Discover Your Spiritual DNA

by Pastor Tim White

What a Big Win it was as we celebrated our love for our community, our nation, and the world. Anarchists, Republicans, Democrats, Green Party and everything in between joined together, not to say our nation is perfect, but to remember the love that we feel for our nation. And of course, Christians feel that way about every nation they live in. A dramatic moment was when Penelope Hernandez shared what it meant to her, a person who immigrated from Mexico, to grow to love her new country and watch her son, LG, learn English, make the Honor Roll, and join the Marines. After four years, he graduated at the top of his college engineering class and was installed as a Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. LG stayed around and enjoyed the meal at the Saturday night service and at the picnic on Sunday. He was able to visit with the people who have held up he and his family in prayer and will continue to lift them up throughout his career in the Marines. It was a great moment.

This weekend I will continue our series on: If you are alive then It is Time to Rebuild Your Dreams. I will share with you a message from the Gospel of John on: “Discover Your Spiritual DNA”.

Please join us. I believe you will find the sermon inspirational.

Your friend for the rest of your life,

Pastor Tim White

A Dream That Will Bless Our Nation

by Pastor Tim White

I am a Big Picture guy. When I advise people to dream, I ask them to dream big. I ask you, as we rebuild our dreams, to dream a dream so big that it cannot be accomplished in one generation. Dream a dream that will bless our community here in the Puget Sound area, that will bless our nation, and will bless the whole world. That’s all. When we really lift our eyes to God who created the Universe, we build dreams so big that they cannot be accomplished in our lifetime.

Everyone has a dream somewhere in their DNA. And for everyone who is alive it is time to rebuild your dream. Rededicate, refresh, re-envision, reorganize and retool. The Bible makes it clear our dreams are bigger than we understand and so we need to be constantly adapting them as we prepare them to meet God’s expectations - not just ours. Instead of being frustrated, maybe we need to dig deeper to discover what God’s Word is trying to say to someone who is graduating from high school, or college, looking for a new job, surviving grief, or just retired. God does have something to say about our frustrations and discouragements and he really responds to our individual stories and concerns. He can always point us in a better direction. Washington Cathedral is listening, so this is an exciting time for all of us.

Many people today, for one reason or another, do not feel happy about our nation. We pray that they can join with us. As every veteran knows, our nation is not perfect, but together we can work towards positive growth in our nation. We all have that need. Running to our room in frustration is not a good option. How much better to come outside and engage in meaningful dialogue that will help our nation to be better and to be a source of blessing to the entire world.

This weekend we are refreshing the American Vision. And a big part of that is to consider how blessed we are to live in this country. In all our services we will be awarding the Medal of Freedom to a young Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He has a dramatic story that is at the heart of refreshing the American Dream. As you know, people from the right and the left, Republicans and Democrats, will all be demonstrating together in the dream that our nation can come together and get over the challenges that face us. Right after the 11:00 am service, there will be a picnic with a great bounce house for kids, a fun and competitive dessert contest - and you get to sample them also. There will be games for the whole family. From 12:00 to 2:00pm - a short time for a picnic, packed with great food and fun for all. Hotdogs and hamburgers provided. Also, gluten and meat-free options. The salads and desserts will be potluck style, so bring a large serving of either. Whether you love our nation, or you don’t, but want to love it - you are invited.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim

Time to Rebuild Your Dreams

by Pastor Tim White

In the Book of Ezra 1:3, the Bible tells the story of the Persian king who ruled Israel. He made a proclamation to Israel that God has spoken to him telling him to let the people of Israel rebuild their temple. The door is open, and it is an opportunity to rebuild their dreams. That is the season we are in at Washington Cathedral. It is time to revise, rededicate, relearn, reinvent, and to refresh our dream of building the greatest caring network that the world has ever seen.

Anyone who has ever dared to try and dream God’s dream, has to rebuild it from time to time. It doesn't matter if you are 11 years old or 91 years old. Nobody receives a perfect plan that never needs to be adjusted. We learn, we grow, situations change, and sometimes, we have to rebuild. Many times in our lifetime we get frustrated and discouraged because it seems that God has lost sight of our dreams, when in fact we have lost sight of Him. He wants to turn us or grow us, and we have not been listening. So, from now until August our church, and each of us individually, will be focusing on letting God rebuild our dreams. I hope you can make it this weekend, as we kick off this new, dynamic series.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

God’s Grace is Amazing

by Pastor Linda Skinner

Thirty years ago, this past January, I started serving as a full-time pastor at our church. Throughout those thirty years, the thing that continues to astound me is the power of God’s grace. I remember when I first started in the ministry, Pastor Tim shared with me that the one most important things we must always share with people, regardless of the situation, is the hope that we always have because of the persistent, loving grace of God.

Early on in my ministry, I had a beautiful young lady come to my office in tears because she felt that God could not love her because of all the things she had done wrong. She enumerated all her sins to me and then said, “God will never forgive me for all of that.” I pulled out my Bible and read to her the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8. When I read the words of our Lord, “Then neither do I condemn you,” her eyes teared up. That afternoon, she prayed with me to accept Jesus into her life.

A couple of weeks later she came back to me and said, “I don’t think it worked.” Not being sure of what she meant by that I asked, “What don’t’ you think worked?” She said, “Our prayer.” At that point I was a little perplexed, so I asked, “Why don’t you think it worked?” “Well,” she said, “I have always had a ‘potty’ mouth and I thought when I accepted Jesus, He would take that away. But he hasn’t. I still find myself using those words.” I think the Holy Spirit was helping me on this one because without hesitation I asked her, “Before you accepted Jesus and those words came out, how did it feel?” She responded, “It felt great!” So, I questioned her further, “Tell me, how do you feel now when those words come out.” Without hesitation she said, “I feel terrible.” I laughed as I proclaimed, “There you have it, it worked.”

That is what so amazing about God’s grace. He accepts us with all our bad history and short comings and then He never leaves us where He found us. He’s always there to guide us to where He wants us to be. All during our lives, His grace is at work guiding and molding us into the person He wants us to be. Our job is to be open to the work He is doing in us and listening to His guidance – however it might come.

This weekend Dr. Marty Folsom is going to be sharing with us a message of grace entitled “Reflected Grace” based on 2 Corinthians 3:6-18. Hope you can join us as learn about living “life transformed by God’s grace.”

Good, Good Father

by Pastor Linda Skinner

I have so many fond memories of my dad, Earl Boyce. He was a very interesting guy. Dad was born in 1899, in a little border town in North Dakota. He was the youngest of 11 children and he was born to Canadian citizens in the United States. They actually thought they were living in Canada, but in the 1900 census it was discovered that the area they lived in was US territory and not Canadian. So, I guess he had dual citizenship. I loved to hear his stories of growing up in the wheat fields of Manitoba. He often commented about the changes he saw in his lifetime. When we landed the first astronauts on the moon, he was fixed to the TV watching everything. He said, “I was born in horse and buggy time and am watching a man walk on the moon.”

Dad had a sense of humor and some strange philosophies that none of us quite understood. He often said things like “we have two winters and summer ahead of us.” We were never sure what he really meant by that, but we’d all laugh. Dad was an excellent mechanic and I remember as a little girl crawling under cars with him while he changed a transmission and I handed him his tools. He was the auto surgeon and I was his nurse. He was the one who also dug my brand-new red tennis shoes out the manure pile to keep me from crying. I got my love for dogs from my dad. He always had one of our dogs at his side whether he was working on a car or feeding the livestock. I miss my dad (he’s been gone almost 38 years now).

It’s Father’s Day this weekend and I realize that not everyone has had a loving earthly father. I feel very blessed to have had a dad that I could learn from and look up to. How wonderful, however, it is that we all have a heavenly Father who is forgiving, compassionate and loves us unconditionally. This weekend I have the joy of sharing about our Father from Psalm 103. Of course, we’ll have lots of fun with “Hats for Brats” Sunday – Pastor David will have Bratwurst for the guys and at each service the man with the goofiest or most spectacular hat will win a prize. If I can find it, I might wear my dad’s favorite hat for this service. Look forward to seeing you.

Blessings on your day,

Pastor Linda

Children of Encouragement - By Pastor Tim White

Children of Encouragement

 Some of us get a lot of mileage off just a moment of encouragement.  I make no apology that I love to read or listen to encouraging material.  I find that, when I am encouraged, I get about my business of encouraging everyone around me.  I have also made it no secret that I would have not been able to accomplish anything in my life if it wasn’t for God and his people who have gone out of their way to encourage me all these years.  It is always surprising, always helpful, and always leaves me wanting to praise Jesus Christ for directing that person who invested their time to encourage me.  We all have plenty of self-appointed discouragers, but there are also a few encouragers in our lives.  They are golden for our souls.

 This week is not a series but a single message that the Spirit of God has put on my heart.   And I guarantee that nothing will encourage you like the Word of God.  If you need encouragement, and you need to be prayed for, surrounded by positive people who care for you, then meet me this weekend for a very encouraging message.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Tim White

Spring Into Life! By Pastor Tim White

Memorial Day was a great day.  We were having a salmon barbecue with our family where many of us were sitting around the table talking, when I spied, coming around the corner, my 3-year old grandson, Oscar.  He has such enthusiasm at family get-togethers.  He burst into the dining room and with a big smile and his mountain-man voice asking – “What are you doing guys?”

That is what so many people want to know of Christ-followers.  They are not so concerned with what we choose not to do, but they want to know what it is we are doing.  Is it life or routine?  Is it a pain or a joy?  This weekend I have the privilege to share about the life we choose.  This is how St. John writes it in his 1st epistle about how we can know that we know that we have eternal life.  And this knowledge can help us to be better at taking people from the point of faith that God has already brought them to, to where God is leading them.

This is such a practical lesson from 1 John. It is the over-riding theme of the book.  Please join me - I know you will be glad that you did.

 Your friend for the rest of my life,

 Pastor Tim White

God Wins!

By Pastor Tim White

I really love both my sons-in law.  Spending time with Pastor Rey this last weekend was every father-in-law’s dream.  I feel this way when I get together with either of my sons-in-law. But last weekend, we laughed, and it was just a celebration of life. We were having lunch with Rey’s sister, Sarai and his mom, Isabel, and started talking about the idea of using the “Game of Thrones” as the sermon title this week.  You should know that Rey’s mom has been such an anchor to so many, she is a very Christ-like person.  And Rey is always teasing his mom.  So, Rey announced loudly enough for his mom to hear saying, “my mom doesn’t like Game of Thrones because it doesn’t have enough nudity in it for her.” And we all started laughing knowing he was just teasing her.   Both of my sons-in-law bring so much joy to my life because they are both fully alive.  

This week I will be preaching on 1 John 2:15-17 and it will be a very motivating message.  With the help of the staff I entitled this message Game of Thrones - God Wins.  Everyone is talking about this series of shows with Dragons, Knights and seven Monarchs trying to win the Iron Throne.  But in real life, God wins the Throne.  There are no if’s, maybe’s, and’s or but’s.  God is going to win the throne and there is nothing anyone can do about it.  That is a powerful reminder of how we should be making our life choices today.  1 John teaches us that there is a force pushing us to go one way and we need to stand against that push and take the narrow road that God has planned for us. That we must put God on the “Throne of our lives.”

It is going to be fun to learn the different Greek words translated into ‘World’ in the New Testament.  There seems to be an apparent contradiction because in John’s gospel it tells us “that God so loved the world...”  And yet in this passage in John’s epistle it is telling us that “we can’t love the world and serve God.”  There is a distinction with a difference that can open doors for you to better understand the life that God has for you.  Good old St. Irenaeus said, “the glory of God is man fully alive.” Father John Powell, a Jesuit priest, penned the words “I do not believe that following God is to be at the head of a funeral procession. It is to be fully alive, loving and being loved, savoring every moment of life because Jesus came to give us life in all its fullness.” Please join us this weekend for worship that inspires.

 Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim

Loving One Another

by Pastor Tim White

Last week my daughter Becca called me to tell me another cute story about my grandchildren. When she called me, she had 3-year-old Oscar on her lap. She told me that Oscar was having her show him his baby book. When it came to a favorite person when he was a baby, she told him it was G.P. He smiled and laid his head on her shoulder and said, “Still is.” It makes me want to drive over there and give him a big hug!” Love lifts us. Love shapes us. Love motivates us. Love humbles us. And love inspires us.

Love is not a gift that just some Christians have. Love is not an option that we can choose to take or leave in calling ourselves Christians. If you say you are a Christian but not a loving Christian, you are basically saying that you are not a Christian. Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment, for this is an old one you have always had, right from the beginning. This commandment - to love one another - is the same message you have heard before. 1 John 2:7

The Beatles put it this way. “All we need is love.” Or, Burt Bacharach said, “What the world needs now is love sweet love - it’s the only thing there is just too little of.” I like Carrie Underwood’s song, “I believe that in the end love wins.” William Shakespeare said in his play, Twelfth Night, “If music be the food of love, play on.” 1 Corinthians 13 teaches us what love is and what it is not.

Therefore, since we know that love is essential to be a Christian, then we all have a lot to learn about how to love in a more Christ-like way. Dr. Rey Diaz CEO of Orphan Outreach is going to be preaching this Sunday on Love from 1 John; and if you have ever read that book before, you know it is all about living out God’s love... Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8.

If you want to be a more loving Christian, then don’t miss the message this weekend about God’s love.

Your friend for the rest of my life

Pastor Tim White

Life is a Family Thing

by Pastor Tim White

Regardless if you adopt a mom or have a biological mom, life is a family thing. This Mother’s Day weekend we are studying 1 John 1:8 to 1 John 2:2:4. Pastor Michael will be preaching to our beloved Saturday Night Congregation and Youth Pastor Josh, will be preaching at the 9:30am and 11:00am services. I expect both to pay some tribute to their amazing moms and allow you to honor your moms. Because for Christ Followers, honoring our moms is one of the Ten Commandments. Rhonda and Eliot have some really moving music prepared for us and since our church is a larger family, we want to celebrate Mother’s Day 2019 together.

The message series on Christian Basics will tug at our hearts to become a more forgiving people and more forgiving Christ Followers. Love is learning to say “I’m sorry” regularly and getting rid of the toxic poison that can come out in any family. Love is admitting that none of us are perfect. PBPWMIAAFH. That is the popular Christian code for a phrase: Please Be Patient With Me I Am A Fallible Human Being. When you have your conscience cleansed on a regular basis, then you want to stay that way. So, if you think that you’ve hurt someone, rush to apologize and talk it out so there is nothing preventing you from having an honest and close relationship. If this is not happening regularly in your life, then you need to start. I guarantee that we all make mistakes and have plenty of room for growth.

This weekend will be a blast with Mother of the Year and Big Sister of the Year awards. Free Italian sodas for the ladies. Guys, we get to pay for ours so we can empower the youth group to go on all the adventures they can this summer. They are a powerful witness to the world. 24 out of 25 Christians have become Christians before the age of 21.

I love Pastor Michael’s preaching. He is the Dick Sanders of Washington Cathedral overseeing pastoral care, the building and the grounds. And Josh is such an integral part of our church family as we have loved him since he was a baby. His energy and heart are going to change the world. So please don’t miss their message. And moms, don’t forget how open your children and grandchildren are to your influence and invite them to come to church with you. Your influence is important in their lives.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White