"Quick rhythm, small breath

The gift of life- Against my neck. "

I wrote this on a whim while holding my first baby. Sitting in a rocking chair in his attic-like nursery- with newborn poop sprayed on the wall- I felt his heartbeat rapidly moving my skin, his uneven breath on my neck, and I wrote this poem. Four wild years later, I stand in a new house, with a third baby against my chest- feeling his uneven breath and his rapid heartbeat. His body and face fast asleep- ear pressed against my chest- breathing into my chin so close I can feel his tiny breath on my skin. And it occurred to me: is this what it looks like to remain in Jesus? To be face to face. Ear pressed against the heart of Jesus. To be looking at who Jesus really is and what Jesus stood to love, defend, speak for, do. To listen to what Jesus said so closely we can feel the very pulse of His heart? 

On Sunday Pastor Linda is preaching from John 15, when Jesus said, "  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." I love the Message version of this passage because it says, "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you." John 15:4. 

As an artist, this passage makes me think about writer's block. If I'm trying to write music, lyrics, a poem, and I don't have any inspiration- it's because I'm not listening to music, reading books, reading poems, following artists, etc. that inspire me. In the same way, if we want to remain in Jesus we need to seek Him. Not that Jesus is just here to inspire us- unless we are looking at the root of the word, "inspire"- which means, "breathe",  In which case yes! Jesus is with us to breathe into us. To breathe life into us. 

To remain in Jesus is to live the words and life of Jesus and to follow what Jesus did then, and what God is doing now. And we can know what God is doing now by seeking God and trusting that by seeking God, God will reveal God's self to us. 

Let's do that, shall we? Let's press our ear to the heart of Jesus because we trust that God holds us like a parent holds their child. Let's turn our faces to Jesus so close that we could maybe just feel the breath of God on our face. What does God look like? What does God sound like? We can find out by living in Jesus, by listening for God's voice, by living the way of Jesus, and by expecting that God's presence- the Holy Spirit- is with us now. Abide in God. Remain in Jesus. Expect the Holy Spirit. 

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

Peace be with you.

Chelsea Maitland

Listening with Expectancy

Happy Saturday, Church!

This Sunday Pastor Mark is taking us through 1st Samuel 3:1-11 to talk about hearing God's voice and continuing our sermon series, Diving Deeper. I found some things about the first 7 verses that I love and wanted to share with you today, so let's start by reading them together:

Samuel 3:1-7

“The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.”

There are three things that stand out to me about this passage:

1. that God speaks to everyone. Even people who do not know God. Verse 7 says, "Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him." God was speaking to Samuel even though Samuel did not know God's voice.

2. Eli is expectant that God will and is speaking to his son, Samuel. After the third time Samuel goes to Eli thinking Eli was calling for Samuel, Eli does not send Samuel back to his bed. He doesn't discount that Samuel is hearing his name. Eli believes Samuel- believes that his son is hearing God call Samuel's name- and sends him back to listen to God's voice. Eli is expectant that God will speak to his son. Wow. 

3. Sometimes, God's voice sounds like other voices. In this instance, Samuel thought God's voice was his dad's. When I hear God's voice, sometimes it sounds like my own voice. That being said, it's so important to check in with how you feel when you are listening, and check what you hear with what we know God is like. We know God is good, loving, kind, patient, and just. We know God is not condemning, God is not shame, anxiety, fear, and we know God does not hide from us. So if we hear something that makes us feel what God is not, then it is likely not God and we can have peace in the fact that we know what God is like and who God is. In the same way, if we hear something that makes us feel the things that we know God is, then it's quite possible that God has spoken. 

As we listen for God's voice, let's also remember that God can speak differently to each of us. And God will speak differently to each of us because we are God's children and God knows us better than we know ourselves. Let's try it out. 

Place yourself in an environment where you find peace. Go for a walk. Pick up a pen and paper. Paint. Lie down. Listen to worship music. Go for a run. Do what gives you peace, because God is peace. Say to God what Samuel says: "Here I am Lord, you called me. Speak." Recognize the first thing you hear. Check with how you feel, and what you know God is like. Be expectant that God will and is speaking, and know that God will speak in a way that you will hear God, because God loves you. It may not be right away, it may not even be tomorrow. But you will hear God, you just have to listen. 

See you tomorrow in-person at 10:30am or online friends,

Chelsea Maitland

Worship Leader

Listen

This week we are continuing our sermon series called, “Diving Deeper” and Pastor Mark will preach out of Matthew 14, when Jesus calls to Peter to come out and walk on the water with him. One thing I love about this passage is that Jesus sees that the disciples are terrified- and he calls out to them and says, “Take courage! It’s me, Jesus. Don’t be afraid!”. And then Peter tests him out and says, “If it’s you Jesus, call me out to come with you on the water.” And Jesus obliges him and calls Peter out on the water.

We can do the same thing Peter does, when we are praying. We can remember that God is not fearful, anxious, angry, or condemning. We can remember that Jesus says to us, “Don’t be afraid! It’s me Jesus!”.

The following is a prayer from Pastor Jackie designed to help us listen for God’s voice. As you pray and read this, remember Peter: “If it’s you Jesus, call me out to come with you!” Check how you feel as you are praying- am I feeling anxious? God is not anxious, so if you feel anxious while you are praying you can say to God, “God speak truth to me as I listen.” Am I feeling scared? Jesus says, “take courage! It’s me Jesus! Don’t be afraid”. So you can pray, “Jesus, call out to me and give me your peace as I listen for your voice.”

Remember God is good, and God is love.

Here is Pastor Jackie’s prayer:

“There are many types of prayer, and this type focuses on quieting our own thoughts to be receptive to God’s voice. As we do this prayer the way to know that we are hearing from God and not just our own thoughts is that it will align with Scripture. And if we don’t hear from God during this prayer, we can relax in his presence, being still and knowing He is God.

Lord, we come to you today with open minds and hearts, ready to receive your words of love and life. Holy Spirit, will you rest on us and help us quiet our minds and still our hearts? Jesus, just like you asked Peter to “Come”, when the waves were treacherous, you are asking us to come into your presence. To trust you to calm the storms in our lives. You want to speak to us so we can experience your peace. When we are with you, our fears and worries fade into the distance because the light of your love is shining on us.

We want to sit with you now, while listening for your voice, finding strength in your embrace.

Take 5 minutes to listen and talk with God. Write down what you hear.

Thank you for drawing us closer to a place of peace with you. Holy Spirit, will you help us practice stealing these quiet moments with you? We want to dive deeper into the life-giving relationship you have for us. When we listen to you will give us clarity in your purposes for our lives. You give us discernment so we can make better choices. Lord, listening for your voice in our life takes patience and practice. You are constantly speaking to us. Will you help us be patient with ourselves as we strive for deeper intimacy with you through listening?

In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”

Come dive deeper with us this Sunday at 10:30 am in-person or online.

See you Sunday church,

Chelsea Maitland

Worship Leader

Diving Deeper

I resonate with the saying that "There's always room for growth." As disciples, maintaining this attitude is crucial on our faith journey. There's endless opportunity for growth in three key areas: 1. our relationship with God, 2. our understanding of ourselves, and 3. our interactions with those around us. The upcoming sermon series, "Diving Deeper," will dig into these aspects, highlighting how God is calling us to deepen our roots and mature in our faith. Stepping out and diving deeper requires courage and faith. Just as Jesus invited Peter to step out of the boat and walk on water, Jesus invites us to embark on this transformative journey. Let us journey together into new experiences with God on our faith journey. 

Join us in-person or online this Sunday at 10:30am,

Pastor Mark Nsimbi

Christ With Us

Easter Sunday holds a special place in my heart, and this year, I'm excited for what's ahead. I look forward to the joy of seeing both familiar and new faces at church, as the diverse family of Christ gathers to worship and celebrate together. Enjoying a delicious breakfast and fellowship adds to my excitement. I look forward to witnessing the children from our community eagerly searching for Easter eggs on the field—a moment filled with laughter and joy.

Above all, I anticipate the powerful reminder- through songs and scripture- that our Savior is alive and present among us. Just as He met the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, He meets us where we are, breathing hope and life into our lives. His death and resurrection have transformed our outlook on ourselves and our interactions with the world. "He is risen indeed!"—this truth fills me with gratitude and anticipation for the amazing worship experience we will share together.

Join us this Easter in-person or online at 9am & 11am.

-Pastor Mark Nsimbi

Walking With Jesus

Hello Church!

Hope you are having a great week. This Sunday we will be hearing a message from Pastor Mark on Matthew 21:1-11 as we worship with the choir and have a visit from a mini horse!

Here is a summary of this Sunday's message from Pastor Mark:

"Each individual had their own perception and hopes for Jesus. Some viewed him as a miracle worker, others as a political savior, and still others saw him as a threat to their religious beliefs. The disciples, crowds, and Pharisees all had differing views of Jesus. Considering these varied expectations, it's likely that no one wanted to follow Jesus to the cross. Instead, everyone hoped to follow him to victory, expecting him to overthrow the Romans. If they had known that Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem would lead to the cross, they wouldn't have cheered for him as they did.

Although the journey to the cross may seem like defeat, in the Kingdom of God, it represents the path to overcoming sin and darkness. It is the path that brought us salvation, freedom, and a loving relationship with God. Therefore, as we welcome Christ this Palm Sunday with cries of Hosanna, let us be prepared to walk with Him towards the cross."

See you this Sunday at 10:30am in-person or online!

Chelsea Maitland

God Meets Us, Too

Lately when I put my kids to bed I've been praying with them that God would reveal God's self to my kids in their dreams. That when they dream something scary, they would remember to look around for Jesus and say, "God, where are you?"

This morning I walked out of my room and groggily asked one of my toddlers how he slept. He very casually told me that when he was about to have a scary monster dream, he found Jesus.  Jesus came up to him and invited him to kill the scary dream, together. He said they both put up their hand, palm facing outward, and "killed the scary dream". 

I have been waiting for this moment. The moment that my kids call on Jesus and find that Jesus meets them in their fear, in their vulnerability, in their joys and in their sadness. And here we are in my kitchen and my son is recounting a moment when he was vulnerable and scared, and he quite literally found Jesus. What a joy.

This Sunday we have the privilege of hearing from Pastor Linda Skinner in a message on Luke 4, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. In her sermon notes she says, "Everything that Jesus does and did is an act of love... we can come boldly to Him because He knows what it’s like to be alone, powerless and hungry in the wilderness."

When I read Pastor Linda's notes it reminded me of this painting by Kelly Latimore called, "Christ in the Wilderness". One reason I love it so much is if you look at Jesus' face He is looking vulnerably toward where I imagine God would be in this picture. Jesus looks like He is desperate for God. And he was! Jesus, in His vulnerable, hungry, probably physically uncomfortable state, leaned heavily on God- and God met Him.

God meets us too. 

Christ in the Wilderness – Kelly Latimore Icon

When my son finished telling me about his experience with Jesus and God, I asked him, "What did Jesus and God look like?" I'm curious, what does Jesus and God look like to a toddler? He responded with a shrug: "They just look like Jesus and God." His answer made me want to dive into Pastor Linda's discussion questions this week.

What are my pictures of God? 

Is my picture drawing me closer to God or pushing me away?

Who and what have be instrumental in forming my picture of God?

As I reflect on her questions I add this prayer.  "God, will you reveal who you are to me? Not who I think you are, or a picture of who I think you are, but who you truly are. Thank you that you are already doing this and forgive me for the ways I neglect you and create my own vision of you. I want to know you. Amen" 

Friends, as you go about your week may you know that we get to lean into God and God will meet us. May you know that God -and Jesus- invite us to face our scary dreams with Him and empower us, equip us, and send us- but never leave us.  May you remember that in your vulnerability- in your fear, in your maybe uncomfortable state, in your joys and in your sadness, in the scariness- to look around for Jesus, because He will meet you. 

May it be so. 

Peace be with you church,

See you this Sunday at 10:30am in-person or online.

Chelsea Maitland

Worship Leader

Journey to the Cross

For this week's blog I thought I would answer one of Pastor Mark's discussion questions- which asks how we can pursue a deeper relationship with God.

For me personally right now that looks like attending a prayerful, interfaith and international walk in solidarity with the people of Gaza Saturday morning- called Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage- with some of my family. The pilgrimage is not only to walk in solidarity but is also a call for a sustained ceasefire, immediate humanitarian aid, food and water, as well as other calls for peace.

In preparing to write this blog God revealed something very special to me.  As a worship leader, I often to refer to Romans 12:1&2 to help create a posture of surrender, and remind people about what scripture says about worship. It says, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect." (NRSVUE). I often reference the Message version of this verse because it points to even offering God the mundane of your day-to-day life. I've always loved that. God meets us even in the mundane.

What God revealed to me, is that worship doesn't stop there. Offering God your life and creating a posture of surrender, is only the beginning of worship. The rest of chapter 12 in Romans talks about the body of Christ, and love in action. It talks about clinging to what is good and hating what is evil. It talks about living in harmony with one another, empathizing with each other, feeding each other, honoring one another. Romans 12 is worship in action. This is my journey to the cross with Jesus. And it's an invitation for anyone's journey to the cross with Jesus: Love in action. Worship in action. 

As I join the many folks on this pilgrimage with my baby- navigating when and where to feed him, navigating the weather, figuring out transportation, etc. I will be thinking and praying for the moms navigating the same things in horrifying circumstances, crippled with fear. I'll be thinking of Jesus, carrying his cross. I'll be praying for love in action. 

This Sunday Pastor Mark will kick off our new sermon series, "Walking With Jesus in the Wilderness".  

He says, "We are currently in the season of Lent on the church calendar. Lent is the 40 days (not including Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter. Lent is often described as a time of preparation and an opportunity to go deeper with God. The three main things people focus on during Lent are prayer, fasting and giving, or charity. Jesus took 40 days to fast and at the end of His time, the devil tried to distract him by telling him to turn the stones into bread. Similar to Jesus there are lots of distractions that keep us from going deeper in our relationship with God. However, Lent is the perfect season for us to identify the distractions in our lives and remind ourselves to keep our focus on God.  Let us remain committed to pursuing God together during this Lent season as we journey towards the cross with Jesus. "

Join us Sunday morning at 10:30 in-person or online as we study Matthew 4 together, and as Pastor Mark says, "Journey towards the cross with Jesus".

Peace be with you church,

Chelsea Maitland

Worship Leader

Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage | Walk in prayerful solidarity

What a Loving God

I love being called "momma". I even love that we can shorten the spelling so that my 3-year-old can spell it now.

M-A-M-A. I know there will likely be a day when the boys start calling me "mom", but for now there is something tender and precious about the name, "Mama". I can always tell what's going on based on the tone of their call for me, too. If it's high-pitched, someone is likely taking a toy from the other. If it's a low and growly yell, they're playing football. If it's a big wail, they just need their mama. The calls for Mama are endless.

Names have such a significant impact, don't they? Whether it's our birthname, a nickname, or a description of who we are, there is great power in a name. There is even power in the association of a name- both the good and the bad. 

Jesus, my shepherd and my friend. The Holy Spirit, my helper. God, my Father, my Mother, loving parent, the Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. For me, "helper", "friend", and "good parent", are all associations and names of God that I have gotten from scripture, but also have experienced in getting to know each of those parts of God. I feel each of those parts of God when I rejoice, when I cry out for God, and when I listen. And what is so, so beautiful is that God gives us names right back. Names like "my child", "friend", "redeemed", and "beloved". And in the same way we know our kids' needs by the tone of their call for us, God knows us by the sound of our call for God. Better, in fact, because God knows our needs before we even do. What a loving God.

This Sunday is a special one. Pastor Tim is passing the torch to Pastor Mark as the lead pastor of Washington Cathedral and starting his new role as senior executive pastor. Pastor Mark will preach from Genesis 21 when God gives Sarah and Abraham their miracle baby, Isaac. 

God has been walking with Washington Cathedral since its first days and is walking with us now into this new chapter. Come rejoice in what God is doing in our community with us, and worship Emmanuel, "God With us". 

See you this Sunday at 10:30am in-person or online.

Peace be with you church,
Chelsea Maitland
worship leader

Dream the Impossible Dream

Beloved let us love one another because Love is from God and everyone that Loves knows God because God is Love. 1 John 4:7-8
It was May 1973, when I climbed up into the Wallowa Mountains in North Eastern Oregon. I was with three buddies and the snow had not melted in the high mountains.  It felt like we almost froze to death in that spring blizzard. We hiked all day in the five feet of snow sheltering the wild mountains from civilization.  I took a day and climbed a granite mountain of nearly 10,000 feet.  As I stood there I just knew there was a God and I promised to serve Jesus Christ with all my life.  At that moment as the wind gusted threatening to make me fall off that beautiful peak I knew that Jesus called me to start a great caring network led by men and woman that would be like knights in shining armor reaching for Gods best. 
This weekend I want to honor those idealistic Christ followers that God allowed me to serve with.
Please sign the kudo board for me because they are making it into a book for me to always remember you forever. And my great-grand kids will get to treasure this book someday.
This Sunday February 25th 2024 will be my last time to address Washington Cathedral as the lead pastor. I will have short message about building a great caring network. Many of you might have guessed my subject. I am very excited to have a young gifted pastor to hand leadership over to. Rev. Mark Nsimbi is anointed by God to lead our church into the future and I will do everything I can do to help him realize his potential before God.
If you can make it this Sunday either in person or on line. It will be one of the most inspirational times of our lives.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White