You Gave It All, No Questions Asked

One of our Administrative Assistant's, Fiona Monaghan, loves to play with words and ideas. This poem was inspired by the question 'What Is Easter About? ' Atonement (At one ment) was the purpose for Jesus death and resurrection; to be put back into right relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Atonement

What did it take to stand so tall while hate piled up around? They spat and mocked the Son of God while no wrong in Him was found. You came, this very path to walk it had been planned above; the Father put it in the works in order to show His love. To love those people He had made who’d strayed so far from home He loved them with a lasting love He’d do it all to bring them home. You never wavered from Your task You trod each path until the path would lead to Calvary where your precious blood was spilt. To cover sin, it was so shed the sin-debt to fulfill; You gave it all, no questions asked Atonement paid in full.

Easter and Christmas are two times that Jesus' name is spoken freely, more than any other time in the year. Those two times changed history forever. Something supernatural happened between man and God at those times. Christmas was God coming down to live among us. Easter provided a way for us to live forever with God. Atonement is the payment being made on our behalf. This Easter make a point to take time to meditate on Atonement and what it does in our lives.

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What I Wish I Could Tell These Children

What I Wish I Could Tell These Children

Part three of Pastor Rey's reflection after his trip to Kenya where he met many children, many orphaned. Even surrounded by terrible conditions he was reminded of God's love for each of them.

There are so many. Everywhere I go. Everywhere I look there are children. Beautiful children. Poverty, malaria and the HIV virus have left countless children orphaned in Kenya. As I have visited orphanages and schools, both in the city and in the rural areas, I keep hearing God's whisper in my heart - "I have compassion for these children."

As I said goodbye to these children, I have put my hand out to shake their hands. I was able to shake a couple hands but can’t reach all the kids. They all run after me, just wanting to shake my hand. There are so many. I wish I could do more. I wish had more time and resources. I don’t want these children, so valuable in God's sight, just to become a number or statistic. If I had time I would tell them all -

"Your are loved and valued. You can’t imagine how much God loves you. I want you to know you are the apple of your creator's eye. I want you to know you are God's work of art, fearfully and wonderfully made. I want you to know God has a plan for you. I want you to know God loved you so much he sent his own son to die for you. I want you to know God is the father of the fatherless. I want you to know that God will not leave you as orphans. I want you to know one day there will be no tears, no pain, and no loneliness. That there is hope."

That's why we are partnering with these amazing projects where many children can experience the love of God. Where these children can see that their Heavenly Father loves them, each in a unique way.

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Ridiculous Provision

Pastor Rey continues the sermon series, Tales of Ridiculous Faith. This message is for anyone who has felt overwhelmed. Anyone that feels there is just not enough. Anyone that feels like they are running on empty.

Main Idea: When you don't have what you really want, God is what you really need.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL8dGG82NpM&w=640&h=480]

Family Devotional Scripture: Read 2 Kings 4:1-7 Observation: In your own words, what is this passage saying? Application: How can you practice this bible verse in your own life? Prayer: Ask for God's help to live out this passage and tell God anything else that is on your heart.

Like what you see but want more? Check out Washington Cathedral's website for more information.

The God Who Sees What We Don't

The God Who Sees What We Don't

Pastor Tim continues the sermon series, Tales of Ridiculous Faith. Looking at a story about what could have been seen as a perilous time for Israel, Pastor Tim parallels Elisha's faith and trust in God to the exciting future of Washington Cathedral.

Why we are always excited to bounce back and hope for tomorrow.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML8BAPE2y9Q&w=640&h=480]

It is always a joy to follow Jesus into tomorrow:

1. From a building to a movement
2. Freedom from debt, Focus on family
3. New strides ahead as a Godly, healthy, and joyful church
4. Breakthrough to grow a better caring network

Like what you see but want more? Check out Washington Cathedral's website for more information.

3MT - Getting the Family Together for Easter

Check out our devotional series, 3 Minute Thoughts, a devotional thought in three minutes or less.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RhPKnhaDFw&w=640&h=360]

Check out the Washington Cathedral website for more sermons, information on how you can get involved, and more on all of the good things that God can do in your life.

Noah Never Gave Up

Noah never gave up. What about us?

Our Music Director, Rhonda Jones, wrote this short devotional on the ridiculous faith of Noah. He stood out because he lived his life to please the Lord. Because of his faith, God gave him a seemingly ridiculous mission. Yet Noah continued to stay strong in his faith even when he was mocked for his unrelenting trust in the Lord.

Thoughts on Noah...

This morning as I was driving to work I heard a pastor on the radio sharing about Noah.  Now, we’ve all heard the Bible story and within the past few years. We've maybe even watched a comedic movie about Noah and his willingness to obey God at all costs - especially after being mocked by his peers (for inordinate amounts of facial hair and his unethical biblical dress code).But did you realize Noah worked on the ark after receiving a vision from God…and that is took him 120 years to complete the building of the ark?  120 years!  A flood of questions ran through my mind:

1. What kind of training did Noah have when it came to constructing a boat?
2. What were his qualifications?
3. If he lived in the desert, where did he get the wood to construct the boat?
4. Where would you even begin to think about building a boat that took up 100,000 square feet? (I hope he owned a large chunk of property…I’d be pretty upset if one of my neighbors plunked down a boat bigger than the Titanic in his front yard…wouldn’t you?)

Noah stood out among everyone else because his life pleased the Lord…enough that God thought of a way to save the human race and keep a few copies on hand of each of the animals (anything that could breathe air) for procreation. I don’t think God wanted to have to create a whole new earth again.  It hadn’t been that long since He’d put it all together in the first place (at least it seems that way-the story of Noah takes place in the 6th chapter of the very first book of the Old Testament).

And in the beginning of Genesis it says that God saw what He had made and it was very good (Genesis 1:31)!  No wonder God's heart was sick…He longed for the fellowship of the human race and only one man and his family even acknowledged His existence!  Everyone else was too involved in their sin to see the heart of God.  Oh, my soul yearns to see the heart of God, doesn’t yours?

“Lord, give me the courage and wisdom to pick up the nails and hammer and begin to build the things in my life that need creating or rebuilding.  Remove the rusty nails that have become embedded in my heart and give me a refreshing that can only come from touching the heart of Jesus.  I love You and want to be the best me I can be for this Great Caring Network as you continue to build up this moving, living, breathing body of Christ.  Amen.”

All kidding aside, Noah was an amazing man.  God was ready to do away with the entire human race.  It says in Genesis 6:6 that the Lord’s heart was filled with pain because of man’s desire to sin.  Our God is so righteous He can’t be in the presence of sin…our sin makes Him sick in His heart.  In thinking it over, I don’t want my behavior to make the Lord’s heart sick.  I’d rather He “dance over me or sing over me” (read Zephaniah 3:17-18) because what He sees is pleasing in His sight.

“No wonder God's heart was sick…He longed for the fellowship of the human race and only one man and his family even acknowledged His existence!

As Far As The Eye Can See

As Far As The Eye Can See

Part two of Pastor Rey's reflection on his trip to Africa. There he had a chance to meet amazing people and to be reawakened in his faith. He saw the light that shines in the many people working to help overcome the darkness and suffering in African slums.

The scope. The gravity. The magnitude. The sheer monstrosity of it overwhelms.

I could never have imagined. As far as I could see in either direction, I was surrounded by the ‘Mathera’ slum. It has a million people packed into indescribable living conditions, and it is not even the largest slum in Nairobi! Researchers have estimated about two thirds of the 3 million inhabitants live in slums. The slums are full of darkness according to any measure: poverty, HIV, drugs, orphans, and gangs.

Yet in the midst of the darkness is a light. There is a school led by a saint named Richard, who has started a church in the ‘Mathera’ slum. He noticed that after church, many of the children would have nowhere to go, as they were orphans. So he started a school called Patmos.

Currently, there are 88 children, most of which are orphans from nursery to sixth grade. The entire school structure is made of old tin makeshift walls and is no bigger than a 15ft x 15ft. The classrooms are all combined as they only have 4 teachers who can works months without receiving payment. The first thing Richard told me was "I love God and I love these children. And I know God loves these children too."

At Patmos the students receive an education, a meal and a family. And through it all they receive the love of God.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5 NIV)

Like what you see but want more? Check out Washington Cathedral's website for more information.

Ridiculous Recovery

Ridiculous Recovery

Pastor Rey continues the sermon series, Tales of Ridiculous Faith. Looking at the life of Elisha, Rey reminded us how easy it is to lose our spiritual edge. We must be aware of spiritual health and with God be restored when we've dulled.

Main Idea: God can help you find what you didn't mean to lost. Our God restores.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuNdEw8gjJM&w=640&h=480]

What do you do when you're swinging away and you lose your spiritual edge? 1. Be honest as to where you lost it. 2. With God's help take back what you lost.

It is not too late to be the person you could have been. It is not too late to get back what you lost... with the power of God.

Like what you see but want more? Check out Washington Cathedral's website for more information.

75% Survival Rate

75% Survival Rate

Pastor Rey recently returned from Africa where he had a chance to meet amazing people, to be reawakened in his faith. He was shown miraculous acts of God and was inspired by the people he met.

None of us would settle for those odds.  In almost any arena of our life, 75% is not good enough especially when it comes to our children.  I wouldn't accept a 75% survival rate for my children, family or friends.  That would mean 25% would not make it.  That's not good enough.  I'm sure anyone of us would do whatever was necessary to ensure the number increases so that our loved one would survive.

I met a man named Nehemiah who would gladly exchange a 75% survival rate than what he experienced in his childhood.  His mom and dad had 16 children.  Only 4 survived.  The other 12 children died of malaria, a preventable and treatable disease.  The cost of the medicine was a few dollars, but it might as well have been millions of dollars for Nehemiah's parents.  So Nehemiah being the fourth youngest buried his three younger siblings.  His family's survival rate was 25%, a tragic figure that is sadly common for many in Africa.

Nehemiah did survive, through many miraculous acts of God. As he recounted his story to us, tears flowed from his eyes.  He explained how as an orphan he felt powerless, vulnerable, and headed for a life of misery.  He saw it in his older siblings and in the children all around him.  What chance could he have to escape?  When he lost his father, he wasn't even allowed to go to the public school so he would sit outside by the window listening to the teacher 'stealing education.'

By the grace of God, he was able to receive a first class education in Nairobi, which led to a great paying job far away from the misery of his past.  But God called Nehemiah to return.  To start a school and several orphanages and to care for the children who are now facing what he faced as a child.

Now Nehemiah wants to serve God by changing the survival rate.  He wants children to experience the love of their Heavenly Father.  So he has started a school in the Soweto slums with 3 orphanages.  He has also started a school back in his village with 1 orphanage.  In total he is serving close to 2000 children.  And he is not settling for a 75% survival rate.  He is chasing after Gods best for each and every child.

Like what you see but want more? Check out Washington Cathedral's website for more information.

Don't Lose Your Spiritual Edge

Check out our new devotional series, 3 Minute Thoughts, a devotional thought in three minutes or less.

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