The Cathedral Times - April 14, 2024

The CATHEDRAL TIMES

SAINT THOMAS – DON’T MISS THE MEETING!

By the Very Rev. Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral

We know him most commonly as “Doubting Thomas.” But there are two, two very different, ways to read his important comments from John, Chapter 20. Here is one way of emphasizing the words in verse 25:

“Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe. (John 20:25)

That emphasis suggests that Thomas was a doubter, a skeptic, and that he wants empirical evidence of the risen Christ, maybe different from what the other disciples had. But what if we read it this way:

“Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe. (John 20.25)

Here’s why I prefer the second emphasis: When Thomas spoke these famous words, all he wanted was the same experience, the same opportunity, that the other disciples had already had! Previously, on the evening of the first day of the week, Jesus had shown up; and he had already shown the other disciples his wounded body, his hands and his side. But, Thomas had not been there, at that first meeting!

When Thomas does show up, and hears the report of the other disciples, all he is saying is that he wants the same opportunity to see and feel Jesus! I do not believe Thomas is guilty of doubt or unbelief. The only thing I believe Thomas was guilty of was missing the first meeting. So, I use St. Thomas as an object lesson at every staff meeting I lead. Don’t miss the meeting! Please do not miss the meeting!

Or, you will end up sounding like good old Saint Thomas, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe (John 20:25).” The other disciples, the other staff members, had made the first meeting, and they had already had opportunity to touch the wounded Christ! Don’t miss the meeting!

The real power of the story of St. Thomas is that he asked for wounds. Authentic spirituality is not just the glory and the glitter; it is also the acknowledgment of pain and suffering. I believe we meet Jesus today exactly in the way Thomas and the rest of the apostles saw him long ago. We meet Jesus by looking for his side and his hands. We meet the Christ by touching his wounds.

Many of the wounds we touch are in us who are the Church. That is as it should be, for we say of ourselves that we are the Body of Christ. Most of us have scars on our hands, and we have holes in our hearts. We are the lonely, the hurt, the abandoned and ostracized. We are the wounded Body of Christ. When we meet our wounds, we meet Christ. And many of the wounds of this world are outside the supposed church community – among the poor, the sick, the homeless, outside our walls – among those about whom Jesus said, “Even as you do it to one of the least of these, when you clothe them, feed them, give them something to drink, you have done it to me.” Jesus Christ, then, is among the wounded, the hurt and lost people of this world. That is where we would meet Christ. When we meet wounds, we meet Christ.

Meeting Christ, then, is not a simplistic intellectual and cerebral event, one that involves doubt and then faith, or evidence and then proof. In fact, it is sometimes easier to meet Christ if we don’t expect rational answers to our intellectual questions. When we ask, “How can that wounded person be Christ?”, we don’t get an answer in words. The answer comes when we recognize in a great mystery that the wounds of that person are the same wounds Christ had. The answer comes when we touch those wounds and believe for ourselves. Like Thomas, we have to meet them for ourselves.

It takes courage to be like Thomas. Yes, courage to know our doubts and have the freedom to express them. But, also, courage to touch the wounds of Christ in today’s world! Is Thomas, then, the apostle of doubt? I believe not. St. Thomas is the apostle of courage!

Yes, I say to the staff, to the Church, to the world: Don’t miss the meeting! Look for the wounds. When we meet wounds, we have made the meeting! When we meet wounds, we meet Christ.

This SUNDAY

APRIL 14, 2024 · The Third Sunday of Easter, Year B

Acts 3:12-19 • Psalm 4 • 1 1 John 3:1-7 • Luke 24:36b-48

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 Very Rev. Sam Candler

Preacher: The Rev. Canon George Maxwell

8:45 a.m. Cathedral Singers / 11:15 a.m. Cathedral Choir: Peter Mathews (b. 1944), Behold, what manner of love

Vreuchten, harm. Charles Wood (1866-1926), This joyful Eastertide

11:15 A.M. LA SANTA EUCARISTÍA, MIKELL CHAPEL

Officiant and Preacher: The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval

4 P.M. CHORAL EVENSONG, CATHEDRAL

Officiant and Preacher: The Very Rev. Sam Candler

Cathedral Schola:

Stephen Caracciolo (b. 1926), Preces & Responses

Herbert Howells (1892-1983), Winchester Service

Cecilia McDowall (b. 1951), I know that my Redeemer liveth

Jean Lhéritier (c. 1480-c. 1552), Surrexit Pastor Bonus

NEWCOMERS EASTER at the CATHEDRAL

Thank you for joining us on Easter Sunday at the Cathedral! Dan Murphy, the Cathedral’s Director of Communications, captured many joyous and sacred moments at the Easter Vigil and Festival Holy Eucharist services. If you would like to see more photos taken throughout the day, please visit cathedralATL.org/2024EasterPics.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON RECITALS

JOSEPH ARNDT, ORGAN

St. John’s Episcopal Church

Tulsa, Oklahoma

SUNDAY, APRIL 14 — 3:15 P.M.

IN-PERSON AND ONLINE AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG/RECITALS

Rebecca Groom te Velde (b. 1956), Paean (2022)

Samuel Barber (1910-1981), Wondrous Love: Variations on a Shape-note Hymn

Charles Callahan (1951-2023), Partita on Kingsfold

Percy Whitlock (1903-1946), Plymouth Suite for Organ

PASTORAL Care

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP

Landscapes of Grief

Sundays, April 21–May 19

3:30 p.m.–5 p.m., Lanier House

This grief-support group, offered in partnership with Hospice Atlanta, is open to anyone in the community who is grieving the death of a loved one and is willing to commit to attending all six sessions. We meet from 3:30 – 5 p.m. on Sunday with new sessions beginning periodically. To maintain a comfortable group size, space is limited, and registration is required. Contact Canon Cathy Zappa, czappa@cathedralATL.org, for more information.

UNITED THANK OFFERING: THE GIFT OF GRATITUDE

Sunday, May 5

At the Cathedral of St. Philip, we celebrate the Episcopal United Thank Offering (UTO) every spring and fall, joining Episcopalians worldwide to raise $1 million every year to support struggling and impacted communities. UTO Sunday is Sunday, May 5. We invite you to practice gratitude intentionally for the next month. Then, reflect on those blessings, and make a thank offering at cathedralATL.org/UTO. This year our giving will support 2025 grants focused on helping communities impacted by lack of water access, water quality and environmental impacts.

United Thank Offering Blue Box Prayer

Almighty God, I give you praise for blessing me in many ways. Create in me a grateful heart and with this gift a blessing start. Amen.

The CATHEDRAL of 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

CATHEDRAL TIMES SUBMISSION DEADLINES:

FOR THE SUNDAY, APRIL 21 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10. FOR THE SUNDAY, APRIL 28 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17.

TO RECEIVE THE TIMES BY EMAIL:

CONTACT LIZ AULL, LAULL@CATHEDRALATL.ORG.

TO SUBMIT AN ANNOUNCEMENT REQUEST:

CONTACT SARA CRAIG-GOODELL, SCRAIGGOODELL@CATHEDRALATL.ORG.

404-365-1000 | cathedral ATL .org

pastoral care emergency line: 404-365-1003

cathedralatl

MUSIC

UPCOMING CONCERTS AT THE CATHEDRAL JUBILEE

Friday, April 19, 7:30 p.m.

Atlanta Baroque Orchestra virtuosi share their joyful, creative, and considerable skills through concertos that showcase the ABO’s outstanding players. Experience the wild side of baroque music through Georg Philipp Telemann’s quirky orchestra suite, “La Bizarre,” Francesco Durante’s “La Pazzia” (“Madness”), and other ebullient concertos featuring violins, recorder, flute, and more!

Presented by the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra. Tickets and more information at atlantabaroque.org.

AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS GALA

Friday, April 26, 7:30 p.m.

The Cathedral is delighted to serve as host of the 2024 AGO Gala honoring the beloved Atlanta Chenault Duo, who have contributed more to the corpus of organ repertoire for four hands and four feet than every other organist in the history of the instrument, combined. This will be an incredibly special evening of magnificent music and musicianship, and a celebration to remember!

Concert tickets (recital only), Patron tickets (includes recital & gala donor reception), and more information at agohq.org/2024-gala.

MOVING MUSIC (AND MUSICIANS!)

ENGLAND PILGRIMAGE PREVIEW CONCERT

Friday, May 3, 7:30 p.m.

The Cathedral Choir will serve as choir-in-residence for a week each at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, and at York Minster in July 2024. This concert will be an opportunity to hear some of the magnificent repertoire that the Choir will offer during the fifteen services they will sing in England, while also supporting their efforts to raise the funds needed to travel.

Presented by Friends of Cathedral Music. Purchase tickets at cathedralATL.org/concerts.

CATHEDRAL SINGERS CONCERT

Friday, June 7, 7:30 p.m.

Enjoy a lovely June evening’s respite amid the glow of stained glass, basking in music to sooth the soul and delight the senses! This concert features the professional core of the Cathedral Choir & Schola and the Cathedral’s magnificent organists.

Presented by Friends of Cathedral Music. Purchase tickets at cathedralATL.org/concerts.

One of the great joys and sadnesses of having such a wonderful and well-known music program is that we attract talented and faithful musicians and then just as we come to love them they move on to other opportunities. We are inevitably better off for their having been with us, of course, but it’s hard to watch them go. This is what the last year has been like, full of the joy and sadness of talented musicians coming and going.

It started in the fall when Jack Mitchener left us in order to spend more time with his family. He had served as an organist and Artist-in-Residence. Jack continues to teach at the Townsend School of Music at Mercer University, where he is a Professor of Organ, University Organist and Chairman of the Keyboard Department and Director of the Townsend-McAfee Institute of Church Music. We are thankful for what he was able to teach us and miss him on the bench at the Cathedral.

Herb Buffington, well-known organist, composer, and conductor joined us at the beginning of this year. Herb is an old friend and we are thankful to have him with us on a more regular basis.

Most recently, Caroline Robinson has announced that she will be leaving us this summer. Caroline has accepted a tenure-track position of Assistant Professor of Organ at the University of Michigan that will begin in the fall. Although she is leaving us too soon, she is moving into an extremely rare academic opportunity. You can read the announcement on the UM website. We are currently looking for someone else to take on the responsibilities that Caroline carried so well.

You can see, I think, that part of making the moving music we enjoy here at the Cathedral is living with talented musicians that are sometimes on the move themselves. It’s a good thing – full of joy and sadness.

Please join me in saying good-bye to Jack and Caroline and hello again to Herb!

The Rev. George M. Maxwell, Jr., Vicar

PRAYER List

FOR THOSE WITH IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Rita Daly • Thomas Francis Wall

FOR THOSE WHO ARE ILL OR RECOVERING:

LONG TERM PRAYERS: R. Huntley Allen • Lucy Baker • Ken Brownlee • Catalina Barragan Oliveros • Virginia Bicksler • Scott Brown • The Bryant Family • Joe Burton • Heather Clark • The Crossley Family • Jerri Darnell • Terry Dornbush • Stephen Douglass • Joan Duncan • Jill Dyas • Deborah Ellington • Paul Fekete • Joyce Egan Ferris • Phoebe Forio • Tom Frolik • Ken Griffiths • Steve Gunter • Jenny Ham • Tory Hartness • Gena Inman • Jane Jones • Randi King • Harry Lamon • Liza Lanier • Ralph Lewis • Robert Lewis • Lisa Krysiak • Jill Mahaffey • Barbara Maples • Leslie Marlowe • Tommy Mason • Christopher Mitchum • Barbara Moore • Graham Mulling • Susan Myers • Jim Myrick • Charlie Neal • Marian Palmore • Patricia Payne-White • Buddy and Sue Redd • Rubye Reid • Lorraine Reynolds • Barbara and Joel Rice • Bob Riggins • Agnes Elizabeth Robertson • Lana Sachsenmaier • Nancy Sanders • Louis “Skip” Schueddig • Tommy Truesdale • Len Wagner • Ginny Wolf • Jonathan Wright

FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Josephine Rose Adams • Elizabeth Alexander • Bettina Bass • Ray and Pat Bell • Josh Bennett • Donna Burgess • Jason Brady • Trip Bray • Chet Brewer • Paul Brewer • Catherine Brinton • Darnell Brown • Lila Jo Callaway • Bayard Stout Chapin • Mika Chorey • Anna Clifford • Marie Corrigan • Ava Corroon • Heather Dyas Coy • Marty Dunn • William Erb • Sam Fender • Kyle Garcia • Ann George • Larry Hamilton • Christine Hanson • Judson Harper • Rick Hoyle • Sarnia Hoyt • Thomas Hagood, Jr. • Gayle Higley • Brian Huestis • Beth Ingle • Clinton Johnson, Jr. • Kathy Johnson • Sara Kissel • Mary Kyle • Herb Larrabee • Pete Livezey • Hilda Lukwago • Carolyn R. Lusk • Lauren Makhlouf • Margaret McKinnon • Elaine Metcalf • Marion Hickman Meythaler • Betsy Moore • Margaret Moriarty • Fred Neuschel • Linus Nickel • Sterling Pace • Rosemary Palmer • Stephen Pararo • Ginny Quinn • Terri Reece • Jean Rudolph • Einar Sagstuen • Joe Salas • James Sands • Skip Saunders • Patricia Schooley • Stacey Schuitema • Lelia Sinclair • Alan Smith • Don Smith • Philip Gregory Smith • Michael and Kathryn Snider • Esther Rose

Spade • Izzy Straus • Brandon Streets • John and Cleary Tanner • Timothy Tew • Pierson Thames • Leopildo Velita • Pat Volpicella •

Marjory Wall • Christie Woodfin • Karen Woodward • Whit A. Wright • Hollis Youngner

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED: Roy Reese

FOR THOSE WHO WERE BORN: Harriet Mae Mahlman, born to Margaret and Nathan Mahlman

May 24-26 parish retreat

REGISTER AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG/KANUGA

Join us Memorial Day Weekend for the Annual Parish Retreat at Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The weekend includes evening socials, programming for adults and children, kayaking, hiking, swimming, napping, rocking chairs, pickle ball, bingo, and Holy Eucharist. For more information or questions, contact Lisa McNamara, lmcnamara@cathedralATL.org.

CHILDREN’S Ministry

This year we will continue following the Israelites after they traveled through the wilderness making their way to the Promised Land. In the Promised Land, unexpected journeys, epic battles, secret spies, and other surprises are in store as we follow God’s pursuit of his people.

Week of Wonder is a traditional week of Vacation Bible School for children ages 4 – 5th grade. We will enjoy the simple and relaxed joys that summer brings, using nature, art, music, play, wonder, and of course, popsicles.

The Nurturing Center will also be open for younger siblings! Register at cathedralATL.org/weekofwonder.

ADULT Education

ADULT EDUCATION THIS SUNDAY

Old Fashioned Sunday School

Reading Genesis: The Beginning of Wisdom

10:10 a.m., Child Hall

Since the nineteenth century, biblical scholars have become largely uninterested in the wisdom offered by the book of Genesis. They tend to focus on the fact that the book is a collection of separate documents that were written by different people at different times for different reasons and devote themselves to answering questions about whether and how these various pieces fit together. This approach means that they avoid the larger questions about life like, “What is the meaning of life?” and “How it should be lived?”

This series focuses on what the book of Genesis has to say about these larger questions. They are as important to us today as they were when they were first asked! We need the wisdom of Genesis as we work through issues facing us now about family and private life, community and politics, and our relation to nature and the earth. You will not be disappointed! As it turns out, Genesis doesn’t tell us stories about what happened as much as it tells us stories about what always happens.

The Rev. Canon George Maxwell leads a discussion based on Leon R. Kass’ book titled The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis (Univ. of Chicago Press, 2023). You don’t need to buy or read the book to participate in the series.

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 CHOSEN!

Wednesdays

5–7 p.m., Gould Room

On Wednesday evenings, join us from 5–7 p.m. to enjoy a second year of this popular and deeply inspiring video discussion of The Chosen. You may bring a meal for yourself or to share with others when we break bread together during an intermission, then resume screening about 6 p.m. We’ll screen selected videos from the latest Season 4 episodes as they become available. Independently you may also watch the entire series or individual episodes at watch.thechosen.tv, download The Chosen app, or search the internet for many reviews and interviews that highlight one of the greatest breakthroughs in Christian media this century.

For questions, or to be added to the newsletter, please contact the Rev. Dr. Thee Smith, tsmith@cathedralATL.org.

Living Faith

10:10 a.m., Room 239

Join Canons Lauren Holder, Julia Mitchener, and Cathy Zappa as we explore what it means to live out our faith through conversation with scripture and tradition, contemporary books, and, most important, one another. All are welcome!

Join Canons Lauren Holder, Julia Mitchener, and Cathy Zappa for conversation guided by The NY Times bestseller Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic and What We Can Do About It by Jennifer Breheny Wallace. While this book will be of particular interest to those with young people in their lives, it is also relevant to anyone wanting to reflect on the deeper meaning and purpose of human existence and on what Christianity may have to offer a culture in which so many question their self-worth. All are welcome!

Young Professionals

Say it to God: In Search of Prayer (The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2018) by Luigi Gioia

10:10 a.m., Room 368

In Say it to God , Luigi Gioia provides a welcome encouragement to all those who feel the need to freshen their practice of prayer. For Gioia, prayer is not about methods or techniques, but trusting that God is truly interested in everything that happens to us and wants to hear about it. This book leads the reader into the theological aspects of prayer and how it relates to Christ, to the Holy Spirit and to the Church.

JOURNEYING WITH THE LIVES OF EARLY CHURCH SAINTS

Wednesdays, April 10–May 15

12 p.m., Room 239

Join the Reverend Salmoon Bashir and Eat Your Word Bible Study for this six-week series on saints from the early church who held onto their faith amidst trial and tribulation, shaped the life of the church, and changed the course of civilization. We will also learn about the early women leaders and saints and their role in shaping the church. You will never see the saints the same way again! For more information, contact Salmoon Bashir, sbashir@cathedralATL.org, or 404-365-1035.

This Sunday at a glance

7:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist

Mikell Chapel

8:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist Cathedral

10 a.m. Godly Play 3rd Floor above the Atrium

10:10 a.m. Old Fashioned Sunday School Child Hall

10:10 a.m. Living Faith Room 239

10:10 a.m. YP Sunday School Room 368

10:10 a.m. Youth Sunday School Room 382

10:10 a.m. Holy Eucharist Instruction Class

St. Mary’s Chapel

10:10 a.m. Informed First Communion Class

Walthour Library

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 Series: Joseph Arndt Cathedral

4 p.m. Choral Evensong Cathedral

5:30 p.m. Newcomers Cookout Cathedral

6 p.m. Sunday Evening EYC for Middle and High School Room 382

SPIRITUALITY

THIRD MONDAY LABYRINTH WALK AND TAIZÉ

Monday, April 15, 7 p.m. Labryinsth and Mikell Chapel

Please join us for a contemplative Third Monday of April. We’ll begin on the Outdoor Labyrinth (in front of the Lanier House), weather permitting, for an hour of walking the sacred labyrinth path starting at 7 p.m.

Join us a few minutes early for a brief introduction if you are new to the labyrinth. If the weather is not amenable, the indoor labyrinth will be in Child Hall.

Then, come to Mikell Chapel at 8 p.m. for Taizé Prayers for Peace. Originating in Taizé, France, this simple service of scripture, music, silence, and candlelight will bring a beautiful and prayerful close to your Monday.

The facilitated Labyrinth walk and Taizé service take place every third Monday at the Cathedral. Carlisle Dent coordinates our Labyrinth ministry, while Barbara Bazzel and Sandra Carey coordinate the Taizé services. Come to one, or both – and bring a friend!

Questions? Contact Jeannie Mahood, jmahood@cathedralATL.org, or 404-365-1031.

Cathedral THRIFT HOUSE

The Cathedral Thrift House would love to receive your unused gardening tools in good condition for our annual May Garden Sale!

Donations accepted Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. at The Cathedral Thrift House, 1893 Piedmont Road Northeast. Thank you for your support!