God is Good!

By Pastor Michael Fernandez

I think Gideon is a lot like me.  This is Pastor Michael and I have the privilege of bringing the message this week that is entitled “God is Good”.  Pastor Tim asked me to share the story of Gideon. What an exciting opportunity to share this saga of one of the greatest heroes in the Bible.  It was Gideon who became Judge over Israel and led the defeat of the mighty Midianites and Amalekites who were invading their land.  Gideon sets the pace as an inspired Special Forces leader and he was also an analyzer like me.  My degree at the University of Washington was in Electrical Engineering and I worked in that field for the first half of my life until Pastor Tim called me into ministry many years ago. 

The odds were impossible, so I guess anyone would be an analyzer.  Gideon was hiding out from this army just like the rest of Israel.  He was full of hesitancy at first, but finally just burst forth in bold action. He defiantly cut down the altar to Baal - which started a war. Gideon wanted to make sure that God was going to be on his side, so we have this story of him putting out a fleece just to make sure.  He knew the odds so, for those of us who tend to simmer over allaying situations, we find we can associate with Gideon; and that is the beauty of Bible stories.  We can see ourselves in some part of these real people’s lives.  Please join me as I share from my heart a message that is touching my soul.  It is an incredible upset by Gideon and his Special Forces, but it teaches us a lot about life. 

Get Ready Today is the Day!

By Pastor Tim White

 I love the story of Deborah - Judge of Israel.  Her words are inspiring.  At one point she says, “Get Ready Today is the Day!”  She is referring about throwing off bondage for the nation of Israel; but wouldn’t it be nice if we could throw off the bondage that holds us back?  It is going to happen someday.  When we go to heaven the old Christian saints used to call it “being glorified”.  We become everything we were meant to be.  I look forward to that day.  I will look something like “He Man” if you remember the cartoons from years ago.  And I will be such a nice guy without even trying; something like Mr. Rogers if you remember that old favorite.  I will be as much fun as Big Bird with a sense of humor like Ernie with Bert.  That is just my imagination but someday it’s going to be the day.  The day when strongholds come down. Strongholds which hold us back from being everything we are meant to be and want to be.

In Philippians 1:6 the Apostle Paul writes, “Be assured of this that he who began a good work in you will see it to completion.”  The other day Jackie and I had the privilege of attending Randy Halvorson’s 60th birthday party. He teased his family members and friends as they teased him, and he always had the last word.  He gave honor to Rod, his twin brother and my friend, who is waiting in heaven.  Randy is a very classy guy.  The family showed a video of Randy’s life with a picture of him as a boy walking by a pool with such athleticism it reminded me of his nephew Cody.  But he looked like he was up to some prank which reminded me of his brother Kent.  The video brought tears to all our eyes.  Randy is the longest living person with Duchenne muscular dystrophy; but that is just a footnote in the great person that Randy has become. During the tearful, funny video of Randy’s life I leaned over to Jackie and said, “I want to be just like Randy when I grow up.”  Well this weekend’s message just might be the day to take a giant stride into becoming the person God wants us to be - so get ready.

Your friend for the rest of my life

Pastor Tim

"When God starts testing you - He is about to start blessing you.”

By Pastor Tim White

It was the first day of practice.  The coach stopped practice. He came over and asked the quarterback if he could throw a 20 yard out and then he ordered the play called.  After the throw, he came into the huddle and showed another play with a difficult read on the defense and a deep route for the all-American wide receiver after coming off a double pick.  Well, picks are and always have been illegal, but everyone runs them anyway.  They call them “rub routes.” The quarterback took the snap and dropped back to complete the pass in practice just before being slammed into the ground by a behemoth defensive tackle.  The coach blew the whistle and gave everyone a break and had his assistant coach take the quarterback over to run a 40 for time.  Then he brought over the best player on the team, a defensive tackle, who would later play for the Houston Oilers.  He introduced the new quarterback to the huge lineman from inner city Washington D.C.  He told them “I want you to be friends, to work out together every day. I want you to take a long run at dawn and live in the weight room.”  The coach let practice continue as he and the strength coach took the young quarterback to the weight room to test bench press, squats, and a half dozen other lifts.  After all those tests the depth chart showed the new quarterback as the starting quarterback.  When you are getting tested by someone who wants you to succeed it’s because they are getting ready to bless you.  And it is the same way with God.

Are you being tested right now?  Does it seem like your life is going to require more faith and growth than you can pull off alone?  There is no easy way around it. 

This coming Sunday is going to have inspiring patriotic services followed by an hour and a half picnic and BBQ. There will be hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixings.  There will be a DJ and dancing for our church family.  There will be bounce houses and all kinds of games.  And the Biblical message about reviving our nation entitled “It’s A Young Minded Thing.”  It’s the story of the generation that took the promised land and how their youth pastors - Joshua and Caleb led the way with youthful thinking that outdid any of the younger ones.   Colonel Erskine Austin, of the United States Marine Corp, will present our own Medal of Freedom to some unsuspecting hero in our congregation.  Please remember that the 4th of July is more than just another holiday. It is when we remember, as Christians do all over the world and have for 2,000 years, that we love our country.  Please join us this weekend as we celebrate God blessing America and asking for more blessings, so we can be more of a blessing.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Renewable Strength and Courage

by Pastor Tim White

Join me this weekend as I share about the Biblical concept of renewable strength and courage.  “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.”  Joshua 1:6

Do you know the story of Joshua - that he was an old man when he finally becomes leader of Israel? He was Moses’ most dependable friend. But the prospects were intimidating to do what God had assigned him.

I’m getting ready to complete the comeback in my health and hike through the mountains from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. I’ll start this epic adventure May 2019. To get inspired I went out to watch a baseball game by the Seattle Monarchs. Most of their players are in their sixties and are still playing hard ball. My friend Rich Seiler, who graduated from the Naval Academy had played in the College World Series, today was playing short stop and closing pitcher. I was so inspired to see all these guys defying age and playing like they were kids. The Umpire came up to me in the seventh inning stretch and asked what I was doing there at 9:00 pm?  I told him I was a Pastor and part of my job was to get out in the community. We joked around about why I hadn’t started the wave at the game and how many times he had been hit. He told me 70 miles an hour still really hurts. Rich played a great game with a run scored and errorless fielding, even making a double play and 1-2-3 outs pitching in the ninth inning.  I was inspired by all these men, who at my age, still had a big kid in them.  That is what happened to Joshua and Caleb and can take place in all our lives if we will only let the story of Joshua touch our lives this weekend.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim
 

The Greatest Stories Ever Told

By Tim White

Once upon a time in the far away land of Honduras.  There lived a family of missionaries who lived one mile from the City Dump. There was a daddy missionary, a mommy missionary and a baby missionary.  Everywhere they went in the city of Tegucigalpa there was a traffic jam. The baby missionary did not like this at all and used to cry when he got frustrated waiting in the car which seemed to hardly ever move. Then one day one of their missionary friends suggested that they listen to a Bible Story CD in the car that would entertain and inspire them all.  So, they listened to it the next time they were caught in a traffic jam.  They all just loved the Bible story which was one of the greatest stories they had ever heard.  They were all so happy.  When they met their missionary friends again (who were our own church’s Gibson family) they thanked them for loaning them the CD and said “who was that telling the stories?” The Gibson family laughed and laughed at the Diaz family and said, “that is your own G.P. (Grand Pa).”

That silly story was true, and it illustrates how important the great stories of Scripture are to all of us at every age.  We are starting a new series this summer entitled The Greatest Stories Ever Told. Each week you are going to hear a moving testimony of how Grace has transformed the life of someone in our church family.  I have asked our Music Team to raise the bar on having the wow factor in every worship service because we want to sense the “Presence of God” in each service. Then the Teaching Pastor is going to tell a twenty-minute Bible story, giving it everything they have; always with one powerful point. This week I am starting with the story of Moses and teaching us the profound meaning of “stand still and see the glory of the Lord.” If you want to bring your kids to church they will love it.  But as you know Children’s and Youth Ministry is always great.  Moses has been pointed to as a likely candidate for telling the story of Genesis, so we are starting with the story of Moses; but the point is that the Bible is a collection of funny, exciting stories that have been passed down from generation to generation with insights that our society, our families and our church desperately needs to hear.  And yes, you will be able to download the stories and play them in the car for your kids or yourself to reboot the inspiration in your life.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

PS: Don’t forget this week we are beginning our Summer worship with all services in the Spirit Falls Sanctuary.  The times are Saturday night at 5:30 pm, Sunday morning at 9:00 am, and Sunday morning at 11:00 am.  Join in our “Happy Hour” of fellowship and refreshments on the South Patio of Spirit Falls every Sunday throughout the summer.
 

The Weight of Striving

It was a typical Friday in the office. I sat down to review my to do list, going over curriculum and volunteers to recruit. But as I sat there staring at all the things I needed to accomplish, I realized my heart wasn’t right. I just had this cloud of negativity hanging over me. I share desk space with our Youth Pastor Josh, so I turned to him and said, “I’ll be back to work and brain storm our events more, but I need to go repent first”. I knew my heart wasn’t right.

I closed myself in a room and opened my bible. Strangely, I felt led to read a book other than the one I had been studying at home. I opened to Ecclesiastes. For someone already feeling weighed down, this is a strange place to turn. This book is known for being a bit depressing, cynical at times even. But for the first time in my 30 years of following Christ, I read this book in a different light.

 It was like a bath for my soul. It was cleaning my heart and bringing refreshment. I no longer saw the negativity of the book’s theme, “everything is meaningless”. Rather, I saw the necessary reframing of life. It was like God was reminding me, “you’re not that big of a deal and either are your problems! There is a season for everything and everything comes to pass. Stop getting so caught up in your own worries and just fear the Lord”. This was the perspective I needed.  

There is a weight on us when we forget who really is in charge. We so often want to prepare for every possible tragedy. We want to control every outcome in our lives. We treat life like a competition fueled by jealousy of others’ successes. We forget that in the end, we all die. What really matters is enjoying the gifts of life now, working hard, and respecting God’s authority. After reading this book my heart felt lighter. I was reminded to not take myself so seriously. I hope it does the same for you too. We all need those moments of repentance.

The Summer of Families and Children

By Pastor Tim White

See I am doing a new thing - Isaiah 43:19 KJV

This summer we are doing some exciting new things.  All of it starts Sunday, June 10th. We are going to celebrate the birthdays of each child and have them come to the front to receive a present and a prayer of blessing on their life from the Pastor. 

We are moving both of our English-speaking Sunday Worship Services down to the beautiful Spirit Falls - which we are going to continue to refurbish.  There are so many things that we can’t do in the Recreation Center, such as let the kids play with side-walk chalk. So, even though we still have use of the Recreation Center, we are moving the Services down to the spectacular Spirit Falls Sanctuary. It makes it twice as easy for our set-up and clean-up crews.  And the music package will be the same in both services including Choir and extended Praise Band.  The sermons are going to be 20 minutes (during the summer) as the Pastors tell the greatest stories ever told from the Bible.  And we are going to introduce what Pastor Jackie calls our “Happy Hour”.  That is an hour of fellowship between the two services built around picnic tables with snacks and games (lots of games) and a great happy-hour of friendship available to the people attending each service.  

On Sunday, June 10th, the 9:30am Worship time is being changed to 9:00am. This will give families a chance to worship and have the whole day to enjoy.  And it will solve traffic problems.

The 11:00am service will continue at 11:00am but will move to Spirit Falls Sanctuary.

Pastor Josh and his dedicated team are going to turn the Olympic Room into an Upper Room or Youth Center.

All the other services will continue as before, with a slight change of location. The Vine Brazilian Church will be worshipping on Sunday evening remaining in Spirit Falls building.  Many churches, like this young, exciting congregation, find that Sunday night is a real attraction for young people because Saturday night is the new Friday night so many young people like to sleep in on Sunday mornings if they have been out late Saturday night.

This weekend Pastor Linda is preaching, concluding our series on Encouragement from Wisdom Literature, as she shares from the Book of Proverbs - Chapter 2 on Hidden Treasures.  Come join us at our old times and locations – Saturday night 5:30 pm in Spirit Falls, Sunday morning 9:30 am in Spirit Falls and Sunday morning at 11:00 am in the ReCreation Center.

We have so many plans and if you have any questions please call or email us at 425.869.5433 or info@wacathedral.org.   Washington Cathedral is alive and constantly on the move and I am excited about the new things God is doing in our midst.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

His Plans for My Life

By Pastor Tim White

So many great heroes of the faith have grown up in this church and gone on to do great things. One, who I am very proud of, is Pastor Rey Diaz. Rey is our International Pastor and is Executive Director of Orphan Outreach. He spends his time traveling around the world finding worthy projects that rescue orphans and at-risk kids helping to bring those organizations to a level of accountability that will allow him to find a church to support them. It is difficult, dangerous and demanding work but he believes he was born for this kind of ministry. 

This Sunday, Dr. Rey Diaz will be our Guest Speaker at the 9:30 and 11:00am worship services.  We love Pastor Rey’s preaching and we know that these will be very inspirational moments.  Rey shared with me that he has a special text that has been on his heart for Washington Cathedral throughout this last year. 

This time of the year is a beautiful season to worship at Washington Cathedral. The campus is gorgeous. The music is superb. And it feels like the worship is growing in its sincerity, authenticity and meaningful joy. I so look forward to these life-altering moments for worship.

My devotion for today was from Psalm 139, but I started with the last words from Psalm 138:8

The Lord will work out his plans for my life - for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
 Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

You will have to read Psalm 139 yourself to see just how encouraging God can be!

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Honor your mother (Exodus 20:12b)

By Pastor Tim White

I feel like God has outdone himself by blessing me with a mother that is way more than I deserve.  Elizabeth Jane Saunders is a bright light in the world and in the life of her family.   She was raised on a chicken ranch in Eagle Valley, Oregon.  Eagle Valley was home to the Saunders and Cundiff’s who settled there from the Oregon Trail.  Her father, Winston Saunders, had contagious enthusiasm and as an Engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad he was a larger-than-life character to all his grandchildren.  He spoiled my mom by always buying her an Easter Dress.  He was a political leader in Oregon and received invitations to more than one Presidential Ball.  
 
Her mom, Elizabeth Jane or Betty Saunders, was a hard-working lady who worked as a maid in the La Grande Hotel and could make the best cinnamon rolls in the world.  She added a touch of class to our family and had a girlish giggle.  She was also proud of her Cundiff Heritage as my mom is Cundiff strong also.  My mom met my dad when they were in grade school. And you can ask any of her four boys - this was the luckiest day of my dad’s life. She was very popular in High School and was a Student Body Officer.  We look at the pictures of her and she was just a beauty queen who looked like she could be an actress or something.  Still today I can see that undiminished beauty in her eyes and character.  She married my dad and even lived in the White family log cabin when I was a baby.  I have a picture on my wall of me and my mom and people often ask me if that is a picture of Abraham Lincoln and his mom, but it is me.  She and my dad worked their way through college and seminary and moved to the Tri-Cities to start a church which would become the Cathedral of Joy.  She canned food and picked crops with her children at her side.  She always stood up for us when a bully would threaten us in the tough neighborhood we lived in.  And she expected her boys to do the same for one
another.  She played the piano and organ in church.  And after her dad passed away of a heart attack she
became a nurse because she wanted to care for people in their most difficult trials.  She worked graveyard shift at Kennewick General Hospital with Jeannie Sutten’s mom, and Russ Smith’s mom. When she got the job, it was the first time our family had any money and she bought us our first color T.V.  

Since she had been a cheerleader, when she came to our games we could always hear her above the crowd saying, “come on Timothy!”  When my brother was playing quarterback for Eastern Washington University vs. Boise State in Boise, someone behind us began to criticize my brother’s playing.  He had thrown 3 interceptions, but he always carried the team on his back and eventually threw 3 touchdown passes to win the game.  The man behind us said something about my youngest brother and my mom said, “do you know who I am?”  The man said “no”, she said “I am that boys’ mother.”  The man said he was sorry then my dad whispered to my mom “do you know who that man is?” She said “no.”  He said, “that is the President of Eastern Washington University.”
 
My mom took care of the dying in the Tri-Cities in their homes before there was a hospice.  She cared for her mother-in-law and father-in-law when they were dying.  It got so hard with my grandpa White that I told her “Mom, grandpa doesn’t remember who he is, I think we can put him in a care facility - you can’t burn the
candle at both ends like this.”  She said “Well, I know who he is, and he is not just my father-in-law, this man was my pastor when I was a little girl. “
 
My mom helped us all on our homework, loved her grandchildren at a level that was way beyond the norm.  She has always loved my dad and been his closest friend.  In my life she always knows how to encourage me.  She tells me “you are a Saunders and a Cundiff too, so keep a strong upper lip.”  I am not sure what that means but my lip has always been pretty strong. 

When I place a carnation on the altar this Sunday, my prayer will be thanking my God for blessing me beyond what I deserve with an amazing mom - there will be a little tear in my eye as usual.  Then, when I get home, I will call my mom to see if she got my Mother’s Day present and we will talk and laugh and I will be praying that I am doing a good job of honoring the mother I love.  Won’t you do the same thing this Sunday? It’s not just another Sunday.
 

Shadow of the Most High

By Pastor Tim White

One of the most encouraging passages in all of Scripture is Psalm 91. It tells us that God is our fortress and strength.  It displays a God who comes and rescues us in the midst of the messiness of our broken lives. I’m calling this message – “The Rescuer.”  No, it is not The Rescuers that cute little Disney movie where animals came to the rescue in that animated film. But of the Living God under whose shadow we can choose to live.  Shadow of the Most High loses some of its appeal in the Pacific Northwest. But imagine a desert whose heat saps you of your strength, your courage, your peace and confidence. Maybe it’s 117 degrees like it was when I was in Jericho. A shadow sounds about as encouraging as you can get in that situation. Do you know Psalm 91 expresses God’s wisdom when you are filled with anxiety and depression?

Don’t miss this week’s “song-speech” on one of the most beautiful passages of scripture. Yes – not a sermon but an innovative idea I call a “song-speech.”  Pastor Eliot will share Point #1 – “The God Who Rescues.” He will share a beautiful song from his heart which will minister to your heart like the harp of David. I will share Point #2 –“The Difference Between I Want To and I Am Going To.” And I will bless you by not singing. Then Pastor Rhonda will share Point #3 – “God’s Secret of Satisfaction in Our Lives Right Now.” And she will lift our hearts as she concludes with a beautiful solo.  Please join us.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White