The Cathedral Times - April 28, 2024

The CATHEDRAL TIMES

The weekly newsletter of the Cathedral of St. Philip · Serving Atlanta and the World · April 28, 2024

JOHN MUIR: IN GOD’S WILDNESS IS THE HOPE OF THE WORLD

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

Some communities within The Episcopal Church observe April 22 as the “Feast Day” of John Muir. The day is so noted in one of the recent Episcopal collections, A Great Cloud of Witnesses, which is a compendium of possibilities, days of optional commemoration in the Church. I, too, am one of those persons who has enjoyed John Muir; this past week, I took time to remember his spirit.

John Muir (1838-1914) might seem, to some, as no fan of the institutional church; he would often say the same! He grew up in a rather strict and observant Church of Scotland atmosphere, and his family became members of the Campbellite Restoration Church when they immigrated to Wisconsin in 1849. It is said that John Muir had memorized the entire New Testament, and most of the Old Testament, by the time he was eleven years old.

But it is as a naturalist that most of the world remembers Muir. Indeed, says one of his biographers (Steven Holmes), Muir has become “one of the patron saints of twentieth-century American environmental activity.” Abandoning much of the institutional church, he craved the outdoors; but—to my mind—he found the Holy in the wild realities of nature.

From A Great Cloud of Witnesses, we read that he wrote, “I never tried to abandon creeds or code of civilization; they went away of their own accord... without leaving any consciousness of loss.” And: “We all flow from one fountain—Soul. All are expressions of one love. God does not appear, and flow out, only from narrow chinks and round bored wells here and there in favored races and places, but He flows in grand undivided currents, shoreless and boundless over creeds and forms and all kinds of civilizations and peoples and beasts, saturating all and fountainizing all.”

In 1867, he took a 1,000 mile walk, from Indiana to Florida, described in his book A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf. John Muir traveled through Georgia on that trip, crossing the Chattahoochee River. (I think of my own father, a naturalist, who canoed me down the Chattahoochee, and who played a small part in helping Governor Jimmy Carter and the State of Georgia preserve parts of that river.)

Later, of course, Muir would travel to California, where he was astounded by Yosemite Valley and helped to create structures for its preservation. (He also was one of the first to refute the theory that earthquakes had created Yosemite Valley; it was glaciers, he noted, and he was later proved correct).

Muir writes with an almost mystical ecstasy about the presence of God in the natural world: “Every particle of rock or water or air has God by its side leading it the way it should go; The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness; In God’s wildness is the hope of the world.”

And: “this glorious valley might well be called a church, for every lover of the great Creator who comes within the broad overwhelming influences of the place fails not to worship as they never did before. The glory of the Lord is upon all God’s works; it is written plainly upon all the fields of every clime, and upon every sky.”

Finally, a few more Muir quotations: “Few are altogether deaf to the preaching of pine trees.”

And: “In our best times everything turns into religion, all the world seems a church and the mountains altars.” And: “No synonym for God is so perfect as Beauty. Whether as seen carving the lines of the mountains with glaciers, or gathering matter into stars, or planning the movements of water, or gardening – still all is Beauty!”

I am glad Muir discovered the Holy in the outdoors. Nature was a kind of grand and beautiful religion for him. Indeed, I share his mystical fascination with the glory of God in creation. His religion, however, need not contradict the glory and beauty we find in healthy Christianity, or any healthy institutional religion. I am glad to be nourished by cathedrals made from human hands, and by cathedrals made from nature’s hands. We are all part of the creativity of God; and is a wondrous, holy, experience to be part of the creativity of God!

This SUNDAY

APRIL 28, 2024 · The Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year B Acts 8:26-40 • Psalm 22:24-30 • 1 John 4:7-21 • John 15:1-8

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. Salmoon Bashir

8:45 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, CATHEDRAL

Celebrant: The Very Rev. Sam Candler

Preacher: The Rev. Canon Lauren Holder

Cathedral Choristers and Cathedral Singers:

C. Hubert H. Parry (1848-1918), I was glad when they said unto me

Eleanor Daley (b. 1955), Open thou mine eyes

11:15 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, CATHEDRAL

Celebrant: The Very Rev. Sam Candler

Preacher: The Rev. Salmoon Bashir

Cathedral Choir:

C. Hubert H. Parry (1848-1918), I was glad when they said unto me

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), Jubilate Deo in C

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

Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Canon Lauren Holder

4 P.M. CHORAL EVENSONG FOR THE FEAST OF ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA, CATHEDRAL

Officiant and Preacher: The Rev. Dr. Thee Smith

Cathedral Schola:

Käthe Wright Kaufman (b. 1933), Preces & Responses

William Walton (1902-1983), Chichester Service

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), Geistliches Lied

David Briggs (b. 1962), O Lord, support us

SUNDAY AFTERNOON RECITALS

BEN WEAVER, ORGAN

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

Atlanta, Georgia

SUNDAY, APRIL 28 — 3:15 P.M. IN-PERSON AND ONLINE AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG/RECITALS

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 547

Dan Locklair (b. 1949), “...beside the still waters.” from Windows of Comfort, Book 1

Louis Vierne (1870-1937), Arabesque

César Franck (1822-1890), Pièce Heroïque

MUSIC

ENGLAND PILGRIMAGE PREVIEW CONCERT

Friday, May 3

7:30 p.m., Cathedral

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., Cathedral

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.

APRIL STEWARDSHIP UPDATE

Pledges through 4/19/2024:

Amount: $3,205,744

Number of households: 646

Thank you, as always, for your responsiveness to the 2024 Stewardship Campaign! In two short months, we have increased our pledges by over 20%, and we are $276,000 over our total amount pledged at this time last year. We will need to maintain this momentum to reach our Wildly Important Goal of $4,200,000 in pledges from 1,000 pledging families for the year. To stay on track (increasing rate and amount of pledging), we need support from as many households as possible. Join the fun! Please go to make your pledge today: cathedralATL.org/pledge. Thank you!

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, MAY 5 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24. FOR THE SUNDAY, MAY 12 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 1.

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

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 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 Formation Hour: Episcopal 101

10:10 a.m., Room 368

Please join the Rev. Salmoon Bashir for Episcopal 101: An introductory class on Episcopal beliefs and practices. This class is designed for those who are new to The Episcopal Church, as well as cradle Episcopalians interested in deepening their understanding of our traditions, liturgy, theology, beliefs, and practices.

These classes are meant to be an open forum for questions and conversations. No advance preparation is required. We look forward to embarking on this journey of discovery and faith together. All are welcome.

JOURNEYING WITH THE LIVES OF EARLY CHURCH SAINTS

Wednesdays through May 15

12 p.m., Room 239

Join the Rev. Salmoon Bashir and Eat Your Word Bible Study for this 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.

UNITED THANK OFFERING: HELPING WATER INSECURE COMMUNITIES

Sunday, May 5

On Sunday, May 5, we’ll come together to give thanks and give in the thanksgiving for God’s blessings as part of the United Thank Offering (UTO). Your gratitude and your giving will help fund UTO 2025 grant giving focused on ministries for communities impacted by water access, water quality, and environmental impacts.

We encourage you to take time this week to pause in your day to consider all the gifts God gives you. Then, considering giving back in gratitude on UTO Sunday, May 5, in church or now online at cathedralATL.org/uto.

Matthew 25:34-35

Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.

OUTREACH

TECH HELP FOR CATHEDRAL TOWERS RESIDENTS

Are you good with technology? Interested in using your knowledge to help others? The Cathedral is forming a team of volunteers to assist residents of Cathedral Towers with simple troubleshooting for their smart phones, iPads and other gadgets. Time commitment can be whatever you have to offer, and the team will go over to the Towers together on prearranged dates. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Canon Julia Mitchener, julia.mitchener@cathedralATL.org.

the Cathedral Farmers Market

Saturdays 8:30 a.m.– noon

The Cathedral Farmers Market aims to provide a place where customers can reconnect with the food that they eat and the community where they live. Each week you will find an abundance of fresh, locally grown produce, meat, eggs, flowers, prepared foods, and artists with wood, glass, textile, and metal arts, and much more. See you Saturday!

WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTER TO END DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (WRCDV) SEEKS INTERNS AND VOLUNTEERS

The Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence is recruiting interns and volunteers for the summer. There are multiple opportunities including:

• Camp PEACE Teacher ( full-time): co-teach workshops for youth in Camp PEACE (late May–late July).

• Legal Advocate: Work at the main office to answer temporary protective order (TPO) phone calls, follow up with clients, and file TPOs.

• Data Management: Work at the main office to manage data systems, with opportunities from data entry to analysis.

• Program Support: Work at a community-based location to accompany families through transitional housing.

Interns are required to make a 10 hour/week commitment for at least 10 weeks (summer). Learn more at wrcdv.org/volunteer.

The WRCDV was the 2023 Cathedral Giving by Design beneficiary and is a nonprofit organization that meets the immediate and longterm needs of the diverse community of battered women and their children with programs that promote safety, compassion, connection, advocacy, and prevention.

PRAYER List

FOR THOSE WITH IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Ron Shook • Bill Shropshire

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 • Rita Daly • 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 • 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 • Kay Sanders • 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 • Marty Dunn • Katherine Erb • 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 • Kimbrooke Pavlich • 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 • Thomas Francis Wall • Christie Woodfin • Karen Woodward • Whit A. Wright • Hollis Youngner FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED: Robert Pannell

May 24-26

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.

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.

Want to volunteer? There are daily volunteer opportunities or join the whole week as a counselor! Contact Lisa McNamara lmcnamara@cathedralATL.org for more information.

POSTMASTER: Dated Material. Please deliver by April 27, 2024

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

12:30 p.m. Monthly Birthday Celebration for Spanish-Language Congregation Gould Room

1:15 p.m. Enjoy Biblical Greek! Room 239 and online

3:15 p.m. Sunday Afternoon Recital Series: Ben Weaver Cathedral

3:30 p.m. Landscapes of Grief Lanier House

4 p.m. Choral Evensong for the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena Cathedral

5:30 p.m. Chill on the Hill Cathedral Parking Lot

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

POSTMASTER

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