I trust you

Written by Pastor Rey Diaz If you’re anything like me, your faith journey is a roller coaster ride. Some days are better than others. Some days I feel like I have absolute confidence God is with me, for me, and working through me. Other days, I feel that God is absent, He’s forgotten me, and I’m all alone.

I just returned from a family trip to Honduras. Day 3 of the trip, my wife had to visit the hospital because of salmonella. “It’s okay. God’s in control. Everything will be okay.”

Day 4, my son was at the hospital because of E.Coli. “Okay God, I thought you were in control. What’s going on?”

On day 5, my daughter was at the hospital in the middle of the night with a stomach bug. “Its official. God has lost control. Help!”

Then on day 6, I, the last man standing, crashed with the same stomach bug my daughter so generously shared with me. “Well, at least I will die among family and can complain to God face to face.”

I wish, pray, and honestly yearn for a deep, unwavering, steadfast faith in God no matter the circumstances. But so often the circumstances creep in and skew my view of God. I feel more that anything else God wants me to trust him. God wants to take us to a place of overwhelming faith where no matter what we face, we can say with absolute confidence “I trust you.”

• You don’t always answer my prayers, but I trust you.
• You don’t always make sense, but I trust you.
• I don’t always understand you, but I trust you.
• Life doesn’t always go my way, but I trust you.
• Wife and kids are sick and I’m dying, but I trust you.

Sermons come in all shapes and sizes. But if you listen closely, you’ll hear God saying the same thing in most sermons—“trust me.”

In all the ways that you could respond to God, the most important thing is that God is asking you to trust him. When things are going well, it doesn’t require a lot of faith to trust God. But when life turns messy, is your faith leading you to depend on God, or do you put your trust in something else?

Over the next month our church is going on a journey to grow BIG faith. We believe there are five primary things God uses to grow our faith. We discovered them by observing how God works in the lives of believers - and even unbelievers.

Why do we want to grow our faith? Because your faith in God matters to God. In fact, God is most honored through your living, active, death-defying, out-of-the-box faith. That being the case, he's committed to growing it — BIG.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2HmYD7VHLc

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How to study the Bible as a family....

Written by Pastor Becca McCary An ancient Christian prayer/bible study practice called "Lectio Divina" (Latin for Divine Reading) is meant to help you listen to God as your study His Word. This prayer practice is not just for adults or “serious” bible scholars but can also help young children grow in their faith- bringing the pages of the Bible alive and helping them make connections to biblical characters.

This prayer practice can easily be done as a family in a developmentally appropriate way if crayons and paper are used.

Here is how it is done...

1.) Choose a bible passage to read and appoint one person to be the reader. - HINT: A great place to start is part of the Easter Story from Luke 22 or 23.

2.) Give everyone a sheet of paper and Crayons or markers

3.) Read your passage one time. As the passage is read, everyone draws the scene, but NOT Jesus yet. Try to soak up every detail of the passage. The scenery, what people are thinking and feeling. All of it.

4.) Read the same passage a second time. As the passage is being read, everyone adds a layer to their drawing by including Jesus this time. You can use light colors to show characters responding to him with open hearts and dark colors to show characters whose hearts are closed to him. What is Jesus thinking and feeling? Where is his power seen? Is anything surprising about Jesus?

5.) Read the passage a third time. As the passage is being read, everyone adds in one final layer- the put themselves in the drawing. How would you respond to Jesus in this scene? What colors would be around you? How would Jesus address you? What would he have to say to you?

6.) Share what you drew and why? What did you learn from the details of the passage? What does God want to teach you personally from this story?

 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

 Colossians 3:16 (NLT)

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Today is still Easter

Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish brought a new baby into the world.John 16:19-20-21 (NLT)

Written by Pastor Tim White

I love Easter. We had such a blessed time at Washington Cathedral this year. A turnaround church is a miracle and Easter marked the breaking of the barrier – building the core, envisioning the spiritual growth that we can all experience through the risen Lord.

Today is still Easter; not the holiday we celebrate once a year based on its relationship with Passover, but Christ the Lord is risen! He is indeed. Everyday!

As Jackie and I enjoyed our Easter family dinner and egg hunt with our precious little grandkids, who will be committed world changers, we basked in the chaos. They are all so cute! We love our extended family and in-laws so much. We could not help but dream in such a joy-filled setting.

That night I was reminded again of the gift of joy when I was watching an interview with John Travolta, one of my favorite actors, where he was defending the church of Scientology. He said, “Find me any other religion that has one of its main tenants as joy.” I yelled at the TV, “Following Jesus Christ! ‘Joy to the world’, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’, ‘Joy at the resurrection’, ‘Joy as a fruit of real spirituality’.” Of course it was a one way conversation but the sentiment rings true, especially as we celebrate Easter.

Now is the time to live with a new sense of joy and power from Easter. Joy to tackle each of our problems from the foundation of a loving grace-filled community of friends like Washington Cathedral.

I was reminded again of this community at Washington Cathedral when Jackie came and read to me from the hundreds of contact cards that had been filled out from this weekend’s services. Some said, “Where has this church been? I’ve been looking for a community like this.” Cards from many people in our church said, “I love my church family at Washington Cathedral.” As we read all the encouraging notes we both said, “It’s going to be fun to see what God has for us and those we love in the near future.” What we didn’t say aloud but felt deeply was that every day is Easter because Jesus is still risen – still alive and still being a revolution of love in this world.

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Easter Message by Pastor Tim White: Why do you look for the living among the dead?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feZ7SpOw11o

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Easter an end or a beginning

Written by Fiona Monaghan Three years before the first Easter, Jesus stated his mission with the reading of the proclamation in Isaiah 61:1-2:

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. ² He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.

As the time came for him to leave, Jesus had gathered faithful men from all walks of life and it was finals week, crunch time, feet to the fire time. He knew his time was short, that the end was fast approaching. He had said all he could say. His teaching had offered a great hope, that this life is not the end. The way it should have been before sin entered this world and set humans at odds with their Heavenly Father where the choice instead of what is best became what is best for me. From this premise every war, every argument, every hurt would come.

He had made enemies within the Jewish Leadership, and they were going to use all the power at their disposal to bring about his demise. He had left it all in the hands of a few disciples and his teachings would either take off after his death or die in the dust.

As history has shown, those disciples with the help of God’s Holy Spirit did take those teachings and spread them far and wide. We now have proof that what Jesus started back 2000 plus years ago was truly a force to be reckoned with. It is the only religion that has a God coming down to man.

A way was provided for reconciliation to be acquired and it isn’t all up to us and the power of our own will to earn our salvation. To be made right with God and be adopted into His family is a gift freely offered. We celebrate Easter not because of the death of a great man, but because that great man conquered death and rose from the dead on Resurrection Sunday!

Death is no longer is a thing to be feared but a doorway to something much better and greater than we can even imagine…

Wouldn’t this Easter be a great time to really take a deep look at this gift of eternal life and all that it entails? For those of us with faith to be more appreciative of it and be willing to share it and for those who are still seeking something to believe in. Jesus’ gift is still extended to all. Take this weekend to celebrate and acknowledge the great gift we’ve been given this Easter!

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The Risen Son

By Pastor Rey Diaz Crowds in cities like Thessalonica, Philippi, or Corinth: Who is this odd little man, sounding as if he’s a royal herald making a proclamation about a new emperor? And who is this new emperor anyway?

Paul: He is a Jew! And he was crucified! He is called Jesus!

Crowd: At this point mouths drop open with incredulity. People stare. This guy is drunk. Or crazy. Crucifixion is about the most shameful thing that can happen to you. Besides if he was crucified it means he’s dead. How can a crucified man be the Lord, the Son of God?

Paul: No! He’s alive! God raised him from the dead!

Crowd: Now the crowd knows Paul is mad. Everybody knows perfectly well that dead people don’t come back to life. It’s the ultimate statistic. 100% of people will die. No one escapes.

Paul: I have good news to share. The Messiah died for our sins in accordance to the Bible and he was raised on the third day!

This was and continues to be shocking, scandalous and foolishness to the crowd. But Paul continues sharing this Easter message. There is after all one true God, the God of Israel. He made the whole world, and he planned an amazing rescue operation for that world.

The news is that this rescue operation has happened! Jesus, who died and was raised, is Israel’s Messiah and when he returns he will be Lord of he whole world.

You can see why the gospel was considered scandalous by most. But in essence Paul was just sharing good news; it is the news that something has happened and as a result the world is a different place. It wasn’t a new religion, moral system, or philosophy.

One can debate the merits of a religion, moral system, or philosophy, but a news event is discussed in a different way. Either the event happened or it didn’t; if it did happen, either it means what people say it means, or it doesn’t.

Paul was telling the people that Jesus death and resurrection had changed the world, that the world was now a different place, and that he was summoning them to be part of that new, different reality. This event would cause them to adjust their entire lives in order to come into line with the way things now were.

When Roman heralds came into a city like Thessalonica announcing that a new emperor had been enthroned, the didn’t mean, “Here is a new sort of imperial experience, and you might like to see if it suits you.” They meant, “Tiberius (or any other emperor) is the Lord of the World. You are lucky recipients of this good news; he demands your loyalty, your allegiance, and of course you taxes.” That’s how Roman good news worked.

Paul uses the word ‘herald” to talk about his own mission sharing the good news. He wasn’t offering people a new type of torch so they could see better in the dark. He was saying that the sun had risen, and that if you would only open the curtains you’d see that you don’t need torches anymore.

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” – C S Lewis.

That is what is written on his memorial tablet in Westminster Abbey. That is what Easter does for us. When we let the message of Easter get inside of us and then we look out at the world, then suddenly you see everything else in a new way. “A way that makes sense of everything- startling, shocking sense, a sudden and scary clarity. This is what Paul means by the “power” of this “good news.” It does things to people. It transforms.”

Easter is at the center of the gospel. The Messiah died, was buried, was raised, and was seen. Take that away and Christianity collapses. Put it in its proper place and the whole world is different. This good news about what has happened points to the good news about what is yet to happen. Death’s defeat. Eternal life. Resurrection. Heaven. That’s what Easter is about. Come celebrate with us this weekend!

PS – I have borrowed heavily from a book by N.T. Wright “Simply Good News: Why the Gospel is News and What makes it Good” to write this little blog.   And by ‘borrowed heavily’ I mean straight plagerism in some parts. I decided to read this book during holy week and have been so inspired. I highly, highly recommend it to everyone. Get it here: Simply Good News.

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Lent Devotion: Study

Introduction:

God wants to meet with you this Lent. He wants to come into the ordinary times and places in your life in a holy way, transforming your life. This week’s ordinary space transformation challenge is: Study.

Scripture Reflection:

1 John 4:9-10 (NLT)

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Challenge:

Write down or paint the word "Study" on a rock or piece of paper as your holy reminder. Then choose an ordinary space in your life where you are going to focus on study. Try to practice study one time in that ordinary space your life this week. Then, watch God transform this ordinary space into a holy space for you.

Practice:

Put the word "Study" in an area of your life like your lunchbox, your end table, or fireplace. When you go to eat lunch, before you watch TV, or when you are relaxing by the fireplace, take a moment to read the story of Jesus' death.

As you study God's word, remember that the creator of the universe loved you enough to die for you. This story is the root of our faith.

Shine with Christ’s light

Written by Fiona Monaghan Light…we can’t live without it. The light from the sunshine feeds us with vitamin D and helps us thrive. It creates beauty in the form of plants, trees and flowers. It’s an essential part of our lives.

Darkness is the absence of light and it is used as the simile of those things not good in our world. Crime is committed under the cover of darkness, secrets are kept in the dark.

When Jesus makes the statement in John “I am the Light of the world…” could it be he is speaking of that ability to makes sense of things and people and things that happen to us?

He sent his son into a world during a very dark time for Israel. Roman government dictated what was allowed in the region. Freedom of speech was not recognized and children and women had no value and were considered little more than property. The religious leaders of the time didn’t seem to be giving much hope where God was concerned, just more rules to follow.

Then, Jesus comes to this scene, his words and teaching were full of enlightenment and he spoke of a loving Heavenly Father. He stated if they saw Him they had seen what God was like because they were the same.

The people eagerly followed him, caught in the brilliance and truth of his words. They continued his teachings of love and light spreading his message of hope throughout the world. The people that heard their message and saw their actions in turn passed on the message of Good News to more people. Through light and love the world has been changed!

Light exposes darkness whether in our actions or thoughts. Seek to live in the light… grow and shine with Christ’s love!

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12 (NLT)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLAhi7V0nNY

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False gods fail, God never does

Written by Fiona Monaghan Can we trust God to handle all the details in life? In the story of Micah (Judges 17&18) we see a man who trusted idols and things of this world to guide him. It is a common theme in the Old Testament.

God asks to be trusted and though the Israelites believed in the Almighty God, they still felt the need to have the local shrines and gods at their disposal for the everyday care of things.

Do we do the same in our world on a different level? We put bank accounts, education, people’s expectations of us etc., ahead of God and these things can become “little gods” to us.

False gods fail. That is their only truth. – Pastor Rex Hamilton

WE have created an idol when we let family, spouse, our busy schedules, or work become more important to us than God. God wants to be everything to us.

He doesn’t want to be an afterthought- turned to only when everything else has failed. He wants to be first and foremost in our lives. He wants to be Provider, Savior, Best Friend…all of it. When He is truly in that place then we have the ability to prioritize all others in life correctly.

Putting God first allows you to be a better parent because you recognize it doesn’t all depend on you. Be a better friend and allow God’s leading to show you how to treat friends and be supportive and not enabling.

If we live from the place of seeking God, then all others in our life will be taken care of appropriately. This was all God wanted from His people. He wanted them to seek Him with all heart, body, soul and mind and not depend on the ‘household gods’ for the everyday needs of life.

When God is made first in all things it is both crucial and profitable. How easily we slip into the mode of thinking that it is expected of us to do this by ourselves and only rely on Him for the ‘big stuff’.

Our part is to be obedient to His directions for our life. Patience and wisdom come with seeking Him, and knowing His ways through reading His Guidebook. This week, when you first open your eyes in the morning ask God to direct your steps today and together accomplish all that is set before you. Don’t just say it, mean it and watch God work in your week.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8Xtt-A0bYQ

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Samuel: Last Man Up

Written by Fiona Monaghan

Samuel is an example of ‘never being too young to follow God.’ Dedicated as a baby he grew up serving God in the temple and he continued to serve God throughout his entire life.

Samuel was born to Hannah and Elkanah after waiting many years for a child. Hannah desperately wanted a child and she prayed a beautiful prayer (found in 1 Sam 1:10-11) promising that if God gave her a son she would dedicate his life to serving him. True to her word she sent him, when still young, to live as an apprentice to the priest Eli in the temple.

One night, when Samuel was still a young boy, he is called by the Lord in the night and he responds, “Speak for your servant listens…”

The Lord tells Samuel that a time of discipline is coming for the house of Eli. Many times God had warned Eli about the actions of his sons (known for being scoundrels and not respecting God or their duties as priests) yet they had persisted in their wayward actions. He had been patient, but now the consequences would follow.

This was the beginning of Samuel deliverying hard to hear words from God. He continued to work through Samuel, speaking to his people through him.

During this time, the Philistines were a force to be reckoned with. In one of the battles between the Philistines and the Israelites the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and tens of thousands of Israelites were killed (including Eli’s sons). Soon the Philistines discovered God’s power, he destroyed their idol, Dagon, and whatever town the Ark resided in people became sick with tumors. Out of fear of the Israelite’s God they returned Ark to Israel- even sending gifts with it in hopes of appease the God of Israel.

Once the Ark had been restored to Israel, they took it and hid it in a hillside home where it stayed for twenty years. The people mourned that God had abandoned them and they continued to turn to other gods. During this time Samuel had grown into a young man, seeing the actions of his people, he challenged the Israelites to change their ways,

“If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the Lord; then he will rescue form the Philistines.” 1 Samuel 7:3 (NLT)

The Israelites listen and destroy the idols they had made. Samuel called his people together and led them in prayer and worship in the city of Mizpah. Here Samuel becomes the last Judge of Israel and the people of Israel recommit themselves to God.

The Philistines, seeing all the Israelites gathered, mobilize their armies to Mizpah. Samuel prays to God to help Israel and the Lord answers! He shows Himself ‘with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven’ and the Philistines were in such confusion that they were easy prey for the Israelites to overcome them.

Israel enjoyed twenty years of peace, as the Philistines were subdued. The land that had been taken was restored back to Israel. The people put their Jehovah back in the center of their lives and all was well.

Samuel proved to be a good and effective Judge, he continued to share God’s word and challenge His people for the rest of his life.

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Does this read like a story for today? Maybe not with the Philistines and the Ark of the Covenant, but don’t we often find that we turn away or forget God when things are going well and life is good?

Samuel was dedicated to doing God’s will and listening for His voice and while the Israelites did the same - life was good. If we follow Samuel’s example, saying to God ‘speak for your servant listens’ and then really do it in every area of our lives. We won’t be disappointed.

“God has put you here in your situation for a reason.  Samuel was an amazingly gifted man, but even more important than that was his character. He stayed close to God no matter what and changed the world forever.  It's our character that determines whether we will be a solution to the problems in our world” - Pastor Ben McCary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG04GoaV9Cs

Lent Devotion: Worship

Written by Pastor Becca McCary

Introduction:

God wants to meet with you this Lent. He wants to come into the ordinary times and places in your life in a holy way, transforming your life. This week's ordinary space transformation challenge is: Worship.

Scripture Reflection:

Psalm 104:33-34 (NLT)

33 I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.

Challenge:

Write down or paint the word "Worship" on a rock or piece of paper as your holy reminder. Then choose an ordinary space in your life where you are going to focus on worship. Try to practice worship one time in that ordinary space your life this week. Then, watch God transform this ordinary space into a holy space for you.

Practice:

Put the word "Worship" in an area of your life like your shower, your makeup mirror, or running shoes. When you are showering, doing your makeup, or exercising, sing a worship song.

The worship will begin on your lips, move to your mind as you understand what you're saying, and then move into your heart as you start to truly mean what you're saying. As you worship in these ordinary spaces, you will see that they are suddenly transformed into holy places.

Here's a song to start your week in worship:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ__W9VH9Lo