As I was looking for Christmas music arrangements this year Eliot introduced me something called Reawaken Hymns- a resource that helps worship leaders incorporate hymns into their worship set. One Reawaken Hymns song we are playing on Christmas Eve- and it's from an album called, The Soul Felt It's Worth. 

That title moved me. I have sung Christmas hymns my whole life- caroling, in worship services, in the car, to my kids, etc. But I've never paid close attention to the lyrics. In "O Holy Night" the very first verse says, "Long lay the world/ In sin and error pining/ 'Til he appeared and the soul felt its worth". 

Isn't that joy? To be doing life in our own way, on our own time, doing what's best for ourselves- sin and error pining- and then insert Jesus. Insert belonging. Insert selflessness. Insert love. Insert joy in the midst of even suffering. Insert following Jesus.

You see, Advent is not just a few weeks of singing Christmas songs and decorating our Christmas trees. Advent is about the anticipation of Jesus coming to be with us. It's a time that we get to prepare our hearts and remember that God Emanuel, meaning God with us, came to be with us in the flesh. A time for us to remember that God loves us so much, that God would literally send Jesus, God's son, to live among us. What joy. What belonging. What love. 

The soul felt its worth. 

Do you know your worth? Do you know the joy of your worth in Jesus? 

Tomorrow is week 4 of Advent: Joy. Pastor Mark Nsimbi is going to teach us about the biblical meaning of joy and distinguishing joy from happiness. He says, "The true source of joy is God himself! Our joy comes from God and is rooted in the salvation we receive from Christ."

Let heaven and nature sing about that!

See you tomorrow at 10:30am in our sanctuary, or on Facebook Live, YouTube, and our church app.

May the peace and joy of the Lord be upon you,

Chelsea Maitland

Christmas Love

Can you really do Christmas without love?  I think the greatest Christmas scripture of all is John 3:16-17:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

Another great one is john 15:12. This statement again by Jesus is what Christmas is all about:

"This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you."

Don’t you think that every grandma at Christmas time is saying this as she visits with her family?

If you want to increase the love factor in your life and family, then join us at Washington Cathedral at 10:30 am this Sunday. I promise you that if you are open that God will do his work and fill your life with Christmas love.

Your friend for the rest of my life, 

Merry Christmas to everyone.

Pastor Tim White

Peace on earth and goodwill to all! If this passage in Luke 2:14 was the only thing I knew about God I would become a Christian. The angels are God’s messengers, and this message of peace is sorely needed today.

The war in the Ukraine is devastating. Not only have thousands been killed but many have had to flee their homes and join the armies. Families are waiting without power and waiting to see if the next missel will strike them. What kind of person dares to dream of peace on earth? Only God.

When I read the stories of violence and murder in our community it is deeply concerning. Yet Jesus' birth was announced by the vision of Peace on Earth. I have spent 48 years being a full-time pastor and doing counseling. I can't count the number of marriages and families broken up because of our human inability to handle conflict the way that Jesus taught us. As humans we have a predisposition to poor conflict resolution skills. We need peace on earth and Good will to all.

This week we are going to have a professional counselor share in an interview about what her secrets are to helping busy, stressed-out people like us experience peace. And Pastor Mark will be sharing a powerful message on the peace of Christmas. I hope you can make it. Come and see the new Christmas decorations this year.

Our service of course is at 10:30 Sunday morning at 10:30 am in-person and online.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Advent starts this Sunday, and for centuries Christians all over the world have observed advent in their pre-Christmas literature. It was not started by the early church because unlike Easter we don’t even know what time of year that was. But it has been an important teaching moment to remind us or teach us the whole message of Christmas. This Sunday I will begin the series with the candle of hope. I have a couple of extra special surprises for you if you choose to come worship in-person or online with us.

I know you will be astonished and lifted by the services this week. Our music has been getting better and better all the time. And that is splendid because we want those worshiping with us to so be close to God that we all can’t help but be empowered to live the amazing life that God has planned for each of us. We will see you there.

Free Eastern Washington eggnog for those who wish.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

This week Pastor Mark Nsimbi is going to wrap up our series on the Lord’s Prayer. What a joy it has been for Pastor Mark to be a part of our team. We are not waiting for a year-and-a half (March 2024) until Mark begins to use his innovative gifts. Already God is working through Mark’s soul to help us implicate creative change. One of the big points is to rebuild the prayer life of our church to be better than ever. The sermon series on prayer is coming to a close but the world-shaking prayer life of our church is just getting started.
”Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” is going to be at the target of Marks message. And yes- it is a message we all can benefit from.

God has made it possible to win- over evil- in our lives. So don’t miss this week, this message, this word.
You will be lifted.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to really live. I think all of us who read this blog are living? If you are reading this and you are not alive, then maybe you should check to see if you are in heaven! Forgive my weird sense of humor- but I'm trying to make a point. There is living- which everyone does- then, there is what I am going to call really living!

In our church Namuli, Violet, Owen, Nassali and Micah really live. Every time I am around those amazing kids their capacity to live just lifts my soul. Maybe that is why Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” I really can’t express how completely those kids are bringing renewal into my life and our church.

Jesus teaches us this powerful way of living through the Lord’s Prayer by describing how to reach out and pull towards the force of life every day. And how to deal with the drag which inhibits our capacity to really live.

I have the honor of teaching these principles this Sunday in my message on the Lord’s Prayer.

Won’t you join us and explore the pull toward real living versus the drag which holds so many back.

Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White

Unseen good news is happening right now. 

Pastor Mark Nsimbi will be teaching from the Lord’s Prayer this weekend in our series, "Rooted in Prayer".

There is a force behind events in this world that very few see.  It is the need inside every human heart for the Kingdom of God.  Abraham Maslow discovered something called the Hierarchy of Needs. What Is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs? It's a theory of motivation which states that five categories of human needs dictate an individual's behavior. Those needs are physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.

In other words, basic needs are built into our biological being and they will be fulfilled by the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the power and community of God transforming real people in a real way. When we live forever it will be with the Kingdom of God. But heaven touches our lives now as we discover that God's way is the best way.  Treachery, greed, looking out for #1 is not the best way to have those needs met for ourselves or our families. God's way is the only way to realize His Kingdom in our lives.

I am so excited to hear from the heart of Pastor Mark as he teaches us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Won’t you join us?

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

I am so excited to share with you how God will answer 100% of your prayers. Pastor Mark challenged me that we need to lead with our prayer ministry in rebuilding Washington Cathedral. Pastor Jackie challenged us to preach a sermon series on being rooted in prayer. And here it comes right at you: a fresh renewal of prayer in your life.

Do you want to be at the heart of a great work of God? Come to church this weekend to begin a dynamic Bible study on prayer. It’s going to be a new beginning and I promise all of you that we will see some miracles happen before our very own eyes. Jesus was waiting for His followers to really listen and they only asked for one thing: teach us to pray.

Jesus answered them in the Lord's Prayer. It is the climax to the only full sermon that we have from Jesus. What a joy to kick-off this series.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Every once-in-a-while the same pastor we're used to suddenly changes right before our eyes. Some call it an anointing. That phrase refers to the ritual of anointing. The word "anointing" in Hebrew means literally, "to smear". If you have ever gotten a pie in the face then you have been anointed. When a person was anointed in the Old Testament, right before they became a king or a prophet they didn't just get a drop of olive oil- they got smeared with oil. Oil running down their face, dropping off, covered with oil. In the New Testament this referred to the Holy Spirit pouring over an individual. You might say, "They're on fire!".

Well I hope you make time to worship with us on line or in person because you will have the opportunity of seeing Pastor Mark on fire! When Jackie and I listened to Pastor Mark we applauded, and Jackie said, "I wish everyone in America could hear that message, Pastor Mark."

It is a privilege to take part in a pastor being anointed for a special message. To hear excitement in their voice and see fire in their heart. Please join us this Sunday at 10:30 at the Cathedral by the talks or join us online so you can feel the hope in his voice and accept the strength of the biblical message and join in a very anointed message.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Out of shame, and into “A Life of Freedom”

I think one of my favorite jokes is about the "Insecure Lion". He was raised in comparisons, shame, and guilt- so he just didn't possess freeing, liberating, confidence.

One day he was walking through the jungle and he saw a mouse. He ran up to it placing one paw over it and shouted, "Who is the king of the jungle?" The mouse was afraid for its life so it returned with the answer, "Why- you are- Mr. Lion, sir. You are The Royal King."

The lion said, "Well you got that right! You may continue on."

Then the insecure lion spotted an antelope bouncing through the jungle. The lion jumped- and tackled the antelope- and held his claws to the neck of the antelope. The antelope was shaking as it answered, "Why, you are, Your Royal Highness." The lion smiled, "Good, you may be on your way." So the lion smiled, holding his head high and proud.

Finally, the lion came face-to-face with a giant elephant on the path. The lion bellowed, "Who is the king of the jungle?" The massive elephant towered above the lion, and he didn’t give an answer. He just rocked back and forth on his padded feet- as if he were trying to think. He reached his trunk down and lifted up the lion while blasting his trumpet throughout the jungle. Then he slammed the lion on the ground. The lion got up feeling really ashamed and said to the elephant, "Just because you didn’t know the answer doesn’t mean you have to get so mad!"

One issue with religion that strikes discord for me is insecurity and shame. I think every religion has this element of incongruity, which surprises us from time-to-time.

Authentic faith in Jesus Christ is beautiful. It's freeing, bridge-building, peaceful, facilitates kindness, and its just... beautiful. It really is. Yet we see people burdened by guilt and shame. Individuals who are stressed out because they never quite measure up.

This week Pastor Mark Nsimbi is preaching from Galatians, chapter 5, on "Life of Freedom". What a liberating message for us to enjoy this week.

Join us at 10:30 Sunday morning in-person or online via Youtube, Facebook Live, or our church app.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White