Christmas at the Cathedral

by Pastor Tim White

Yes, a camel at our Christmas service this year.  Do you know how many years we have been dreaming of involving a camel in our Christmas service?  I do – it 24 long years.  And now Jackie announced at the staff meeting we have one and we will be able to offer camel rides to the kids this Christmas weekend. And it is not Pastor David and Michael in a camel suit.  It is a real camel.  We are all so full of thanksgiving.

We are beginning a new series: “7 Miracle Christmas Lights.” It is so dark and cold this time of the year.  And Christmas brings so much light to the world.  So, we are going to impact our world with the powerful message of the Babe born in a manger.

• November 25th – 7 Miracles of Light (Christmas love)

• December 2nd The Miracle Light of Christmas Peace

• December 9th The Miracle Light of Christmas Hope

• December 16th The Miracle Light of Family

• December 23rd The Miracle Light of Christmas Quietness

• The Pageant Message – The Christmas Light of Joy (December 23 @ 4:00 pm, December 24 @ 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm)

• The Midnight Communion – The Christmas Miracle of Rejoicing (December 24 @ 11:00 pm)

Please make your Christmas plans around Christmas Lights the Night – I believe you will be blessed by making the message of Christmas a central part of all your plans this busy season.  The music will be great the worship will be fun, and we will grow as individuals – as families and as a church.

If Love is Contagious - I Hope You Never Get Well. By Pastor Tim

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

A whole bunch of us are responding to the Love Chapter Challenge and memorizing these sacred words. It is a definition of Agape Love that is a lever to change the world.

This week’s message is “Love Is Contagious”. It is taken from the passage in 2 Corinthians Chapter 9 where the Bible says that “God loves a cheerful giver”.  It explains how planting seeds of love can change the world if we have the right attitude.

In our confused modern age people look at those who are committed to the way of God’s love as somehow being unhealthy. That is why I was tickled by the book entitled: If Love is Contagious - I hope you never get well. My mom and dad have given their lives to loving people with no expectation of return.  I can see so many people in our world that feel the way I do. They look up to people with Godly world-changing, astonishing, Agape love and it is contagious. So, unlike influenza, (that is contagious in a bad way) we don’t want those with ‘contagious love’ to get well and give up their mold-breaking ideals and conform to mediocrity.  We want them to stay contagious! 

Is that the way you feel about someone?  I can think of hundreds of Christ Followers that are like that and my heart is thrilled by them.  My wife Jackie is contagious with Agape love.  Our three kids are like that and so are our grandchildren.  Tony and Cindy Woods are like that as are Duff and Carmen Simpson, Russ and Diana Smith, Josh and Gigi Zappone, Becky and Mike Mettler, Bob and Mary Ann Pease.  Please stay contagious - don’t ever become normal, because we need to infect the whole world with the love of Jesus.

Join us this weekend to discover how to become a little more contagious. You will be lifted by hopeful love.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

The Love Chapter Challenge

by Pastor Tim White

We have been studying the use of the Greek word AGAPE in the New Testament to give us a God’s eye view of his plan to change the world. We see a God who is relational more than just contractual. When Jesus talks to someone it is not a practiced sales pitch that never varies. He listens and responds to their greatest need. It might be: Love your enemies. You must be born again. Count the cost. Worry about nothing. Everyone is your neighbor - even Samaritans. Judge not or you will be judged. Take care of my sheep. Give away everything you have, take up your cross and follow me… My prayer is that our church can follow Jesus’ secret plan to change the world. It is not supposed to be a secret, but it has become one. Reach outside of the bubble of your Christian Circle and build friendships with all kinds of people -- listening to them, loving them, encouraging them, and praying for them.

This week we look at the heart of the series: The Love Chapter in 1 Corinthians 13. There are all kinds of social media challenges that have gone on. Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? Now there is the 30 Days of Sex Challenge that people are talking about right now. (Don’t worry I am not talking about either of those.) But, in this day and age of so much division and hate, I am offering the Love Chapter Challenge.

Memorize 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and say it or pray it for 30 days.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Do four agape love things.

L. Love your wife. (This is for married couples, but I am sure that Christian singles are praying for marriages.)

In my marriage counseling I often tell people about Elling and Barb Halvorson. Elling calls his wife hot lips. They are senior adults, but at the marriage of their grandson, Elling challenged all his married grandchildren to kiss their spouse every single day for the rest of their lives. And he added make it a good one. Then he demonstrated - like a bull getting ready to charge he pawed at the ground with his feet and gave his wife a kiss that made all his extended family cheer. Kiss your wife (a really good smack) once a day for 30 days.

O. Offer to pray daily with someone you normally would not pray with.

I’m going to call all my grandchildren every day and pray with them over the phone. And I am going to add someone outside my circle to pray with once a day. If that sounds uncomfortable, then just pray for them and don’t tell them. But if you really want to stretch, try praying over the phone, for someone you love but don’t see and see if it doesn’t bring a tear to your eye. It doesn’t have to be a complicated prayer just pray from your heart.

V. Verses 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – memorize these and pray them daily and live them for 30 days.

E. Encourage someone outside your normal circle.

Ask a neighbor if you can clean their rain gutters; take a homeless person to lunch or put them up for a night in a motel. Stop and help a person stranded on the road or give an extra gift through the church to send a kid to camp. Help in a mission project. Contribute to a Benevolence Fund for helping people caught in a crunch in our area. Go feed people at a homeless camp or help out at the Union Gospel Mission; but do something that reaches out of your normal circle.

So, expect to see this challenge on my Facebook page, LinkedIn site and Twitter feed – 20,000 people in all will see it. And I am going to challenge other Pastors to join in this Love Challenge. From other churches I am going to challenge Pastor Brian White from Hill Song Church, Pastor Monte Ingersoll from Living Room Church, Pastor David Hamlin (retired Baptist pastor), Pastor Rich Warren, Pastor Ron Wilbur, Pastor Mike Mugford of Friendly Street Church of God; Austin Svangren from Word of Faith Church, Roberts A. Schuller from Robert Schuller Ministries. And of course, Pastor Helio Silva, Pastor Chet McVey, Pastor Su Jong Beck, Pastor David Gerzsenye, Pastor Linda Skinner, Pastor Michael Fernandez, Pastor Josh Zappone, Pastor Rhonda Jones, Pastor Eliot Stone, Pastor Jackie White, Pastor Marty Folsom, Pastor Becca McCary: Executive Director of Sisters of Mary Catholic Ministries, Pastor Dale White Fellowship of Joy, Pastor John Bangs and Father Lou Martin of the Baltimore Archdiocese.

If each person will only call out two people to the Love Chapter Challenge who knows how far this thing can go!

So please join me this weekend for a 20-minute sermon on the Love Challenge - it just might change the world.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ...

by Pastor Linda Skinner

 …..This was one of my mother’s favorite Bible passages.  Whenever she was unable to read the Bible for herself and I asked her what she wanted me to read to her it was almost always Romans 8. 

 A time that sticks out most vividly in my mind is after she had her first stroke and she was very confused and anxious, not really knowing where she was or what had happened.  The stroke was caused by a clot that had logged in the part of the brain that controls emotions and fears.

I knew that reading God’s Word to her would be the best medicine, so I pulled out my Bible and began reading.

 Romans 8:26–28 (NLT): And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

 As I read those words I could see mom relaxing.  I kept reading and when I read — “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ....No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”— mom looked at me and smiled.  All the fear and stress were gone from her face. 

The Love of Christ and the Word of God have tremendous power in our lives.  Mom had a long, tough recovery ahead, but those ancient words of love gave both of us the strength we would need to face the months to come.

 This weekend Dr. Marty Folsom will be sharing about God’s Agape Love found in Romans.  He will be continuing the great “Life Vines” series that Pastor Tim has been teaching this Fall.  You won’t want to miss another opportunity to experience the love of Christ in worship.

Build A Vineyard

by Pastor Tim White

Have you ever seen a farmer who is launching his first vineyard? It is an exciting endeavor. All over Eastern Washington, where I grew up, there are beautiful wine and grape juice vineyards being pioneered. And this has been going on for 40 years. I remember performing a wedding at a vineyard which, at that time, was one of the largest wine vineyards in Eastern Washington. It was for the daughter of the entrepreneur farmer who was launching this endeavor - and it was beautiful! That was long before I moved to start Washington Cathedral and since that time Yakima through Walla Walla has become a new wine country. And these great vineyards have been a blessing for our whole state!

As you know the ancient world was completely dependent on the wine and olive oil business. Wine because it was one of the few safe liquids to drink. And olive oil because later she would become “Popeye the sailor man’s” girlfriend. (That is a joke in case you didn’t catch it or don’t know who Popeye the sailor man was). In the hundreds of hours, I spent studying ancient history I can’t tell you the percentage of time we spent studying pottery which was the main storage utensil used to transport these two necessary items. At one time, I could distinguish with some degree of accuracy, Late Bronze Age Greek pottery from Middle Bronze Age Egyptian pottery.

Jesus used the language of wine and vineyards to describe his secret plan to change the world by showing a love that people could not resist and aiming it at having an exponential impact. In other words, instead of adding by addition, it is growing by multiplication. Each vine attached and pruned is set to duplicate itself and to grow a great fruit-bearing vineyard.

I love our Tiny Little Church which meets in Snohomish (just off Highway 9) at 7:00 Tuesday night. The friends in the group are some of the most caring, down-to-earth people that you would find anywhere. And we have fun together. In the last two weeks we have had a new person visit our group each week. What if someday those people become so fruitful that they themselves start a Tiny Little Church which has a world-changing Good Samaritan project in our community. What if they help the people they know to find their faith and gifts and some of those people go on to start new vineyards. That is exponential growth for a church that is not dependent on buildings, property or any other change in the wind.

This Sunday I am going to be sharing the Agape words used in John 15. I know we referred to this passage when we first started studying Agape in Matthew, but we never really dove into it the way we will this week. And the goal is to teach you to build a prosperous vineyard in your life with your neighbors, spouse, children, grandchildren, employees, employers and friends. It is Jesus’ secret plan to change the world. And I will be so blessed if you join us this week for this very inspirational event. In fact, I can say that God will be blessed by future world-changers taking time to huddle together and getting inspired about building vineyards.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

The End of the Old and the Beginning of the New

by Pastor Tim White

That is what “Agape,” God’s kind of love, represents. Last Sunday was a great day. Right after our 11 AM worship we headed out with all the kids and their parents to travel up, around, down and through the beautiful Sammamish valley to my secret fishing hole set back in the woods. And if you want specific directions it is just south of Canada, just West of Idaho, just north of Oregon and just east of the Pacific Ocean. In other words, it is somewhere in Washington. As I approached the keeper of my secret fishing hole, he said, "get your group around so I can go over the rules." A mass of kids and parents surrounded the kindly man and his wife. He pointed at me and said, “whoever this is - your grandpa, uncle, dad, pastor or friend he will be helping you.” I was massed by a joyful onslaught of sharp young parents, cute kids full of mischief, and trout being caught by tiny ones who didn’t need any lessons - they just needed someone to take the fish off the end of the hook. Many of the kids and young families I was just getting to know. One of the kids came up to me and said, “you smell like fish.” It was a delightful day (although I think I still smell like fish) and what a joy to get to know so many young families in our church.

This week as we study the word “Agape” through the New Testament. We are learning to be very intentional about how we impact the lives of the people God has positioned us near and we are looking for an action step. After studying God’s Love (“Agape” in the Greek), I wanted to name this message “Love is a Verb.” I looked that title up and there must be a 100 books and essays with the same title. Jackie tells me there is a DC Talk song called “Love is a Verb.” (But I wouldn’t know because I am too young to know that group.) But in studying the context of “Agape” in all the Gospels I like the idea of the “End of the Old and the Beginning of the New.” It matches the force of Jesus’ message in the gospels.

We kicked off our Small Groups this week and it was great to see all the new people trying out the Tender Loving Care groups. The discussion in my Diamonds in the Rough TLC was insightful to me. The main point being it is easier to say “love your neighbor” than it is to actually love your neighbor. What a resource our church family is when we look at a revolutionary concept like this. Our church was founded on Showing People a Love They Cannot Resist. Now how do we do it better? After all these years and all the experts God has placed in our congregation, we really should be able to put together a new and improved strategy on loving the people in our lives.

Please join me this weekend. Your attendance really makes a difference.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Kickoff!!!

By Pastor Tim White

It’s a brand-new Fall season. The kids are excited to go back to school. New sports are beginning. Leaves are changing color and people are starting to wear jackets. It is Autumn 2018, and we are preparing for the greatest year in the history of Washington Cathedral. I love my life-long friends at our church home. And I would not trade places with any other pastor at any other time than to be here, right now, and ready to tackle the next adventure facing us as a church.

We are out to spread the revolution of Jesus Christ’s love and grace. Jesus said, I am the vine and you are the branches and any branch that remains in him will bear good fruit. When Jackie and I met with Pope Francis’ Ambassador, Dr. Carlos Avila, he shared with us that this was going to be the strategy of the Roman Catholic Church to change the world. To motivate their people to befriend as many people as possible and build a life-long relationship with them using the power of God to help them take another step on their spiritual journey.

How intentional are you about pouring your life into your children, your neighbors, your in-laws, the people you work next to, or play sports with? Well, get ready to kick things into gear for a great adventure and really getting some traction. Together we are studying Agape in the New Testament. This week, we look at Matthew where Jesus tells us that God’s love teaches us to view everyone as a neighbor - even our enemies. And how we are supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Some churches, such as the Friends Church, call everyone their friend because of Jesus Christ. I like that. But we are also supposed to treat everyone as our neighbor. The music will be better than ever. There is a barbecue in between services. Jackie and I are taking all the kids in the church to my secret fishing hole, the trout farm. It is going to be a brand-new beginning. Won’t you join us?

Your neighbor for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

P.S. I have a dream of how we, as a church, can double in growth this year 2018-2019. Come hear this exciting dream from its beginning.

Generation Blessing

by Pastor Tim White

Every once in a while, you will hear professional sports stars talking about generational wealth. A typical scenario is when they are combating for a one hundred million-dollar contract over several years. They realize that this could impact not only their life but their family for generations. Well the Bible has a lot to say about generational blessings. And it is more astounding than generational wealth. It points to an individual whose faith is going to impact generations, despite conquests, their family being spread around the world or even despite some of the worst tragedies.

We have been studying the Mission Statement of Jesus Christ in Isaiah 61. Last week we looked at the ministry of Jesus to those of us who grieve. And that is something we all experience at some point. The last part of Isaiah 61 points to the resilient power of intentionally loving the surrounding generations. This includes investing our lives in an intentional manner with family, disciples from our faith community, as well as our neighbors and friends. They will prosper against all odds in their invincible faith.

For me this means so much. Last Sunday after church I had the privilege to meet with a young man who grew up in our church. He now lives in northern Idaho and wanted to introduce me to his fiancé, a very fine Veterinarian. This was a beautiful young couple, and we laughed and shared while watching the Seahawks game. I told his fiancé how much this young man and his family meant to me. He had served in Afghanistan leading a squad with Special Forces. In two years’ time, this young, handsome man used a leadership style to really love and invest in the men he was chosen to lead. In two years of combat he was promoted to an E-5. He essentially was the Squad Leader as they fought on the front lines against the terrorists in Afghanistan. In the picture of him and his squad he looked like a clean-cut high school kid leading these bearded, rough, Special Forces guys in the thick of the most dangerous fighting you can imagine. He told me that everything he learned told him to invest in knowing his troops and their families and he was inspired to promise that he was going to make it home with every one of his men alive. And they made it. A few are amputees, but he said they are still a group of incredibly close friends who still tease each other and help each other. The couple told me, “Pastor Tim we can’t imagine anyone else performing our marriage ceremony other than you.” Well, that is one of the highest encouragements in my life.

Later Jackie and I went to dinner at our good friends David and Rosanna Fox. We laughed and enjoyed a good, healthy meal together. Afterwards we got out the board games and played with these good friends and their son Fernando. (Andres is away at College.) As we played, I thought how much this family means to me. Not only to pray for them almost constantly, but Fernando is the one who comes up to me almost every week to have a long conversation and to encourage me. He is a brilliant young man and we enjoy talking about geography and many other subjects. Oh, how I pray that I will be a good pastor to Fernando and Andres, pouring my life into them that they may be all that they can be! That is what Isaiah 61 is talking about and that is what this troubled world and we all need to hear. How do we intentionally pour out our lives into those we are given to in friendship? Please join me this weekend - you will be blessed.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Do you need inspiration?

by Pastor Tim White

What is the most profound emotion humans ever experience?

In the book, “A Grief Observed” C.S. Lewis points to grief as one of the most profound emotions that human beings ever experience. That means you and I will all experience grief to a greater or lesser degree during our lives. It can be devastating, immobilizing and if we bury it instead of going through it in a healthy way, it can be permanently debilitating. You and I can’t just skip grief; we all are going to go through it at one time or another. And interesting enough, Jesus made this part of his mission statement in Isaiah 61 - to comfort those who grieve. We all have the inclination to ruminate on our hurts. To think about the why’s, what if’s, where for’s, would-have’s, could-have’s and should have’s, is an experience that we have all been trapped in at one time or another. We grieve the loss of our youth, our children growing up, mistakes of our lives and so many more events in an imperfect life.

If we are going to have victory over anxiety and stress, then we need to deal with the angst of our pasts in a healthy, God-like way. Let’s learn from Jesus this week. I believe this will be a major breakthrough for those who can make it this weekend to worship at Washington Cathedral.

Do you need inspiration? Could you do with some personalized encouragement from God himself? Do you need inspiration that will lift you to face your challenges this next week to live at your very best? I think this message will touch your heart and challenge your brain. Please join me.

Let me share with you a joyful experience that good old St. Irenaeus would call a Fully Alive moment.

Carlos Avila was a fine scholar who was the President of the most prestigious university in Honduras. He married a beautiful biology professor and they had two amazing children. Their daughter Pamela grew up to go to the University of Texas and get her graduate degree in business and then to go to work as an executive for Amazon. Their son, also named Carlos, followed his mother’s love for biology. He went to medical school where he would specialize in pediatric oncology. One day Carlos Sr. got a call from the then new Latin American Pope Francis. Pope Francis asked him to stop his career in education and to come to work for him in the Vatican as his ambassador. They were so honored that he and his wife gave up their education mission to join the Pope Francis team. They said it was hard to leave their beloved Honduras and to move to Rome. In fact, at one of the meals with another papal ambassador from Japan, he complained that now that he lived and worked in Rome all his clothes were not fitting any more. The ambassador from Japan said, 'oh didn’t anyone tell you - pasta shrinks clothes.”

Last week Jackie and I enjoyed a family-style dinner with Carlos Sr., his wife and with Carlos Jr., and his sister Pamela. Each person shared how excited they were to be used by God in their place. Jackie and I got to share about the kick-off of our new series starting in October called “Life Vines,” and about how excited we are for our congregation to learn how to help those we care about in their relationship journey with Christ. Helping us all to be more effective in pointing our children, our grandchildren, our neighbors and friends to move one step closer to Christ. Ambassador Carlos lit up as he said, “that is going to be the plan this year for the Catholic Church. We are learning to maximize our relationships to honor Jesus Christ.” He went on to tell us about what a joy it is to work for Pope Francis. He told us how personable he is, how he hugs you, pats your hand, and really cares that he is your friend. I thought this a perfect example of where God is leading our church. I have never been more excited to be alive than I am now. Five years ago, I prayed with a young doctor on a flight back from Honduras that he could have a personalized relationship with Jesus Christ that would make him a better Catholic. He went on to be a pediatric oncologist as well as lead multiple medical brigades to the street kids we support in Honduras, and now we met his family who treated us like family. God is good! We enjoyed this wonderful evening of excitement about the good things God has ahead for us!

May God bless you mightily this next week,

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

There is Hope

by Pastor Tim White

When it comes to anxiety and worry — we all have experience. Some may develop ulcers, high blood pressure, panic attacks, lack of confidence, paralyzing fear of crowds or failure. Some may develop depression, phobias, compulsive behavior, or so many other manifestations of fear.

The good news is — there is hope. That is the message of Jesus Christ. He is not going to leave this age of anxiety unchallenged. The Bible is full of references to fear, anxiety and worry. And in each of those hundreds of references it frames a practical trusting response plan. We have so much available to help us and modern medicine can be a part of the solution.

Last week I began a four-week series based on our church’s life verse, Isaiah 61. (Which is the life verse of Jesus.) We started with the first four verses of Isaiah 61, taking a lesson from Jesus on not trying too hard or too little.

This week we move to the verses at the end of chapter. In these verses we see how finding our God-designed identity can set us free from self-criticism or the hurtful words of our peers. Please join me for this insightful message.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White