judy Gerwe • Eric Gose • Christine Hanson •
Jim Gregory and Rick Hoyle • Sarnia Hoyt • Harry Fifield • Thomas Hagood, Jr. • McKee Hamilton • Gayle Higley • Jay Horton • Brian Huestis • Beth Ingle • Cami Jackson • Patty and Shannon Jafolis • Kathy Johnson • Noah Kanakanui • Anna Kelly • The Kelly
Family • Marisa Kelly • Robin Kemp • Dick Kustin • Herb Larrabee • Pete Livezey • Hilda Lukwago • Carolyn R. Lusk • Lauren
Makhlouf • Elaine Metcalf • Marion Hickman Meythaler • Betsy Moore • Linus Nickel • Linda Pace • Sterling Pace • Stephen Pararo • Cindi Pike • Ginny Quinn • Steve Robbins • Eve and Tiana Ruffin • Einar Sagstuen • Edward Sajdak • Joe Salas • James Sands • Skip
Saunders • Patricia Schooley • Stacey Schuitema • Bill Sengstacken • Ashley Shepherd • Alan Smith • Don Smith • Philip Gregory Smith • Michael and Kathryn Snider • Esther Rose Spade • John and Cleary Tanner • Timothy Tew • Pierson Thames • Leopildo Velita • Joanne Woodall • Christie Woodfin • Whit A. Wright • Hollis Youngner
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED: Everette Doffermyre • Benjamin Musoke-Lubega • Mary Alice Simon
HOLY LAND PRESENTATION AND TOUR VIA VIRTUAL REALITY 360 Wednesday, February 21, 12 p.m.–1:30 p.m. Gould Room Join the Rev. Salmoon Bashir and others for an immersive look at the Holy Land on Wednesday, February 21 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Gould Room. Using virtual reality goggles and a live tour guide, participants will focus on Jesus’ journey during the Holy Week, seeing the spaces with historical and ecultural context. Virtual Reality 360 videos will feature the stations of the Cross, with the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Garden Tomb, the Palm Sunday path, the Cenacle (Last Supper Room), the Garden of Gethsemane, and the house of Caiaphas (Jesus’ prison). This experience is produced by MagdalaVR360, an organization that worked with permission from the Israeli government to document, film, and photograph these historical sites during the pandemic. Claudia Borshart, founder and CEO of Magdalavr360, offers a multimedia presentation of facts, perspectives and insights into the spiritual, archaeological, anthropological, and historical origins and evolution of the Middle East in general, and the Holy Land of Israel specifically. For more information please contact the Rev. Salmoon Bashir at sbashir@cathedralATL.org. Register at cathedralATL.org/virtual.
YOUTH Ministry
SOUPER BOWL FOOD DRIVE This year’s annual youth food drive, which coincides with Super Bowl Sunday, will support Intown Cares! Collection barrels can be found in the atrium until February 11. Place your donated food items in the barrel of your choice – casting your vote for the winning team! Food items needed by Intown Cares include: • • • • • •
Canned soup (poptop, not condensed) Ramen noodles Shelf stable milk Pasta & pasta sauce Fruit cups SPAM
• • • • • • •
Instant oatmeal/grits Cereal Tuna packets Canned veggies (poptop) Canned meats Jelly Bottled water
No time to shop? You can also make a monetary contribution at cathedralATL.org/souperbowl.
Market opens
MARCH 2
Saturday Mornings at the Cathedral
SHROVE TUESDAY Join us for our Annual Tradition of Pancakes, Fellowship, and Mardi Gras Fun! 5:30 p.m. Pancake* Supper Begins 6:00 p.m. Mardi Gras Festivities 6:30 p.m. p.m. Car Parade
$10 per person ($40 Family Max) Some decorations will be provided for cars but please feel free to bring your own! The most festive vehicle will be awarded bragging rights for the next year!
Register at cathedralATL.org/ShroveTuesday
(*Pancakes by Flying Biscuit!)
POSTMASTER: Dated Material. Please deliver by February 3, 2024
This Sunday at a glance 7:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist
POSTMASTER Send address changes to: The Cathedral of St. Philip 2744 Peachtree Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30305-2920 404-365-1000
CATHEDRAL TIMES (USPS-093440) is published weekly by The Cathedral of St. Philip 2744 Peachtree Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30305-2920 Periodicals Postage Paid at Atlanta, GA
Mikell Chapel
8:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist Cathedral
10:10 a.m. Old Fashioned Sunday School Child Hall
10:10 a.m. Living Faith Room 239
This SUNDAY
10:10 a.m. YP Sunday School Room 368
10:10 a.m. Youth Sunday School Room 382
10:10 a.m. Godly Play
3rd Floor above the Atrium
11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist Cathedral
11:15 a.m. La Santa Eucaristía Mikell Chapel
1:15 p.m. Enjoy Biblical Greek! Room 239 and online
3:15 p.m. Sunday Afternoon Recital: Jesús Castro-Balbi and Gloria Lin Cathedral
THIS SUNDAY IS SCOUT SUNDAY Scout Sunday celebrates the founding of the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910. In 2024, the Cathedral’s Boy Scout Troop 74 is also celebrating its 73rd birthday. It is a tradition for the Scouts of Troop 74 to observe Scout Sunday by worshiping with their families and serving as ushers at the 8:45 service. All Scouts (Scouts BSA, Cub Scouts, and Girl Scouts) and Scout leaders are invited to join this service in uniform, regardless of their Troop or Pack affiliation.
3:30 p.m. Landscapes of Grief Lanier House
4 p.m. Candlemas Procession and Choral Eucharist Cathedral
The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord
4 p.m. Confirmation Classes for Youth and Adults
Sunday, February 4 Bring candles for a special blessing!
Room 239, Child Hall
6 p.m. Sunday Evening EYC for Middle and High School Room 382
*see front page for more details!