God wants us to be different!

This week, I have been reading Cosmic Queries by Neil deGrasse Tyson.  I really find his mind fascinating; he helps me grow my faith as I think with him about the Universe.  I know we have some different beliefs about religion, but I think we would become friends if we could spend some time together.  In chapter 4 he and his team discuss the age of the universe. The number we have all been taught to memorize is 13.8 billion years.  But his team points out that there is another prominent theory placing the date at approximately 11 billion years. I found this chapter fascinating especially due to the announcement on July 14, 2023, that it may be twice as old as everyone is thinking.  

There was a recent paper by Rajendra Gupta of the University of Ottawa in which he argued that observations of distant galaxies with the JWST, the existence of some stars apparently older than 13.8 billion years, and a phenomenon called 'tired light', mean the universe is actually 26.7 billion years old.  While this theory was not mentioned in his book the conclusion is that the size of the universe also may not be able to be measured accurately at this time.    

This quandary is one of the things about science. There are some things we know. There are some things that we have differing theories of knowing. And then there are inevitably some things that we don’t know yet.  But all those things may change as we grow as a collective world.

If this blog is boring to you, maybe think on this: In following Jesus, we are growing as we understand things better. It’s an exciting discussion but we’re all going to change as we move into the future. With that in mind, please come to Washington Cathedral this Sunday at 10:30 am as we study the Ten Commandments together.  We all might learn something that we have never even considered. I would not be surprised if some of us changed our lives by looking at the Ten Commandments with fresh eyes.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

God is always on the rescue!

It’s a beautiful day on Thursday as I write this devotion. The sun is bright and lifting my spirit like only God can do. This phenomenon always surprises me because you would think after all these years of being a full-time follower of Jesus Christ that I would not need God to do this; and yet here I am being lifted like a hot air balloon. It feels amazing to have this power outside of myself to lift me up. God lifts my hopes, my need for forgiveness, my love of life, and my love of His Spirit. God is always on the rescue.

Exodus 14:14 the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Pastor Mark is preaching this week on the God who always rescues. I don’t know about you, but I am loving watching pastor Mark emerge as a superb preacher. It’s just a privilege to witness the exciting story of Washington Cathedral. And I expect God to do a mighty work in my heart this Sunday at 10:30 am. So, I’m getting ready for a lift and a rejuvenation in my heart as our Lord works through Pastor Mark’s sermon. Don’t miss it.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

God and I can do the impossible!

You are so much better with God on your side!

I love the verse: “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.”  Zechariah 4:6b

What a lightning bolt insight into our lives. It's not about God being on our side it’s more specifically an issue of us being on God’s side.  This weekend I have the privilege of sharing the story of Jacob and Esau including the life of Joseph.  At one point Jacob wrestles with God determined to have his blessing. This was the top priority of Jacob, always scheming throughout his life not to be left out and always thinking he needed to scheme to make things happen. But after that wrestling match, he learned how essential it was to be on God’s side and then he was renamed Israel. Israel has a lot of meanings varying throughout history. But originally it meant “let God prevail.”  As Israel (Jacob) became a prince and the father of 12 sons who founded the 12 tribes of Israel.

What a privilege to share this story with the kids and then to see its impact on us adults.  Join us Sunday at 10:30 for the experience of watching schemers become princes under the power of God’s word.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

God Is Trustworthy

Pastor Mark Nsimbi will be sharing part 2 of the Abraham Bible Story this Sunday and it will be a joyful experience as he shares that God is indeed trustworthy.  One of the joys of worship lately has been the kid’s Bible story time. It is fun to see all the cute kids in church but it’s also satisfying to hear the old Bible stories again. It is a great way to reacquaint ourselves with the Bible. Especially as the children’s story touches the child inside of each of us. 

Many of us are even reading through the Bible again in the next six months. It is so convenient that you can listen to the Bible every night through Audible or some other resource. Each week people who are taking the “through the Bible” challenge ask me a question. We can’t grow as a church until we grow in our understanding of God’s word. Sometime in January let’s have a special dinner to discuss all the hot potato questions you are having about the Bible. This will be an opportunity for all of us to dive deeper into all the questions that might arise as well take in God’s word and grow the heart of our church.

I love our Sunday worship and to hear Pastor Mark share these stories; maybe because there is a Timmy White inside of me feeling wrapped in the arms of a loving God as I hear these stories. 

Why not join us in person or online this a Sunday!

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Hope is a Walking Dream

Stories live for a lifetime in our imagination. I still have episodes of the twilight zone embedded in my brain from childhood.  I also have stories from Sunday School embedded in my soul.  They have become a part of my values and the strength of my personality. Oh, how I pray that this generation of children receive a foundation in God’s word. Yes, because my grandchildren are a part of this present generation of children.

This week I will be telling the story of Abraham and his dream of founding a nation. God reaffirms it again and again as his understanding of it grows and matures. In proverbs God’s word teaches us that where there is no vision the people perish. And in Acts we see that we can tell our vision to someone, and they may be able to tell our future. I really want our children to understand how they can dream God’s dream for their life. It is something they are going to need time and again to really be renewed.  In fact, it is something we are all going to need in our lives.

Join us this Sunday in person or online at 10:30 AM; you will be inspired!

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Leaning on God

It is with deep emotion that I announce to you today that you can fully trust in God with all your life. The other day Pastor Mark was preaching, and he asked us to forgive him for being emotional as he said something like this, “If you are broken, God loves you and wants to bring healing to your life.”  I think we all smiled because this amazing young man felt emotional about God’s grace and how trusting him can really changes our lives. I’ve seen this work so many times and I want to drop to my knees in deep personal thanksgiving for this miracle.  This week Pastor Mark will be sharing about the Bible story of the Tower of Babel.  That story really speaks today.  What a warning to the pride, self-aggrandizement, and narcissism of our age.  The humility that we feel when we truly lean on God with all our hearts just casts out the hubris or pride that can suck us into self-destruction.  It restores relationships, becomes a foundation for teamwork and prepares us to do the right thing.  

 Won’t you join me this Sunday for a refreshing life-giving service that will make you strong.
Sunday at 10:30 am both online and in person worship.

Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White

God Keeps His Promises!

God fulfills his promises! What a bold statement in the book of Genesis. First, we need to know exactly what God’s promises are before we can chase back the fear in our lives by standing on the promises of God, our Savior. As we study through the Bible in the next 6 months, we are going to be building a fortress of faith where we can all take refuge. Are we living our lives on the promises which push back the fear that is invading the population of the earth?

 We love the children of Washington Cathedral for so many reasons. This week I have the honor of sharing with the kids the story of Noah and the ark. There are so many life lessons there and the children of our church need these foundational truths to be strong in this coming age.

 There is a research project out of England by a sociologist which asks what has happened to the church post-Covid. His book is going to be published in November. Through his research he has rediscovered his faith and joined the Catholic church. He begins by using the Latter-day Saints as the songbird in the mine. Evidently, they are dropping as fast as all the other churches. They are usually so committed that trends like this are not reflected in their numbers. But not this time. There is a sweeping change in religion in the United States and this research says it is because of the conflict between science and religion. We cannot cloister away in this world broken down by modernity. The days of faith being able to survive without communicating with the rest of the church are over. You hear the questions the kids have for Pastor Mark and me on Sunday mornings Bible story time. The series through the Bible is desperately needed by children and adults to find direction in the changing world.

 Please join us this Sunday at 10:30 to see how your faith can be strengthened by a careful struggle with ever-growing science and discovery in our world. When the Bible is read plainly and honestly it really does highlight the important questions which lay before us.

 Your friend for the rest of my life,

 Pastor Tim White

God is Always Looking For Us

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-9 (NIV)

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

From Pastor Mark:

The serpent in the garden was successful in convincing Adam and Eve that God didn't really love them. Unfortunately they believed this terrible lie which lead to run away from God in shame. This same lie has crept into our world ever since and has led many people to think of God as an angry old man with a stick ready to punish those who don't follow his rules. Fortunately for us that is not who God is, and that is not the image that the Bible portrays of who God is. The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation shows us that God is always looking for us and inviting us back into a loving relationship with Him. In Genesis 3, after Adam and Eve sinned and hid in the garden. God went out looking for them. God has never stopped looking for the lost. The Bible tells us that He is on a search and rescue mission because of how deeply he loves us. The world needs to hear this Good News! That God has not given up on us and He never will. 

Join us 10:30am in-person or online and we’ll take a closer look at this scripture and what it says about the God who is always searching for us.

Peace,
Pastor Mark Nsimbi

Strength For the Future

Let’s pave the way for kids to live a great life!  I am like you because I want my life to count for something.  Doing better for children who will lead into the future sounds like a lot of fun.  This weekend we begin a series of messages which will take us through the next six months as we study through the Bible. We are calling it “Strength For the Future.”  We are laying a foundation of church growth by realizing a new vision for helping prepare our children for the future.  Some of us will be memorizing an assortment of important scriptures that are life savers throughout life. Why not get in at the beginning by hearing this weekend’s presentation.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

The Pursuit of Thankfulness

Dear Church,

On Sunday Pastor Mark is preaching from Isaiah 26 about anxiety- and reaching peace through seeking God in the middle of anxiety. This subject is dear to my heart. 

Like many of you, I have suffered from anxiety. It's manifested itself in many ugly ways, and many of them have gone unnoticed by myself and those around me. I've been on the pursuit to find tools to manage anxiety and I'd like to share with you my very favorite one:

Thankfulness. 

Once while speaking with a professional who also loves and trusts God, I asked her what to do about spiraling into fear while lying awake at night. I will tell you that motherhood was really doing a number on my sleep- and it wasn't the kids keeping me awake. It was about a hundred thousand irrational fears that had me walking around my house checking to see if the doors were locked and the fire alarms were working. 

She said, “When you thank God, these prayers of thanks will put your brain in a place that moves away from anxiety.” So I started listing and praying prayers of thanks while I lay awake. "God thank you for the health of my family. Thank you for our house. Thank you for my husband. Thank you for my kids. Thank you for the food we eat, the clean water we get to drink. Thank you for our jobs..." Until I fell asleep. 

Praying prayers of thanks has brought me from tears of fear to tears of joy- knowing that I love and serve a God who is good, and who gave us Jesus. 

Let me leave you with one of my favorite Psalms and a note from Eugene Peterson, who wrote the Message version that this Psalm comes from:

Psalm 150- the last one. 

"1-6 Hallelujah!

Praise God in his holy house of worship,
    praise him under the open skies;
Praise him for his acts of power,
    praise him for his magnificent greatness;
Praise with a blast on the trumpet,
    praise by strumming soft strings;
Praise him with castanets and dance,
    praise him with banjo and flute;
Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum,
    praise him with fiddles and mandolin.
Let every living, breathing creature praise God!

    Hallelujah!"

Eugene writes,

"The end of prayer is praise. The Psalms show praise as the end of prayer in both meanings of the word terminus, the last word in the final Psalm, and the goal at which all the psalm-prayers arrive after their long travels through the hinterlands of pain, doubt, and trouble, with only occasional vistas of the sunlit lands, along the way. 

All prayer, pursued far enough, becomes praise. Any prayer, no matter how angry and fearful the experiences it traverses, ends up in praise. It doesn't always get there quickly or easily- it may take a lifetime of uphill climbing- but it gets there. Eventually it gets there."

See you 10:30am Sunday in-person or online,

Chelsea Maitland

P.s. Stick around for our big Lemonfest on the Lawn event after the service Sunday!