An Interesting Time in History

I love the Book of Isaiah.  Maybe because Jesus loved it and quoted it more than any other book. His life mission was Isaiah 61.

In 1973, I was seeking God’s mission and vision for my life when the wind blew my Bible open to Isaiah 61 on a mountain nearly 10,000 feet high, and the mission for our church was born.

I love the start of the book when the old prophet is telling the people of Judah that they have a choice ahead of them and that it is a pivotal time in history.  The first chapters are full of warning for the consequences of turning away from the Lord.  But there is hope also, when in Isaiah 1:18-20 God says…Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord.  Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.  If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

I am not a pastor in order to be a politician.  I had thought seriously about a political career and was called to be a pastor.  As I have said from the beginning, I want people to come to church who disagree with me and I with them.  Church is not a holy huddle. It is preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of God that will change our lives and the world.  While I am very politically active, I have always preached Christ first and last and I will do so till the day I die.  Now, I do ask, even plead, that everyone vote.  I pray for 100% participation. In Romans 12 it tells us “to be subject to those put in governmental authority over us.” When faith grows deep and people’s lives are changed that is how revolution happens.  Government changes because “government is only a reflection of the people” as Thomas Jefferson said.    I want to tell you that our faith in America is three thousand miles wide and one inch deep.  We need deeper roots and spirit-filled faith. 

That is why Saturday night is becoming our discipleship night.  We have chosen that night because our people are busy and weeknight discipleship does not catch the people we need to grow deeper in their faith.  Some radicals may want to go Saturday and Sunday. Others will choose between the two, and that is alright.

Nothing in this election has surprised me.  Our Christian faith is so shallow today.  But that does not relieve us of the right, privilege and responsibility to vote.  There will be a day, maybe in our life time, when we won’t get to vote and we will realize the gravity of this age that we are living in.  Also, don’t let all the hate speech take you away from being a Christ-follower.  You need to be able to speak kindly and forthrightly with those with whom you disagree. As there is so much division in our society it is Christians who will hold our communities and nation together with civility.  That is why I ask, beg and preach that you and I should pray for the candidate and their followers, that we are not voting for. It is the only Christian thing to do in that we are supposed to love our enemies.

I have written a novel on American patriotism called Ulysses Dream and asked the publisher to rush it to be published during the election.  I wrote it in a year and it took six months to bring it to market.  Yes, it deals with human trafficking - something that is an abomination to God.  Yes, it deals with immigration, something that is a hot political issue for both parties. President Obama deported more immigrants than at any other time in history and as you know, nominee Trump wants to put up a wall which will prevent illegal immigrants from entering our nation.  That would at least stop the coyotes (smugglers) and they would not be able to abuse people.  I think both sides can agree that good-hearted immigrants need to be treated with the same humanity and dignity that our forefathers were treated with when they came to this country.  Yes, in my book I argue for patriotism for our nation and for what it might become. It is a great and honored responsibility.

On Thursday, October 20^th,  from 7 to 8 pm, there will be a launch for my novel Ulysses Dream at the Spirit Falls Sanctuary.  There will be an original composition by Rhonda Jones, including choir, violin and viola, and soloists.  There will be comments from Vietnam war veterans, Seattle Police detective (Retired), and others about the book, maybe even a Native American Chief.  I will give a brief synopsis of the book, and a Spanish actress will read a page from the book.  The book will be for sale and the proceeds will go to retiring the last of Washington Cathedral’s long-term debt.

Let’s all be in prayer about this election and make sure that you register and vote.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Celebrating A Courageous Moment

What could you do if you dared to experience 20 seconds of insane courage?  Looking back on missed opportunities in our lives can hold us back.  But what would happen if instead, from now on, we looked at the opportunities ahead with the faith to step out in trust and do the right thing with 20 seconds of embarrassing courage?  This Sunday we are celebrating the Hall of Fame of Faith for Washington Cathedral as we celebrate 32 years of ministry in this community.  We will see and hear the stories of people who stepped out with the faith of David facing Goliath.  Those who took a stand in order to make sure there was a church that was committed to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with a world full of people. People who are very far from God.  There are so many heroic stories that I am sure your soul will be stirred.  We wouldn’t be here without heroes of the faith.  People who knew deep inside that there was a bright future for this great caring network.  People who are cheering us on as we become an incredible movement and as we pass the baton to those ready to carry on the same kind of gutsy - courageous faith that Jesus asked of his disciples.

We will have a very memorable slide show depicting this courage through 32 years. In John chapter 15, which comes right after John 14 if you were wondering, Jesus decides to talk straight to the disciples – no more parables or metaphors for a few minutes.  He was going to display his love by volunteering for the cross. He prophesies that his friends, the ones he chose to call his followers, will have their sadness turned to joy. In John 15:31 he tells them they are all going to run -- they are going to chicken out.  Yet when he is alone he will not be alone because the Father will be with him.  Wow – this sermon could be entitled “Never Alone.”  He tells them they can have peace when they go through incredible trials and sorrows.  He instructs them to take heart because his moments of courage mean he is overcoming the world.

I stood on the church hill with Retired Marine and Korean War Veteran Bill Holmes where hardly anyone showed up for our salmon dinner kickoff to build Spirit Falls.  Every conversation I tried to enter would grow silent because they were talking about me.  Where did I get off thinking this church would prevail through such tough times?  Bill Holmes invited me to go the edge of the hill with him.  He always had my back, often attending every service just to pray for me.  Even though he was many years older than me, we played basketball together, and I never saw a guy so old who could still mix it up with the young guys and deliver a high lob pass so accurately. He had played point guard for Seattle University during their glory years.   With Bill, I couldn’t help but score. (Yes, in those days when I jumped I actually left the ground.)  Bill seemed to know what I was thinking and he spoke to my fears there on the edge of that hill.  He said, “Do you see it Pastor Tim?”  I asked, “See what?” He responded, “The sanctuary with a glass steeple, and a beautiful waterfall.” I told him I saw it, but truly I was just trying to see it through my discouragement and loneliness knowing that Bill had pancreatic cancer and would not be there for the big battle to come.  He said, “You know what else I see?”  I replied, “No.”  Full of faith, Bill responded “I see it full of people, all kinds of people, many times a week until the end of the world.”  It was about a 20 second conversation - 20 seconds of faith – 20 seconds of insane courage.

Don’t miss this Sunday and learn how 20 seconds of courage can change your life.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Celebrating A Courageous Moment

What could you do if you dared to experience 20 seconds of insane courage?  Sure, we look back on  missed opportunities in our lives but from now on with all the opportunities ahead if you had enough faith to step out in trust and do the right thing with 20 seconds of embarrassing courage?  This Sunday, we are celebrating the hall of fame of faith for Washington Cathedral to see and hear the stories of people who stepped out with the faith of David facing Goliath and took a stand to make sure that there was a church that was committed to share the good news of Jesus Christ with a world full of people who are very far from God.  I can think of so many heroic stories that I am sure that your soul will be stirred.  We wouldn’t be here without those hero’s of the faith and we know that there is a bright future for this great caring network becoming a movement as long as we can pass the baton to those ready to carry on the same kind of gutsy - courageous faith that Jesus asked of his disciples.

 We will have a very memorable slide show depiticitng this courage through thirty two years. In John chapter 15 which comes right after John 15 if you were wondering.  Jesus decides to talk straight to the disciples – no more parables or metaphors for a few minutes.  He was going to display his love by volunteering for the cross. He prophesies that his friends the name he chose to call his followers will have their sadness turned to joy. In verse 31, he tells them they are all going to run.  They are going to chicken out.  Yet when he is alone he will no be alone because the Father will be with him.  Wow – this sermon could be entitled never alone.  He tells them they can have peace when they go through incredible trials and sorrows but take heart his moments of courage mean he is overcoming the world.

 I stood on the church hill with retired marine and Korean War veteran, Bill Holmes and hardly anyone showed up for our salmon dinner kickoff to build Spirit Falls.  Every conversation I tried to enter they would grow silent because they were talking about me.  Where did I get off thinking this church would prevail through such tough times.  Bill Holmes invited me to go the edge of the hill with him.  He always had my back often attending every service just to pray for me.  Even though he was many years older than me he had played point guard for Seattle University during their glory years.  We played basketball together and I never saw a guy so old who could sill mix it up with the young guys and deliver a high lob pass so accurate that I  couldn’t help but score. Yes in those days when I jumped I actually left the ground.  Bill spoke to my fears.  He said, Do you see it pastor Tim?  I said, "see what?".  He said the sanctuary with a glass steeple, and a beautiful waterfall.” I said, yes but I was just trying to see it through my discouragement and loneliness knowing that Bill had pancreatic cancer and would not be there for the big battle to come.  He said, you know what else I see?  I said, no.  He said I see it full of people all kinds of people many times a week until the end of the world.”  I was about a 20 second conversation- 20 seconds of faith – 20 seconds of insane courage.

 Don’t miss this Sunday and learn how 20 seconds of courage can change your life.

 Your friend for the rest of my life,

 Pastor Tim Whie

The Runaway

Ask people what they must do to get to return to God and most reply, “Be good.” Jesus’ stories contradict that answer. All we must do is cry, “Help!” God welcomes home anyone who will have him and, in fact, has made the first move already. Below is a modern day telling of the Prodigal Son from the great book, "What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Phillip Yancey. May we all have a sense of wonder and awe as we think about the impact Grace has had on our lives!

A young girl grows up on a cherry orchard just above Traverse City, Michigan. Her parents, a bit old-fashioned, tend to overreact to her nose ring, the music she listens to, and the length of her skirts. They ground her a few times, and she seethes inside. “I hate you!” she screams at her father when he knocks on the door of her room after an argument, and that night she acts on a plan she has mentally rehearsed scores of times. She runs away.

She has visited Detroit only once before, on a bus trip with her church youth group to watch the Tigers play. Because newspapers in Traverse City report in lurid detail the gangs, drugs, and violence in downtown Detroit, she concludes that is probably the last place her parents will look for her. California, maybe, or Florida, but not Detroit.

Her second day there she meets a man who drives the biggest car she’s ever seen. He offers her a ride, buys her lunch, arranges a place for her to stay. He gives her some pills that make her feel better than she’s ever felt before. She was right all along, she decides: Her parents were keeping her from all the fun.

The good life continues for a month, two months, a year. The man with the big car—she calls him “Boss”–teaches her a few things that men like. Since she’s underage, men pay a premium for her. She lives in a penthouse and orders room service whenever she wants. Occasionally she thinks about the folks back home, but their lives now seem so boring that she can hardly believe she grew up there. She has a brief scare when she sees her picture printed on the back of a milk carton with the headline, “Have you seen this child?” But by now she has blond hair, and with all the makeup and body-piercing jewelry she wears, nobody would mistake her for a child. Besides, most of her friends are runaways, and nobody squeals in Detroit.

After a year, the first sallow signs of illness appear, and it amazes her how fast the boss turns mean. “These days, we can’t mess around,” he growls, and before she knows it she’s out on the street without a penny to her name. She still turns a couple of tricks a night, but they don’t pay much, and all the money goes to support her drug habit. When winter blows in she finds herself sleeping on metal grates outside the big department stores. “Sleeping” is the wrong word—a teenage girl at night in downtown Detroit can never relax her guard. Dark bands circle her eyes. Her cough worsens.

One night, as she lies awake listening for footsteps, all of a sudden everything about her life looks different. She no longer feels like a woman of the world. She feels like a little girl, lost in a cold and frightening city. She begins to whimper. Her pockets are empty and she’s hungry. She needs a fix. She pulls her legs tight underneath her and shivers under the newspapers she’s piled atop her coat. Something jolts a synapse of memory and a single image fills her mind: of May in Traverse City, when a million cherry trees bloom at once, with her golden retriever dashing through the rows and rows of blossomy trees in chase of a tennis ball.

God, why did I leave? she says to herself, and pain stabs at her heart. My dog back home eats better than I do now. She’s sobbing, and she knows in a flash that more than anything else in the world she wants to go home.

Three straight phone calls, three straight connections with the answering machine. She hangs up without leaving a message the first two times, but the third time she says, “Dad, Mom, it’s me. I was wondering about maybe coming home. I’m catching a bus up your way, and it’ll get there about midnight tomorrow. If you’re not there, well, I guess I’ll just stay on the bus until it hits Canada.”

It takes about seven hours for a bus to make all the stops between Detroit and Traverse City, and during that time she realizes the flaws in her plan. What if her parents are out of town and miss the message? Shouldn’t she have waited another day or so until she could talk to them? Even if they are home, they probably wrote her off as dead long ago. She should have given them some time to overcome the shock.

Her thoughts bounce back and forth between those worries and the speech she is preparing for her father. “Dad, I’m sorry. I know I was wrong. It’s not your fault, it’s all mine. Dad, can you forgive me?” She says the words over and over, her throat tightening even as she rehearses them. She hasn’t apologized to anyone in years.

The bus has been driving with lights on since Bay City. Tiny snowflakes hit the road, and the asphalt steams. She’s forgotten how dark it gets at night out here. A deer darts across the road and the bus swerves. Every so often, a billboard. A sign posting the mileage to Traverse City. Oh, God.

When the bus finally rolls into the station, its air brakes hissing in protest, the driver announces in a crackly voice over the microphone, “Fifteen minutes, folks. That’s all we have here.” Fifteen minutes to decide her life. She checks herself in a compact mirror, smooths her hair, and licks the lipstick off her teeth. She looks at the tobacco stains on her fingertips and wonders if her parents will notice. If they’re there.

She walks into the terminal not knowing what to expect, and not one of the thousand scenes that have played out in her mind prepare her for what she sees. There, in the concrete-walls-and-plastic-chairs bus terminal in Traverse City, Michigan, stands a group of 40 family members—brothers and sisters and great-aunts and uncles and cousins and a grandmother and great-grandmother to boot. They are all wearing ridiculous-looking party hats and blowing noisemakers, and taped across the entire wall of the terminal is a computer-generated banner that reads “Welcome home!”

Out of the crowd of well-wishers breaks her dad. She looks through tears and begins the memorized speech, “Dad, I’m sorry. I know … “

He interrupts her. “Hush, child. We’ve got no time for that. No time for apologies. You’ll be late for the party. A banquet’s waiting for you at home.”

Reflections On The Wonder of Music

Dearest Father Above,

I thank You for music-for in it I get lost in your peace and your grace.  I thank you also for your creation of ears to hear, hands to play, eyes to see, vocal chords to verbalize and to produce melodic tones and for the creation of sounds that loft from instruments conceived from minds that you filled with brains and nerves and feelings.

Lord, your plans are like an ecosystem.  Each note that is produced in praise to you rises to you and comes back to the giver and to all those around them in a sweet, cohesive and connective way.   Music is a love that all can comprehend on some level of their being and it is interpreted by each in their own unique way.   Within this, you also connect your kingdom; for music is a connection TO you and equally a connection BETWEEN all those who love you.

Songs of praise throughout the ages with each word penned had a meaning to he who penned it, and as those songs are passed from generation to generation there is a connective tissue formed that truly connects us to believers long departed from this earthly home.  We feel in each lifting or falling of the notes a rising of souls to reach toward You in a way that words or lyrics alone cannot express.

If we make a joyful noise toward you, no man alive can judge it; for it is not intended for them.   When we lose ourselves in music, we can see the glory of your kingdom above this earthly realm…as if the Angels are joining us and we can also hear them. Each generation from the days of Genesis has created musical praise to You, and within all of those generations of music there is a theme; not unlike the Bible.   In fact, much of the music written to praise You has a direct inspiration from your ACTUAL words written to guide us.  Music is a mighty force that can be used for good or for evil, but as believers choose to use it for good it becomes a torch that lights hearts on fire for you.

I thank you, Lord for my fellow believers; those with gifts of musical talent which you have provided them and those who dedicate themselves to sharing that gift with others.  Lord, I thank you for each of my fellow believers who choose to make a joyful noise with reckless abandon and for their gifts or lack of gifts in the musical realm.  For when I hear praises in song lifted above I hear a harmony of hearts and minds united for you.  Your plans for music were for our good and we love you for giving us the chance to connect with you and your kingdom on this level.

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

~LouAn Williams

A God With Skin

In time gone by, God showed Himself

but people ran and cried

too scared to know He really cared

no matter how He tried.

Through prophets, teachers, leaders all

He tried to show His love;

but humans only learn by fear

and strike what they can’t trust.

Though close to them He wished to be

and awesome though He was

He couldn’t get quite close enough

He’d only scare us off.

He devised a plan to get in close,

a man, He would become;

Jesus He sent, to show the world

the Father’s only Son.

He lived with us, loved with us

He finally came to see

what made us just the way we were

the fears, the hopes the dreams.

Those things that drove us to be good,

those things that made us bad,

He knew we need to know God’s love

that piece He knew He had.

He was the sacrifice for us-

to God, He made the way

so we could come before Him now

and not be scared away.

This love exchanged, God to man

that man could come to God

through Jesus, He the way prepared

it was all done out of love.

~Fiona Monaghan

The High Value of Wisdom

For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it. Proverbs 8:11

Think about those words written by Solomon thousands of years ago. Really let yourself sit with this proverb.

“Nothing you desire can compare with it...”

What are some things we desire that some how end up having higher value, than wisdom? Money? Job title? Success of our kids? Educational degrees?

It’s easy to go through our week and not intentionally think about our need for wisdom. Maybe the reasons why is we tend to lean on our experience or smarts. Both play a role yet, neither are enough by themselves. Wisdom is the meshing of our intelligence, experience and connection with God all wrapped in one.

The two most common questions I’ve heard regarding wisdom are:

1. Isn’t wisdom just doing what the Bible says?

2. How does one attain wisdom?

The first answer is no. No, because not all circumstances we face in life are specifically dealt with in the Bible. Wisdom must go beyond knowing and doing the Word of God (although this is always the starting point). God’s wisdom also includes a sensitive and mature judgement where and how a situation needs to be worked out when the Bible isn’t clear on what we are to do.

The second is simple. ASK!  Scripture tells us that if anyone lacks wisdom, they should ask God and he will give it generously (James 1:5). This is a promise, friends!

Placing a high value on wisdom isn’t easy, but how much richer, happier and healthier our lives are when we seek wisdom and apply it. Let’s all give it a try this week. I doubt any of us will regret it!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Rex

Who's Got Your Back?

My child, never forget the things I have taught you.  Store my commands in your heart.  If you do this, you will live many years.  And our life will be satisfying.  Never let go of loyalty and kindness!  Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.  Then you will find favor with both God and people.  Proverbs 3:1-4

Have you noticed how music sticks with you in an unexplainable way?  Great music sets the mood for everyone who is listening while giving them unique thoughts, emotions and memories.  I was praying for healing this morning for a person that I dearly love.  I dared in the name of Jesus to ask that his digestive system would begin to work again after surgery.  The Christian nurse listening in commented that my prayer reminded her of a song by Danny Goekey Tell your heart to start.  It came from a true story of a lady named Mrs. Johnson who had open-heart surgery and when they took her heart off the heart and lung machine her heart would not start.  The surgeon, who was a Christian, kneeled down at the bed-side of the lady.  He prayed, “Mrs.  Johnson we have repaired your heart. There is nothing wrong with it so please tell your heart to beat again”.  Her heart began to beat. 

This drama became a great song because it resonates with so many of us.  We have suffered injury but now that chapter is over and we need to have faith in Jesus Christ that He is greater than our fears and we need to tell our hearts to beat again. 

This is just a sample of the wisdom that God provides for us.  It doesn’t mean much unless we remember it and lean not on our own understanding trusting Jesus to lead and guide us to choose the right paths.  If you would like to listen to the You tube you can find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azYK8I2uoog

I hope you find encouragement in this wisdom

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim

Be Ready

It is our job to make the adjustments necessary in our daily walk so we are prepared for any assignment. We don’t know what will be required in days to come, but the prepping, the studying to be ready for it, starts now. This happens in the quiet, thoughtful places. We won’t have time to pull it all together at the time of crisis. Have the “tanks filled”, all preparations made and the communication lines established, then be readyand on the alert.

This was addressed in a sermon I heard on the disciple, Peter. At the time of his denial in the courtyard, Peter had been given the opportunity to “tank up”. Peter was with Jesus in the garden and three times Jesus came to the disciples and admonished them to pray. Luke 22:46. 

In essence, things were going to get messy, they needed to “stoke the fires and get strength from the Father.” Jesus did. He was human and God but still needed that time of prayer. How much more do we, being fully human, need to pray?

“The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” Mark 14:38   We will be tested and it’s through difficulty that we know what lies in our hearts and what needs to be sifted out. “The chain of command is clear. Satan can do nothing outside of God’s domain and God uses satan to advance the cause of His kingdom.” Our assignment is to be ready and primed for anything. It is not at the time of battle to get our equipment in working order, but to have it at the ready all the time.

We make it our aim… to be well pleasing to Him. 1 Corinthians 5:9

Time Well Spent

A lovely evening spent with my daughter when we met for dinner. A couple of hours talking and laughing, oblivious to what was going on around us. We enjoyed each other’s company.

When you come looking for me you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me, and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” Jeremiah 29:12-14 (The Message Bible)

It occurred to me when I read this verse, that we have no problem seeking the time to spend with people we love, and when they make time for us we are blessed and happy. How much more does the Father feel my love when I make time to spend with Him.

There is a difference between spending time and making time. I find that I can spend time with someone out of necessity and when it fits in with the schedule -- those can be blessed times too. But, isn’t there a subtle difference when it is ‘sought’ time spent with someone? We do that when dating.  We want to be with our loved one, so we seek out time to be with them.  Even at times, adjusting the schedule of our lives to accommodate.

Just think how pleased Our Father is when we extend that consideration to Him? He is always ready and waiting for us to make our move toward Him; to have a quiet one-on-one time of devotion or reading His Word with undivided attention -- no distractions. I have found time with my Father to be the best time of my day. I come away with blessings and promises to get me through my day… until the next time.

Fiona