Finding Your Spiritual Gifts- Part 2
By Pastor Tim White

A natural gift is a God given talent that you can enjoy all unto yourself. A spiritual gift is a supernatural gift that you use as part of a team.

Yes, you might be using your spiritual gift in the Parent Teacher Association, the Union Gospel Mission, the Food Bank or even as a part of The Company. If your spiritual gift is leadership, encouragement, service or any other on the list, it may be the thing that they love about you at work. But you should know your spiritual gift is dependent upon God’s work in your heart and life. Whether you need encouragement or forgiveness to let it flow - you need God’s continual work in your gift. When a natural gift is used, people say, Wow, you are awesome! But when a spiritual gift is used people say, Wow, God is an awesome God! Both are amazing, but spiritual gifts have an exponential impact as those impacted are changed, then others are impacted by this amazing change and so on and so on.

Many people are asking how is the church going to survive and thrive during this season of pandemic? Especially when many people will go to sporting events, holidays, etc., but are afraid they will catch COVID at church.

All Christian churches will grow the same way they have grown in the past, and that is by motivating people to build their relationship with Jesus Christ and discovering and using their spiritual gifts as a team to reach out to the world.

What’s our plan as Washington Cathedral to overcome and rebuild? By teaching people that they are a gift and how to embrace it. This week come and learn about a spiritual gift inventory that can be found online that you can use. Find out more about your gift and how it can be used to help access mountain-moving faith in all areas of your life.

Join us this Sunday, at 10:30am either in the In-Person Service in our Sanctuary or online with You Tube, Facebook Live or the Church Apps.

Your friend for life,

Pastor Tim White

Sacred Love! Hey, Let’s Find your gift.

That line assumes that first you have a gift and second you have decided to discover it. 

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other,
just as in Christ God forgave you.   Ephesians 4:32

This passage in Ephesians Chapter 4, where one of the three gifts listed are in Scripture, points us to healing our relationships as part of discovering our gifts. Yes, gifts because you have more than one gift; you have a mix of gifts. But if we have problems with our team in the local church, we can’t discover or succeed in using our amazing gifts.  It’s hard to say you are a great Running Back or Shortstop if you’ve quit the team. Right?  So, this miracle of discovering your gift mix, learning more about your personality, needs to come alive as you are in healthy relationships with your fellow team members.  This is good news because God can heal relationships if we allow God to heal us, which is the way to an ongoing great team.

You see, “love’s gift is that everything it touches becomes sacred!”  In other words, where love really exists, it lasts forever as the Bible says in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13.  God’s love helps us in the process of becoming holy.  The love we share is one of the most beautiful things in the universe because it was not selfish, it is from God. So, we can’t give up, we can only forgive and receive forgiveness thereby making us better and better as life continues on.  You are moving towards the best version of yourself as Jesus works inside of you.  And that’s where you discover your God-given giftedness.  It’s not happening if you are not giving and receiving Gods love.  But you are, so where are we gifted and how do those gifts work together?

Join us for Worship this Sunday at 10:30am either online with Facebook Live, You Tube or the Church Apps, or in person in our Sanctuary, and you will find out.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

 Pastor Tim White

Happy Anniversary!
By. Pastor Tim White

This weekend we celebrate the 37th Anniversary of Washington Cathedral. That means we are celebrating the heroic story of so many people and ministries which played for 37 years. It all started on the last Friday of August when we held a rally at what is now the Bellevue Hilton Hotel.  Only two prospects came to that service, Earl and Mary Ann Ess, who told us it would be too far to commute from the University District to the Eastside at Lake Washington High School. They then became the core of our church. Earl was a retired US Air Force Colonel and Mary Ann was one of the sweetest Christians you would ever meet.  Joining them were Ed and Jane Bishop, Dennis and Pam Brown and their two kids at the time, Nick and Tyler Brown.  Jackie and I with our two children at the time Elise and Roman White. A few other families gathered with us before our first Sunday in October 1984.  I was 29 years old, and Jackie was 28. We had been in Ministry at three other churches for 11 years dreaming the dream of someday trying to Build the Greatest Caring Network the World Has Ever Seen. And try we did, as one by one great people, who became legendary, came to join the team and expand the ministries.  I never could have envisioned the amazing knights in shining armor who helped build such an impactful team.

You are those knights in shining armor and we celebrate you this weekend with celebrated classical soprano Elaina Lewis, who will be joining us online for this celebration. For our In Person service, we will be joined by our new Worship Leader Chelsea Maitland, who is returning from maternity leave after bringing into the world a new baby boy.  You will also hear from the Pastoral Team regarding the plans for the future as we continue to thrive during this pandemic.

Please join us in either the In Person or Online on Sunday at 10:30am. There will be an opportunity given for you to vote on retaining the Senior Pastor and Board of Directors.

So please join us.

Your friend for the rest of my life, 

Pastor Tim White

You Are a Gift, Embrace It

by Pastor Tim White

I am amazed at how discouraged, frustrated, and angry people are during this COVID Pandemic. Every line of work is experiencing it.  Airlines, hospitals, and grocery stores are three that come to mind.  But all of us feel it in some way. So, it is time for Christians to get to work loving and encouraging as many people as possible.

 Can you imagine how a young family struggling with school, working from home and financial challenges needs to hear “you are a gift.” Well, we all need to hear that message, don’t we?

 Denzel Washington, Pastor Rick Warren, and Samuel Clemons have all said, “there are two great days in a person’s life. The day they are born and the day that you find out why you are alive.” My opinion is that there are many great days in a person’s life, the day they are born, the day when you find out why you are here, the day you fall in love, the day you have a baby, the day you go fishing, the day you go on vacation, the day you sit down at a coffee shop and read a great book, the day you have popcorn…etc. etc. 

 But back to the first quote. We are kicking off a series for Washington Cathedral with the catch phrase “You are a gift! Embrace it.”  We will be discovering how to discover our spiritual gift and how to use it effectively through teamwork. 

 This week we have a Special Guest, Ellaina Lewis.  She is an amazing classical singer from our area. And has a personality you are sure to love. Join us for this great start to October with this new series and special music this Sunday at 10:30am for In-Person Service in our sanctuary or online with You tube, Facebook Live or the Church Apps. You will be encouraged and inspired!

 Your friend for the rest of my life.

 Pastor Tim White

Encouragement

by Pastor Tim White

We all need encouragement. It is nutrition for the soul. The other day I received a note via Twitter from a friend of mine from high school. We haven’t spoken in… I want to say forty years. He was our school’s basketball star and we hung around together most of our senior year.  Out of the blue comes a note on Twitter.  He mentioned that he and some of the fellow athletes we were friends with had met for lunch. He went on to mention some of the complimentary things that were said about me as a quarterback in high school. When you are 66 years old and you can hardly walk that’s about as an encouraging a message you get. Because the older we get the better we were. 

I find my job as encourager one of my highest callings. I pray without ceasing for my kids and grandkids.  I am so overwhelmed by the masterpiece of their personalities and giftedness that I just can’t handle it. I’m reminded of when they were kids and Jackie would love to just watch them sleep. It is like looking over the mountain range you have just hiked through and you just stand in the pass mesmerized by the beautiful sights, sounds and memories. I don’t know about you I just can’t take it all in.  When I am praying for them about some issue, I end up moving through the pictures on my phone and praying “thank you, thank you.”

I feel that way when praying for every member of our church. While looking through their posted pictures saying “thank you God for making a masterpiece and allowing me to be their pastor. Help me to find ways to encourage them.” Encouragement is nutrition for the soul.  And there is nothing more encouraging than to study God’s Word together. Tapping into his mighty love and redirecting our lives towards his purposes.

Would you please join me this Sunday as we worship Jesus together and tap into the enthusiasm that only he can provide for our life mission? We meet in person at 10:30am in the Sanctuary or online with You Tube, Facebook Live or the Church Apps. Join us and be encouraged!

Rock Bottom

By Pastor Tim White

Have you ever been there? I have. At least I think it was rock bottom. But you never know. There may be a bottom below that. This week I am preaching from the inspiration of the Book of Job and we have entitled this message … “Let’s Get Practical”.

 Job shares in his story when he finally tells his friends they are discouraging him with their encouragement. “Though God would slay me yet will I trust him.”  Here he is displaying practical wisdom from rock bottom. He is showing a skill that we would all do well to learn. He is reacting to the smallest trickle of hope.  When we are at the bottom, we have high expectations for how we will be rescued. We want all of life to make sense and for God to completely explain himself in response to our demands. Begin the glorious symphony music as it all turns around in this moment.  But - and this is a big but… (I can hear Bevis saying and chuckling …Pastor Tim said Butt!) ... but life rarely if ever works out this way. I know it does in the conclusion of movies and 1 hour TV shows, but not real life. In real life we say this doesn’t make complete sense but let’s move ahead.  “This though he would slay me, yet I will trust him.” How do we move ahead when God never fully explains everything? Make sure you turn in this way to find out.

 Join us this Sunday at 10:30am for In Person worship in the Sanctuary or online at You Tube, Facebook Live or the Church Apps, as we explore this very appropriate sermon for these days.

 Pastor Tim White

Kindness in the Valley

by Pastor Tim White

Don’t you just love the Fall season? The smell of freshly cut grass in the Autumn smells just like footballs to me.  And our weather turns brisk at times and back to beautiful in late summer days of sunshine and ever-changing leaves and plants. This Fall everyone seems to be bracing for our society to have another tussle with the pandemic.   We need worship, community, and faith now more than ever.  And that feels good to me.  We were born and directed throughout our lives with crucibles to prepare us to shine the Hope of the World for such a season as we are heading into.  You are alive for a reason! In whatever state of health or wealth you find yourself, to be able to reach out and help humanity in this season of life. 

 We have been studying the Book of Job lately and I, for one, am really loving these studies. It’s as if the preacher really knows me and all that I am going through. I can really relate to my messages. It’s uncanny.  Haha!   

 This Sunday mornings sermon is “Kindness in the Valley” and it’s about those seasons of our life when life is toughest, and our hearts and minds are full of more questions than answers and how God is still there demonstrating his kindness toward us.   

 I am interviewing a young lady who grew up in our church and began her journey with Jesus Christ. Even though she was born without the ability to walk she adventured into sports and excelled at wheelchair racing. Her mom loved the Positive Faith to Share that we hold on to at Washington Cathedral. Jenny Goekle participated in skiing with the youth group and was a leader in our church. She even won a scholarship to a University in Arizona for Paralympics.  She participated in the Paralympics which takes place at the same venue as the Olympics only two weeks later and are broadcast all over the world. Almost every school in America displayed a poster of young Jenny racing in her wheelchair.  She also participated in the Paralympics in Athens and China. Jenny Goekle is now Jenny Muntz married to a fine young man. She attended the University of Arizona and is a psychologist with a degree in Rehabilitation counseling.  

 Wow! what a great story she will share at the in-person service and the on-line service. It will put strong wings on your heart and deep roots to your faith.  Don’t miss this once in a lifetime experience. Sunday at 10:30am in the Sanctuary or online with You Tube, Facebook Live or the church apps. Tune in and be inspired! 

 Your friend for the rest of my life, 

 Pastor Tim White 

ALIVE

by Pastor Tim White

Let’s grow deep in our relationship with life.  I am constantly amazed at how much there is to learn in our quest to grow in our capacity to be fully alive.  Jesus said in John 10:10 “I have come that you might have life in all of its abundance.”

When a new school year starts, we see all these cute pictures of children getting ready for their first day of school.  I just love to look at my grandkid’s pictures again and again.  It comes to mind, was I fully awake when my children enjoyed their first day at school?  Of course, I remember vividly the emotion sinking in at how they are growing up so fast.  And all my prayers that they were falling more in love with learning and life.

I think about how I could be more alive now, more aware, fully enjoying these precious moments. That drive to attempt to be awake, aware, and fully alive should be always at the forefront of our lives.  And that is why we Christians should be constantly growing in our relationship with life and the Artist behind life - our Creator.

I have the privilege of talking to my dad almost every day.  When I was a kid, I remember him preaching on the Sermon on the Mount at least once a year. He was so in love with this passage. Throughout his ministry he has always been fascinated at the depths and poetry of Jesus’ words.  Today he is still mining this message with unparalleled enthusiasm. Still learning new and exciting world-changing concepts. Still in love with the wisdom of this Good News as if he had never seen it before. Oh, that all Christians could continue to grow in their focus on “waking up” and allowing God to make our lives fully alive.

Diving into the book of Job is a great opportunity to deepen our understanding of God and of life. Let’s move beyond shallow faith and discover anew the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

Join us for our In Person Service in the Sanctuary on Sunday at 10:30am or online with You Tube Live, Facebook Live or the church apps when we will begin a new series: “The Other Side of Hard” a short study of the Book of Job. Hope to see you there!

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

A Mystery

by Pastor Tim White

Jesus ended his day by going to the Mount of Olives. (John 8:1)

This may have been where he slept while he was at Jerusalem doing his ministry. Just the thought of Jesus camping outside the city shows how startling he was in his commonness. Jesus said, “the foxes have dens, and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (John 8:20)

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that at other times Jesus would stay at Mary and Martha’s home which was located close to the Mount of Olives. Regardless, Jesus was not a rich celebrity but was very much the common man we are so startled by. On this day noted in the Gospel of John, Jesus gets up at dawn and goes to the temple courts to minister to people. The Bible says that people gathered around Jesus to listen to him teach. While Jesus was there his religious enemies tried to trap him by bringing in a woman caught in sin. They tried to pressure Jesus to comply with the Old Testament law that she should be killed by stoning. There must have been the sound of the woman weeping in fear mixed with the brutal accusations of the men wanting to murder her. In all this commotion, Jesus calmly wrote something in the dust. We have our ideas of what he wrote, but no one knows for sure. We read, however, that Jesus told them, “Let he who is without sin could cast the first stone.” All of them left in shame. And Jesus said to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you go and sin no more.”

Later the Apostle Paul commented on this very aspect of Jesus in Romans 8:1. “Therefore there is now no Condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” I think if you followed Jesus in the first century you would be startled at how unpretentious he was and how forgiving he would be to you. And the best part would be how personal he would be when he spoke softly “Now go and sin no more.” - I don’t know about you, but I love following Jesus.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Note: Join us this weekend as Pastor Tim closes out “The Battle for Your Mind” series with this week’s powerful message “Rejoice Principle.” Join us in praising the name of Jesus at our in-person service at Spirit Falls Sanctuary in Redmond, WA. Or join us online via Facebook Live, YouTube Live, WaCathedral App, or on our website at www.wacathedral.org. Services are at 10:30 am every Sunday (or you can catch our online services at any time after the livestream start time.)

Don't Miss God's Plans for Your Plans

by Pastor Tim White

He had great ambition. A young man was taking over his father’s dirt farm.  He wanted so much more than to follow his father and mother in a life of farming.  They had followed their parents in accepting the title American Farmer.  Maybe he could become a celebrity, a movie star, a comedian, or a musician that would lead him to a life of wealth and influence.  Better yet, he might build a business and discover his fortune.  Or easier yet he could discover a gold mine. 

So, he left his family, his new wife and tiny daughter to travel the world in search of his fortune. He went to the city and tried to start a business. Easier said than done.  He moved to Hollywood to try acting. But nothing. So, he moved to Nashville to try his musical talent. People laughed at him. So, he moved New York to try being a comedian and people stopped laughing.  Finally, he followed the gold rush and spent years searching until his hair was grey and his youth was gone.  “I quit!” he said, “I’m going home to see people that love me”. 

He returned to his poor dirt farm. Outside was his daughter who looked like his young wife.  His wife ran out to meet him. Her hair was grey, and her youth was gone but she was still beautiful.  His family, though deeply hurt, forgave him, and circled around him. He exclaimed “What happened?”  The old farmhouse was gone replaced with a regal mansion.  He looked around at the park-like setting of his farm. It was decorated with marble plaques saying thank you for your gift to the Children’s Hospital, to the orphanage, to the church, for the orchestra, to the different non-profits around the community. 

He questioned demandingly from his wife and daughter.  “What happened to the farm?”  They both told him, “Grandpa and the whole family tried hard to farm but there were so many rocks.  Then we discovered they weren’t rocks they were acres and acres of diamonds!”   He fell to his knees crying because he had never searched what he had before leaving to search for what he would never find.

 Inspired by my Grandpa White’s book: “Acres of Diamonds and a Barrel Full of Chuckles.”

Have you thanked God for the things he has given you? You might discover relationships that can’t be replaced and acres and acres of diamonds.

Join us this Sunday at 10:30am for our In Person service in the Sanctuary or online with Facebook Live, You Tube or the church Apps. I will be speaking from Psalm 27:13 on “Collateral Goodness.”

Your friend for the rest of my life,

 Pastor Tim White