Friday, December 28, 2007

"Neighborliness!"

My friend Doug knows what it means to be a good neighbor. He came over at 9:00 a couple nights ago to help me install a new dishwasher. We got a late start because we’d each had very long workdays.

The installation didn’t follow the script (Do they ever, I wonder?). It was impossible to discern which breaker the electrical was wired to so we turned them all off. Of course, that meant doing much of the job by flashlight.

The not-so-helpful instructions estimated the job should take between one and three hours. Doug left our house at 1:00 in the morning. He was still smiling. Perhaps even morestriking was the utter absence of profanity! That’s a good neighbor. In fact, for those four hours at least, I’d say Doug’s neighborliness bordered on the saintly.

Grace arrives in many forms. I’ve found though, that it usually involves a palpably personal and relational element. Grace usually entails somebody choosing to be available as its conduit.

Scott Burnett

Friday, December 21, 2007

"One Sunday!"

Eight hours in church one Sunday! A day of inspiration, worship, teaching, fellowship, community, fun, laughs, good food, great music, drama, a few tears, great joy in being a part of the family of God... where else could one go and have such a great day?

Sunday, November 25th started out with early Communion and the early Worship service, complete with inspiring music, a professional quality drama on the blind man whom Jesus healed, and then some unbelievably beautiful violin duets by the Pattersons, and a most passionate, touching and uplifting message from Ricardo, pastor in the Esperanza service.

...Then I enjoyed a delicious breakfast, lovingly prepared by Pastor David.

...Then I attended three more meetings: a short Pacesetter Small Group, with fun, sharing & inspiration.

...Then a follow-up class on the Book of John, taught by a great Bible teacher, Allan Wenzel, and then on to a “Cares” class on Prayer, and "How to Let God Work through You", taught by Sally Jo Holmes, with great discussion and inspiration.

...Then I had the privilege of attending the Baptism celebration, with a 3 generation Baptism of father, son and grandfather, plus another lovely woman whom I've come to admire and love.

...Several hours later, on Sunday evening, I was honored to be a part of the "Lights of Love" Grief and Healing Service, a very touching and beautiful candlelight service, and I shed a few tears and lit a few candles.

What a beautiful day! As I returned home, my heart was so full of love for Jesus, and I was so thankful for the privilege of being a part of such a loving fellowship at Washington Cathedral. How can Heaven get better than this?

Marilyn Biggs

Saturday, December 15, 2007

"Addendum For Sermon Preached 12/8 & 12/9"

Last week my sermon was on how to allow “Christmas Faith” to help you break through self-accepted curses in your life based on John 11, the story about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. The week of my sermon preparation was the kind of week that is typical around here during the holidays -- a week jammed with pastoral care on top of Christmas activities and preparations. I wanted to make sure my message was not misinterpreted, so this devotion is an addendum to the sermon I preached at the services December 8th and 9th.

One of my points was that Jesus argued against using the language of curses, because he knows that what human beings believe has incredible power over them. (Matthew 5:22.) As an aside, this is one of the reasons I speak out strongly in opposition to Christians or people of other religions who are in the practice of calling their enemies “of the devil.” It is like calling someone a derogatory name, it is not going to help the level of communication and allow the grace of God to enter, bringing forgiveness and restoration. I used the example of the story of Soren Kierkegaard. His entire family lived under a self-imposed curse which they believed came because of a sin of their father. They were told, and believed, that they would all die before the age of 34. When Kierkegaard turned 34, he realized that even though he respected and feared his father, maybe his father did not know what he was talking about when it came to God. There are people who believe so strongly they are under curses of poor health, poverty, failed relationships and faithlessness and because of that belief they never allow God to set them free from these self-fulfilling prophecies. Admitting that we have a lot to learn about God is the beginning of a closer encounter with the loving nature of Jesus Christ and is absolutely liberating.

Now for the addendum: I said in my sermon that Christian theology believes we live in a world that has been cursed since the fall of man and as a result, earthquakes, tsunamis, cancer and war are a result of that fall. This is what requires further explanation. Please remember that while our church is very diverse, my background is as a simple Bible-believing Christian. It is because of the Bible and the teaching of Jesus Christ that I believe in grace – unconditional healthy love, resulting in treating every human being with dignity and respect. I use that phrase of “the curse of our planet” in the way that C.S. Lewis, a former professor of Literature at Oxford, would have used it. Let me explain. What we (historic Christianity) mean by “the curse of our planet” is that this earth is not a perfect place and perfection will not be achieved until we get to heaven. As a result, we believe cancer and other diseases are here and earthquakes and wars take place because of the imperfect nature of our world. Both good people and not so good people suffer because of those things and it is not because God is aiming any of those disasters at a certain person or group of people. It is a belief that in fact God is “other than nature.” C.S. Lewis explains this in his first attempt at a theodicy (why do the righteous suffer) an essay entitled “The Problem of Pain.” Of course, this subject is the focus of many great thinkers from Voltaire to Alister McGrath.

I like the discussion by Eric J. Welensberg in “God and the Research of Reason.” He introduces a conversation by C.S. Lewis, who as you may know, is one of the most beloved Christian apologists of the twentieth century. C.S. Lewis was uniquely qualified to speak about the nature of life being less than perfect. He spent most of his life as an atheist because his mother died when he was young, he fought in World War I (where indescribable acts of inhumanity took place) and he married the love of his life on her death bed (she died of cancer). Welensberg has a dialogue between C.S. Lewis, David Hume and Bertrand Russell. The other two are among Christianities most vocal critics. This book puts these three intellectual giants in conversation with one another on various questions such as: the existence of God, the suffering of humanity, morality, reason, joy, miracles and faith. Alongside irreconcilable differences, surprising areas of agreement emerge. This is not written from a Christian perspective, but I am reading to understand the complexities of this issue we are tackling – God is loving and good and yet bad things do happen in this world to the good and the not so good alike. It is animportant conversation and I hope that we can continue to ponder and discuss these complexities in this “think tank” of diverse thinkers known as Washington Cathedral.
Tim White

Monday, December 10, 2007

"Always Be Prepared!"

Be ready and keep ready, you and all the companies that are assembled around you, and hold yourselves in reserve for them. Ezekiel 38:7

“Always be prepared” were the words of wisdom I heard from my mom almost on a daily basis. I am sure that she learned it as a young child traveling to Washington in a covered wagon from Montana. Or maybe as a young woman with a small child who had to work hand in hand with her husband to hold the family together during the great depression. Or maybe it was when she and my dad pulled up roots and moved to California with no job or apparent future income. Or maybe it was a combination of all those experiences.

As we approached the possibility of snow on Saturday and Sunday last week I could hear her say “Be prepared!” So I began to make plans for how we’d get to church. We needed to shovel snow off the walkways and we needed to be ready to cover any bases that wouldn’t be covered by people who couldn’t make it. I told Rich, “Be prepared, I have no idea what we might end up doing or helping with!”

Driving home on Sunday I said to Rich, “Well, we made it through the storm but, be prepared, we are going to have a very low offering because of the low attendance. A lot of people were not able to make it to church today because of the snow.” Sure enough on Monday I received a call from Diane, our bookkeeper, informing me that our weekend offering was $15,000 under the minimum we need to meet our obligations.

Storms, winds and floods are going to come along and we have to be ready for them. I would like to ask you to help our church “Be prepared”. If there is a reason you can’t make it to church, would you consider putting your check in the mail or dropping it by when the roads get better. Or maybe even becoming a part of our eGiving program so your offering comes to us electronically whether or not the roads are opened. (If you’d like more information about this program, please contact Diane Sibley at 425-702-9750 or diane.sibley@wacathedral.org).

And remember as Pastor Tim said last week, “We will be open for worship regardless of snow, wind, rain, earthquake, tsunami, or WWIII!” Because that is what Jesus has called us to - to be lifting up people, ministering to them when life is at its very toughest.
Pastor Linda Skinner

Monday, December 3, 2007

More "Random Acts of Christmas!"

Imagine… thousands of beautiful stars in the Sanctuary for Christmas…..what an amazing setting for our Pageants! This isn’t the first time that we’ve had this vision for our Sanctuary….but I’ll talk more about that later.

This year, we want to decorate the Cathedral in stars, and you can be the one to do it! We need you to SHARE your “Random Acts of Christmas” with us throughout this season, by writing your random act on a glittering star and hang it in the Cathedral. We know that so many of you are givers of kindness throughout your day and week. It just pours out of you! You can’t help it! Because you have been blessed with a relationship with Jesus Christ, the blessings from Him just pour out of you onto the people you meet. So let’s hear about them this Christmas season. Pastor Tim would like us to write our anonymous “Random Act of Christmas” for each and every one that you give. Here are a few examples:

  • Feed the hungry! “Random Act of Christmas”
  • Help your neighbor for no reason! “Random Act of Christmas”
  • Give someone a helping hand changing a flat tire on the side of the road! “Random Act of Christmas”
  • Help a child do their school project! “Random Act of Christmas”
  • Join in with others in the Santa Claus Conspiracy! “Random Act of Christmas”
  • Give financially to the church for God to use in the community! “Random Act of Christmas”

There are just so many different ways to bless someone this Christmas! Washington Cathedral is known for how we bless the Community, but I’m wondering if our own church congregation knows what each of us is really doing? Well, it’s time that we all find out. I was so blessed to know that my neighbors (who also attend Washington Cathedral) take it upon themselves each year to give “Random Acts of Christmas” to people who are less fortunate than themselves during the Christmas season. And they do it each and every year! It made me feel so good to know that in my little corner of the world. God has surrounded me with amazing, loving people with huge hearts for the Lord. My neighbors are huge blessings in my life and their commitment to God to be the hands and feet of Jesus inspire me to do the same.

Now back to that vision of thousands of beautiful, glittering stars in the Sanctuary. This truly is not the first time that we’ve dreamed of this beautiful setting for our Pageants. Nope…just ask Pastor Erskine Austin…or visit my office and see the gold star he gave to me to remind me of the “Year of the Stars”. Yes, it was a Christmas season like any other. It was July and I was coming up with the all important “GREAT IDEA” for our yearly pageant. When I painted the picture for Pastor Tim, he was all over it with excitement. “Let’s announce it to the staff” he said.. “This is truly going to be one of the best Christmas Pageants Ever!” So we did. Our pageant producer at the time was Erskine Austin. It was his task to take my vision and make it happen! Well, this is where the crying…and laughing began. First…how to do it? Well, how about rows of fishing line that have gold stars attached to them? So Erskine, with the help of Pastor Michael, set about hanging hundreds of stars thatvolunteers had tied to fishing lines. It really looked amazing! Yep, it was all done…….”Let’s grab the ladders and go” Erskine said, “but be sure and watch the ladders so they don’t touch the lines……….OH NO!!!!!” Yes, you guessed it, the ladder caught the first line and managed to, in one move, grab every other line and roll it all up in a huge ball. It was….well….just awful. And this was just a day before the first Pageant! We were in trouble. Dozens of volunteers were called in to help untangle the mess… and the story goes on and on from there, but suffice it to say, Erskine was not happy with me! Nope! Not happy AT ALL. But……after a long while, he forgave me andpresented me with a gold star….I think mostly to remind me not to come up with that kind of an idea again. But I treasure it dearly.

SO HERE WE GO AGAIN! But I think we have learned our lesson. Plan your “Random Acts of Christmas” now and help us decorate the Cathedral with them. It’s going to be fun!

Love you all,

Pastor Naomi

Monday, November 26, 2007

"Random Acts of Christmas!"

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, How Still We See Thy Light!

Right after the terrorist explosion in Oklahoma City our church started a program called Random Acts of Kindness and it was published on the internet. A school principle called and asked if they could use the idea in their Junior High School, someone from an international company asked if they could post the concept in their company and join in. It seemed that in the face of brutal terrorism, people were ready to join forces to do something positive – something significant to affect the tone of the world.

Christmas has been the world’s anti-terrorism pill for over 2,000 years. Terrorists believe that if they do something mean spirited and insane, people will investigate their philosophy to try and understand what would cause them to do something so dastardly. Christmas is just the opposite. It is a random act of kindness! God gave his only begotten son to become a savior to the world. And so we celebrate the darkest days of winter with giving. We give to our family, we give to our friends, we give to our favorite charities and family times are sweet because we try to think of others and not just about ourselves.

In 2007 our world needs many more “Random Acts of Christmas.” In fact, we want to teach our families about how important this approach to life can be. So we are going to decorate our sanctuary and campus with glittering stars which display “Random Acts of Christmas.” Here are some that we are going to be involved in as a church.

  • Providing Christmas for every family, living in the Tegulsegalpa dump.
  • Providing Christmas for dozens of struggling families in our community.
  • Sending out hundreds of Santas to provide Christmas at many convalescent homes in our area and give away thousands of teddy bears.
  • Going out to feed homeless teenagers in Seattle; a city with more homeless teenagers than anywhere else in America.
  • Providing a Christmas Concert for the state ferries ministry for disabled people and providing Christmas for each one of these people.
  • Sending out our Martial Arts School to feed, clothe and befriend the homeless in our area.
  • Providing “Christmas Bursts into Beauty” which will reach out to thousands of people with the good news of Christmas. It is amazing what a beautiful impact the singing, dancing, children, fellowship and positive message have on so many people.
  • Giving away truck loads of food to Hope Link for struggling families.
  • The Pacesetters will provide gift boxes through Samaritans Purse Organization for the poor in Africa.
  • The Build the Family foundation will be raising money for “Turning Point Investments,” which provides zero interest micro loans to struggling families in our community and gives them an opportunity to turn things around.
  • Every “Tiny Little Church” will have a Good Samaritan project, bringing a Christmas blessing to some part of our community.
  • This year, many families will be giving special gifts to help build the Re-Creation Center for our community.

Just think of the hundreds of different ideas that each of us can do to surprise someone with a “Random Act of Christmas.” It doesn’t have to cost money; it can be a good deed, a volunteer project, a note written, a meal for a neighbor or maybe it is just going out of our way to encourage a very discouraged person. Can you imagine if every family, every one of us, tries to see how many “Random Acts of Christmas” we can do during Christmas 2007.

We will have thousands of glittering stars with the anonymous “Random Acts of Christmas” written on themhanging everywhere, decorating the Cathedral with the glory of Christmas. The kids will never forget Christmasseason 2007!

Tim White

Friday, November 16, 2007

Psalms 66 turned into a prayer for today by my heart and God's grace.

We present our lives to God that he might teach us to be truly thankful and fill our hearts with life!

It is high time we start making happy noises about God! Can we help but boldly proclaim His name and giggle out His praises?

Every time we hear the old Bible stories about what God has done throughout history we are impressed. The glorious deeds He performed amaze even our modern minds. But when He works today, we find it impossible to hold back our enthusiasm.

Many of us have been through the crucible of life. We have been tested and tried, and we have tested God's love in the valley of pain and sorrow. And God was there too! He has allowed us to experience incredible difficulty and then He uses these very things to prepare us for His purposes!

Today, I renew my pledge to my God. I strive to carry out those promises I made to Him when I cried for His help in my troubles. I yield up to Him my servitude every day He gives me to live. And I offer to Him my sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

Therefore, today, we present our lives to Him that He may teach us to be truly thankful and fill our hearts with life.

Friday, November 9, 2007

The Death of the Great Man Theory!

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” But when they said give us a king to lead us, this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”
1 Samuel 8:6-7 (NIV)
It is not the X’s and O’s; it is the Jims and the Joes. This is a phrase used by football coaches at coaching clinics. The idea goes, “I don’t care what formation and plays that you have - your future is going to be set by the superstars on your team.” Is that really true or is that just another pop culture view of life that causes more harm than good? Perhaps it undermines teamwork, the most powerful force in winning athletics. I say that because there is a view of life that is spread by Inside Edition, MTV, and most of western culture that tells us that some people are just “great”. They should walk the red carpet, be devoured by paparazzi, and fill our history books to describe what is really taking place on this planet. Will Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt ever end senseless war and poverty in this world? Or will Princess Diana? This view of life even comes into the church and the view of religion. It is called the Great Man Theory and it is time for this theory to die. A great man builds a church, a ministry, a business or a nation, right? That is what the people of Israel tried to talk Samuel into and he knew the imperfections of humanity, without reading Inside Edition.

Oxford Professor Isaiah Berlin used a line from Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason to write a very insightful essay proposing that perhaps the Enlightenment did not give us the ultimate picture of science or philosophy. The line he borrowed from the giant of rationalism (who many postmoderns forget was writing in critique of rationalism alone without faith) was, “a crooked timber called humanity”. In this essay, Berlin points out that after the Enlightenment, two great forces were unleashed on the world: science, which has transformed the world, and universal philosophies such as Marxism or Nazism, etc. Each set of universal ideas promises to create an earthly utopia masterminded by a great man. Any means can be justified in achieving such an idealistic end. As a child, Berlin experienced two revolutions in Russia that deeply influenced his perspective and planted seeds of skepticism concerning the Great Man Theory. Whether you agree with him or not, his writings are fertile with thought-provoking ideas.

I have had the privilege of meeting some great people, many of whom left me feeling somewhat disappointed. I met Paul Hornung, the great Green Bay Packer running back at a party. He was one of the most versatile athletes of all time. And he was a notorious playboy. He once said, “Never get married in the morning, you never know who you might meet by night.” He was suspended from the NFL for gambling on games. There he was sitting in the corner all by himself at a party. So I went over to talk to him. I said, “You are Paul Hornung, aren’t you?” He said, “Yeah, who are you?” I said, “I’m nobody famous; I am just a pastor of a local church who had a friend who invited me to this party.” And then I said, “How are you doing?” He said, “Terrible” with the most painful groan I have ever heard. I asked compassionately, “What is the matter?” He said, “I am at fancy party with lots of booze which my liver can’t take, beautiful women in dazzling dresses and my knees hurt so bad that I am stuck in a corner talking to a pastor!” I was a bit disappointed after meeting that great man. But I also met Bart Starr, the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, and he signed a football for my dad and even personalized it with Best Wishes Dale White. You never know where you are going to find great people. The fact that we are all “crooked timber” is not an excuse to miss the high calling that God has for us. But it is an opportunity to see life as it really exists. I have met some great preachers and came away thinking, “Wow, I know a half dozen Sunday school teachers, farmers, single moms and janitors who leave me with an impression of greatness that far exceeds this celebrity!”

The Great Man Theory always breaks down at some point. I did not build Washington Cathedral alone. Jackie has played a more crucial role than I have. When I hear my daughters pray, I am so humbled; I learn more from them than I will ever teach them. Many times I have been paranoid, afraid, insecure… and people like Ray and Joanne Vath, or John and Greg Hanna have bolstered my confidence. Elling and Barbara Halvorson are the ones that stuck their necks out to get our Re-Creation Center started. I could tell the stories of Jane Bishop, Marcy Marquez, Emily Boyce, Wayne Meyers, Bill Holmes, Bill Biggs, and so many more. The specialness of Washington Cathedral is the team God creates to create it. This has considerable implications for building a meta church; a church that can only exist as the leadership team yields to the leadership of God. Think about the implications! We have a lot to learn together about what this means for Washington Cathedral. God is working among us.
Tim White

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Tiny Little Churches

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called to you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9
Tiny Little Churches. The name came to me at a small group’s conference 23 years ago. I was at New Hope Community Church and Dr. Dale Galloway was speaking about their TLC groups and how they had revolutionized not only their church, but churches around the nation. They referred to them as Tender Loving Care groups and my friend Dr. Galloway made a statement that TLC does not stand for Tiny Little Church because we don’t want lay pastors thinking they are ordained clergy. In our constitution and bylaws we have a program of training called Washington Seminary where we actually believe that some lay pastors will become ordained clergy. My wife Jackie and I received much of our training from such a lay pastor in our home church – his name is Dick Sanders. As I listened to the provocative lecture by Dr. Galloway I sat next to Bill and Sally Jo Holmes, Rich and Linda Skinner, Roy and Pam Seymour, Michael Fernandez, Rob and Nancy McJunkin (they were not married yet), David and Carol Gerzsenye (they were not married yet either), and others who you may not have known, Jane Bishop & Emily Boyce. I was surrounded by “miracles” waiting to happen; life long ministries that would incredibly impact the world if they could just catch the vision of Tiny Little Churches.

Last Sunday as I stood at the door, I visited with lifelong friends, Chuck and Mary Loeser, who I’ve known as for the past 20 years. They are Tiny Little Church pastors who have been considering their Sunday school class a Tiny Little Church for a long time. Chuck & Mary have helped people move, brought meals to families in crisis, they pray diligently for the kids in their class, attend their scout awards nights and on and on. As we stood there, children of all ages, one and two at a time came up to give them a hug. These kids said that they are praying for Chuck and Mary. As they spoke, I thought, “I am in the presence of two of the greatest pastors that I have ever met.” My respect for them and their Tiny Little Church was soaring in the sky.

Recently there has been discussion about whether or not we should change our name for these Tiny Little Churches and call them Small Groups. (A name that seems to be more widely used by other churches.) The more I considered that idea the more I thought about that discussion with Chuck and Mary and I thought “no way.” Tiny Little Churches is what they are and we don’t need to change the name, we need to understand the importance of the name. “TLC = Tiny Little Church” and that name communicates a revolutionary, meta church idea; fulfilling the mandate of scripture to insure that lay pastors are recognized and treated with the same respect as professional clergy. It is indeed the priesthood of all believers.

Please help me in honoring the pastors of all the Tiny Little Churches in our midst – Sunday School Classes, Boards, Home Bible Study Groups, Missions Groups, Youth Groups, Small Groups, eGroups, Support Groups, etc. (the list goes on and on.) Thank you God for the wonderful Pastors of the Tiny Little Churches at the heart of our church family.
Tim White

Friday, October 26, 2007

Shift Happens...Leaving No Paradigm Unturned!

The Jewish people celebrated the Festival of Shelters by living in tents for a week. It was a reminder of their homeless days. It must have been something like a combination of Tent City and Family Camp!

The brothers of Jesus thought it would be a perfect time for him to go public in a big way. They goaded him to put on a spectacular show to drum up a greater following. Jesus preferred to fly under the radar but he still rocked the festival. He seemed to be intent on leaving no paradigm un-shifted.

Jesus subverted the “will to power” – even in himself! (John 7:16-18) He wasn’t pitching propaganda to enhance his own political leverage or social position. He wouldn’t resort to manipulation and intimidation. He chose kindness at every turn. Even his confrontations with the religious elite were acts of bold kindness, intended to liberate them from frozen legalisms.

Jesus recalibrated the metrics of righteousness. (John 7:24) He measured his own character in terms of doing what he saw the Father doing. He was more interested in right relationships than heartless adherence to a code of religious conduct.

Jesus collaborated with the calendar. (John 7:6, 8, 30) He worked with time as a creative medium like a musician or an athlete. Music depends upon the skillful use of slow and fast, of pauses and rests. Great athletes understand when to accelerate and when to wait for a blocker, when to pace for a marathon and when to kick into a sprint. Jesus sensed when the time was ripe for him to stir up redemptive controversy and when it was time to disappear into the crowd, when to linger and when to make haste. He didn’t fight with time, he worked with it.

Jesus decentralized the Fountain of Life. (John 7:37-39) His Holy Spirit became an engine of life-energy, equally available to everyone everywhere. He showed that there was no particular place, person, or religious system that controlled the source of spiritual life. This was a radical affirmation of the dignity of common humanity.

Jesus deconstructed unbelief. (John 7:5, 47-49) He engaged different types of unbelief differently;

  • His brothers might have been unwilling to believe because they were too familiar – too used to him in their everyday lives. Maybe they grew dismissive of the wonder of his presence. Jesus didn’t try to prove himself to them.
  • The religious elite were unwilling to believe because their closed system of thought was too precious to them. They weren’t interested in being surprised. Jesus persistently messed up their tidy categories.
  • The desperate dad of an epileptic boy confessed, “I believe; help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) His unbelief was honest and humble. He knew he was literally unable to believe hard enough on his own. The sort of faith Jesus was calling for required divine assistance. Jesus responded by instigating a miracle.

Jesus liberated Nicodemus from the matrix. (John 7:50-51) Nicodemus was open to new perspectives after his conversation with Jesus (John 3:1-21); so much so that he was willing to lob a loaded question into the middle of his religion. He had become dis-illusioned in a very redemptive sense. The shrunken world of closed beliefs had been exposed as inhospitable to persons infected by the truth.

Scott Burnett

Friday, October 19, 2007

Are You Ready?

I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Revelations 3:8
Today there are forecasts of a coming storm. As I left the house I reminded my girls to fill their cars up with gas, put chains in their car and carry their winter supplies with them. I talked to a friend at the coffee shop and asked him if he was ready. He said, “Yes, I have a generator and a back up generator.” I spoke to my doctor and she said they were making preparations because even when the area is down people still need medical services. Pastor David and I planned together how the church will stay warm and open if we have to go without power. Worship will always go on come snow storm, power outage, or earth quake. There will be a tremendous need for a great caring network in times like that. This might seem like a bit of an over reaction but last winter’s power outage was quite the experience. Let me ask you another question about the future. Are you ready for the possibilities? It may be easier to get ready for the disasters than the successes. Are you ready to publish that book, launch a new Tiny Little Church from the one you currently pastor, invest your bonus, enjoy a happy marriage, or take pleasure in a growing friendship? Have you mentally and spiritually prepared yourself for the good health you hope for, the fruitful ministry you have dreamed of and financial blessing that you pray about?

I believe that only God knows the plans He has for us – plans to prosper us and give us a future. Recently, I have commissioned Pastor Linda and Tim Magee to take a month and rewrite our church policy manual to prepare us for the explosion of ministry and opportunities that we are going to face with our new building. The last time I sent Pastor Linda on a well deserved sabbatical (and this is no sabbatical but a concentrated working task), I gave her the book, Sabbatical Journey by Henri Nouwen. Later she emailed me and said that it was a terrible book to give her because he died at the end of the sabbatical. So this time there is no book, but it is a time of preparation for blessing.

Are you ready for the wonderful blessings that God is preparing for you?

Your friend for the rest of my life,
Tim White

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

"The Collaborative Method!"

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary,the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. Acts 1:14

One of the greatest lessons that I am learning in my Christian walk is the growing discovery of the collaborative method. This is one of the hardest lessons I have ever learned in my life, and I still have a lot to learn. When the Marine Corps take a recruit, they have 12 weeks on Paris Island to turn those recruits into a team. Their lives and success depends on them beginning to learn thislesson. In sports, we say we can accomplish more together than we can apart. And in the church we have the example of Jesus Christ in his teaching. The promise of a coming helper, his death on the cross which gives us forgiveness of our sins (everything that holds us apart from him and each other) and then he told his followers to stay together for Pentecost. Pentecost was when the Holy Spirit fell upon the diverse group of gathered believers and they were empowered to be a team that would impact the whole world. This was the birth of the “collaborative method.” The word “together” is mentioned 390 times in the Bible. Every marriage has a lot to learn in order to workcollaboratively. Every family has a lifetime of lessons to learn. There are so many lessons to learn for a little league soccer team or an office sales team, but in a church we have no other optionbecause we want them to know we are Christians by our love.

  • Long-term commitment is essential.
  • Learning and re-learning how to communicate with one another is vital.
  • Being able to put our projects on the table for the team to work on is really hard, but its an important step of trust.
  • Everyone looking for God’s will, beyond seeing each issue as “us against them”, is maybe the most important ingredient.
  • Discovering that great teamwork takes time – so lets keep working on it. This is a really big deal.

    Your friend for the rest of my life,

    Pastor Tim White

Monday, October 8, 2007

Overcoming Unfaith

Mark 9:17-27
In the 9th chapter of Mark’s Gospel, a helpless father desperately implores Jesus to rescue his son. He stands uneasily yet candidly at the crossroads of belief and unbelief. Jesus meets him there.

This kind of faith is not an unquestioning allegiance to ideology. It isn’t reflected in bumper-sticker quips like, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.”

The simple, soulful confession of this kind of faith is, “Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.” This kind of faith exhibits the virtue of skepticism.

In the field of philosophy there are two types of skepticism: Academic and Pyrrhonian. Academic skepticism asserts the impossibility of truly knowing anything. Its fatal flaw is its own logic: How can we truly know that it is impossible to truly know anything?

But Pyrrhonian skepticism accommodates an open-minded pursuit of truth. It acknowledges the severe difficulty of apprehending ultimate knowledge while allowing the possibility of knowing truly.

“Christian faith in God is not a naïve basic truth.
It is unfaith that has been overcome”
Jurgen Moltmann
Scott Burnett

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Courage

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
Most people don’t realize it, but the Bible has a lot to say about courage. For some reason, in our society today, courage has become a trait no longer highly prized as it was in our parents’ generation. Our society is enthralled with stories about those whose success came by accident, and we are thrilled when we hear that they hardly even tried – an overnight success! We like the “get-rich-quick” stories. Buy a lottery ticket and become a millionaire overnight – no work necessary. We love the idea of someone discovering us! Maybe that’s why movie stars and pop music stars are the new heroes of our society.
I praise the people of courage who are all around us: the single parent, the businessperson daring to conduct business God’s way in a dog-eat-dog world, the hero struggling to overcome a chronic or even life-threatening illness, the person with an impossible dream! We all cheered Lance Armstrong’s victory in the Tour de France, but imagine his hard-fought battle against cancer! People flock to successes, but some of us live in admiration of the people who fight the odds, holding on to the impossible dream.
Courage cannot be born without the cradle of adversity. If you feel like a failure or that everything is going wrong, let me salute you for your courage! I admire the writer who has never published, the policeman or fireman, and their families, who live with the constant threat of danger, the idealistic school teacher who continues to give everything, day in and day out to each child they’re given; the Small Groups pastor who ministers and really nurtures people’s souls; the person who sticks with their dream even when the results are not encouraging. I am not the only one who notices! There are children watching and learning. There are cynical people who are watching and wondering. God is watching and applauding from heaven!

Lord Jesus, I pray for the people of courage! Give them this moment to hear your applause of heaven! Amen.

Your friend for the rest of my life,
Tim White

Monday, September 24, 2007

Me? A Leader?

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.
1 Peter 4:10
Many years ago I thought that being a leader was only for those who had gone to years of seminary or Bible school or had lived long, saintly lives. When I was 24 I was asked to be an Assistant Sunday School Superintendent. I thought the man who asked me must be mistaken or thought he was talking to someone else. I had little training, no degrees, and at 24 hadn’t lived a very long or saintly life. Joel, who turned out to be one of my life mentors, told me two things. The first thing he told me was that leadership was a gift from God and the second thing was that if I would make myself available to God, my Heavenly Father would do the rest.
Wikipedia defines "leadership" organizationally and narrowly as "the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members.” Leadership is the ability of an individual to set rules for others and lead from the front. It is an attitude that influences the environment around us. Those who are leaders in a church community are not bound by this narrow way of looking at leadership. We have the benefit of Scripture and the example of Jesus to help us on our quest of being effective leaders in the body of Christ.
In the book, “Lead Like Jesus” Ken Blanchard notes that before we can be effective leaders for Christ, we need to ask ourselves two questions, “Whose are we?” and “Who are we?” The idea behind the question “Whose are we?” is to discover, who is our primary authority, who is our primary audience? If we define our success by power, position, performance and the opinions of others we miss the point. Scripture teaches that effective leadership has its roots in pleasing God. If our goal is to please God then our attitudes and how we serve those we lead will be encouraging and effective. The second question, “Who am I?” also includes the question, “Why am I here?” Jesus knew what His Father wanted Him to do and walked out that ministry. True success is the fulfillment of the life mission God has planned for all of us. Success in life depends on the relationship we have with Christ and what level of control we will let Him have in our lives.
We have an opportunity to discover how to be effective leaders at Washington Cathedral next Saturday, September 29th at the “Leading Like Jesus”- Leadership Conference. Bill and Elaine Brammer, as the Directors of our Small Groups Ministry, have done an incredible job of putting together a great event. Pastor Tim will share his vision for this next year. I strongly encourage you, if you are already a leader or think that you are being called to leadership, to participate in this day of encouragement and learning.

By Kathi King

Friday, September 14, 2007

Excitement!

It seems that one thing all of us crave is a little excitement in our lives. We love those thrill rides at the theme parks that excite and maybe scare us a little. We love the excitement of travel and seeing new things. We get excited about holidays, birthdays and weddings. We all need a little excitement to feel alive.

As I watch the children around me I wonder at the excitement in their little faces. It doesn’t take much. They can be excited about almost anything it seems. They are excited to see a video of something they have watched many times. They get excited just playing. Children have a wonder in their eyes that helps them see excitement in the world around them. They are always ready for a new adventure.

When Jesus called His first disciples, the excitement they felt was tangible. In John 1:41, Andrew could not wait to run to tell his brother Peter “We have found the Messiah.” There was no way to contain the enthusiasm and exuberance he felt. He had to tell others. Like a little child, he was excited. Jesus tells us that we must come to God as a little child (Luke 18:17). I think that the sense of excitement is part of what Jesus is telling us we need to have.

When we first become believers in Jesus there is that sense of excitement and expectation. It is a new beginning. As we move along, we sometimes loose that sense of excitement. Our spiritual life can get a little dull. God does not want us to have dull lives, but lives of abundance and excitement. The next time you pick up your Bible, take time to pray, come to church, meet with your TLC or help with an event at the church, come with the expectation of meeting God.
Anticipate something special is going to happen. Open your heart and your eyes to something wonderful that will happen.

Our God is full of surprises and excitement. The anticipation and expectation of something happening between you and God, will keep you excited and alive! Come as a child, with wonder in your eyes, waiting to see what God will do next. Look around and feel the excitement!

By Allan Wenzel

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Authentic Faith

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. John 1:16 (NLT)
This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah. John 1:19-20 (NLT)

“It has been said that the Gospel of John is a pool in which a child can wade and an elephant can swim.” Marianne Thompson, Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary adds, “…and a pool in which a theologian can drown!” No book in all of literature has changed more lives than the Gospel of John. It was probably the last gospel written by the only apostle who was not martyred. This old survivor often wrote with plural pronouns as if he is representing a community of believers. Can you imagine what it will be like to hear an old preacher from our church preach in the Randy and Rod Halvorson Re-Creation Center – many years after a majority of us are in heaven? Running through the mind of that old preacher (who is likely to be one of the children on our church right now) will be the testimonies of all the collaborative efforts of many heroic individuals -- people who literally invested their lives building a great grace-filled family attempting to be a great caring network. As that old preacher shares about a church with a “positive faith” and church that believes in “teamwork approach”, I can hear that old preacher saying, with emotion and a quivering chin, “This is what we have come to believe with all of our hearts!”
There is so much in the gospel of John that I will not be able to cover, I am thankful that Allan Wenzel will be teaching a class of extended study on this great gospel by encouraging interaction in one of our adult classes.
I love the section where John discusses John the Baptist. John the Baptist was a hero of the Apostle John. John was a follower of John the Baptist before he became a follower of Jesus Christ, so the story of John the Baptist is part of his own personal journey of faith. I have a heritage of Methodism which I revere. My grandfather was a Methodist pastor, and currently both my uncle and cousin are Methodist pastors. I attended a Presbyterian seminary, and it has contributed greatly to who I am. As children, some come from a Lutheran background, or Catholic, or Salvation Army. Maybe the Boy or Girl Scouts or Rotary has contributed to your journey of faith. Maybe even being raised in a very scientific family, or a background of philanthropy and public servanthood has been part of your heritage. Whatever it is, all of it is part of your continuing story of your own faith journey.
John the Baptist was respected because he was a man who knew who he was. He was not a like a “reed blown in the wind by every fad or fancy.” I used to love to work with Junior High kids because they found out who they were sometimes by discovering who they were not. One Sunday they were going to be an athlete, then the next Sunday they would come and say I am not an athlete -- I am going to be a scholar. As their identity changed throughout their time in the youth group, I simply enjoyed being their youth pastor. What an exciting adventurous time of discovering who they were and who they were not.
John the Baptist knew he wasn’t the Messiah, and he knew he wasn’t Elijah. Many times in our search for faith and who we are, we begin by discovering who we are not. Our kids had to discover they are not us and we had to learn that also. But it was a marvelous lesson for both of us to learn. Sometimes people begin by discovering important points such as – “I can’t fake my faith,” or “I’m certainly no Billy Graham.” They will say things like – “My faith needs to have heart,” or “I can’t exclude reason and science from my faith.” Each one of these personal journey points does not surprise God but it might surprise us. And discovering who you are not is not a stop sign, it is a yield sign. That sign says “yield to who God designed you to be. Let’s make our faith as authentic as possible.” Now that is an exciting adventure of faith!

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Tim White

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Seek to Understand


“When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, to the god nobody knows. I’m here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you’re dealing with.” Acts 17:22-23 (The Message)

The above passage is part of a “sermon” that Paul gives to a group of philosophers in Athens. The other night at our Small Group TLC we were exploring together how best to handle loved ones, and people around us, when their beliefs about God are different from ours. We could think of all the examples that don’t’ seem to work – argument, belittling, ignoring, etc. We all agreed that the Apostle Paul was a master at coming alongside people and then pointing them toward Jesus.

A great example of Paul’s ministry is his message to the Athenians. Before he said anything, he observed, and looked for something to help him to understand the people he was addressing. Then he used what he saw to affirm them for having beliefs--at the same time pointing them to Christ, but in the context of what they would understand. Paul had encountered Jesus personally, and often referred to the fact that seeing Jesus had turned his life around.

I don’t know about you but I have a tendency to want to “argue people into heaven.” I enjoy a good debate and sometimes let my desire to win the debate get in the way of pointing them to Jesus. But, if I take a lesson from Paul, and let my encounters with Jesus take over for my desire to win a debate, then I find that I can step back and seek to understand where someone is coming from. I can also better value their opinion and viewpoints and gently introduce some things for them to consider. When I take my own needs out of the picture, and focus on my relationship with Christ, amazing things begin to happen.

Pastor Tim is beginning a series this week to lead our church into a deeper understanding of what it means to live a life following Jesus and seeing what the Gospel of John reveals to us about living in the Kingdom of God each and every day. His first in the series is “The Jesus Secret!” In addition, he has asked our leaders to read the book “Lead Like Jesus” by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges; and he has asked our WOW ladies to do a Beth Moore study of “Jesus, The One and Only.” My prayer is that you will join me in a renewed focus on Jesus, and like Paul, “seek to understand before we seek to be understood.”

Blessings,
Linda Skinner

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

God's Workmanship

Having recently celebrated another birthday (as I have heard it said “this was the 20th celebration of my 39th birthday”), I have come to appreciate some of the finer things of this life. I believe those finer things are the people God brings into our lives.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we have some pretty fantastic people around our church. I have been particularly “blown away” by some of the young people who are interning at Washington Cathedral in areas of ministry. These men and women have a love for God that is inspiring to watch. They all have jobs, go to school, and yet find time to serve the church in amazing ways. They are people like Becca White, McKenzie DeBow, David Gunther, Sara Clark, Ben McCary and Ricardo Uribe. If you ever think that God’s workmanship is in anyway lacking in our young people, you need to sit down with anyone of these people and just talk to them for a few minutes. You will find out that God has prepared some great people to do His work. They organize and lead some of our worship services; they lead praise teams; they lead youth groups, and they display the love of Christ while they are doing God’s work.

Last Saturday night at about 7:30 pm, after dinner in the HRC, Rich and I walked through the Atrium and saw Becca White and Ben McCary stacking and rearranging chairs for the 8:00 service. I stopped and asked if they needed any help because it looked like a big job for just the two of them. Becca smiled and said “No thank you, this is a good time for us to pray for the service while we’re moving the chairs.” I walked out and breathed a prayer of “thank you Lord for people like Becca and Ben--I know Your work will continue because of Your workmanship in them.”

I could tell you similar stories about each of the interns but we’ll save those for later. My prayer for all of us is that we all take stock of the finer things in our lives--the people around us – those works of God doing what they were created to do.

Great Master, teach us with Your skillful hand;
Let not the music that is in us die!
Great Sculptor, hew and polish us;
nor letHidden and lost, Your form within us lie!
—Horatius Bonar

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

God Loves Science


He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power, his understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:4-5

My Dad taught me to love the stars. He pointed out the constellations to me and told me their names. Our family camped in the Adirondack Mountains for two weeks each summer. That was the best place for stargazing.

The air was clean and there wasn’t much manmade light to mess up the show. The sky was spectacular. We’d stare into the vast canopy until our necks were sore.

Science doesn’t dim the wonder of Nature; in fact, it can be a lens that allows us to look more deeply into God’s handiwork.
Dr. Paul Brand was a pioneer in restorative surgery for leprosy victims. He said, “I have been through medical school, and was trained in surgery. I learned about anatomy and physiology and pathology. I studied germs and cancer. I know what to do when people are injured. Yet, I have come to realize that every patient of mine, every new-born baby, in every cell of its body, has a basic knowledge about how to survive and how to heal, that exceeds anything that I shall ever know. That knowledge is the gift of God, who has made our bodies more perfectly than we could ever have devised.”

Molecular Biologist and author, Dr. John Medina, has said, “When you are curious, you become fearless. You don’t care what’s out there. You just want to know. Curiosity has the strong ability to make you look at the world with wide-eyed wonder and ask How was this made?”

Dr. Medina is very clear about the passion that animates his scientific investigations...

“Curiosity means more to me than I can tell you. It even influences my theology. If you are curious enough about your origins, you’ll bump face-to-face with Jesus Christ – because nobody else is out there.”
Scott Burnett

If you’re interested in hearing more from Dr. John Medina, he’ll be interviewed by Pastor Tim in our Sunday morning services on August 26th.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

A Time of Inspiration

And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand. I stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the one who says to Israel, ‘You are my people!’ Isaiah 51:16 (NLT)

Weekly at our staff meetings we have been discussing in sequence each book of the Bible. This past week our topic was Psalms. We all agreed how much the Psalms mean to each of us because they are a collection of poetry and in this collection there is a Psalm that speaks to just about every human emotion we have experienced or will experience.
We shared with each other our favorite of the Psalms and as each person shared their favorite, everyone was blessed by the other’s sharing. We then had an assignment to take 10 minutes to write devotionally about our favorite Psalm. Many had some wonderful things to share, but one particular person when they shared everyone in the room knew that this was a “God inspired” moment.

Merriam Webster Dictionary defines “inspiration” as “a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation.” The pause of silence (which it is very unusual for our staff to experience silence in one of our meetings) and the look of reverence on everyone’s face exposed to any observer that this is a “divine moment” inspired by God.

The favorite Psalm of this person was a favorite of many – Psalm 23. And as she shared her inspiration, she did so with such humility saying “I just wrote Psalm 23 in my own words; nothing special.” Then she went on to read what she wrote down. Here is Psalm 23 as Pastor Marilyn Biggs was inspired to paraphrase it for us (Our prayer is that you find it as divine as we did at the reading of these words):



Psalm 23Paraphrased by Marilyn Biggs

The Lord is my shepherd-And I am one of his little lambs
He leads me and guides me and walks with meAnd protects me and provides for me.
When I am going through difficult times and dark placesHe walks with me through them.
He comforts me and when I am sad or hurting.My cup overflows,
And His goodness and love and mercy are always with me.
And that will continue all the days of my life here on earth and in Heaven forever.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

The Impact of a Church Family

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
1 Corinthians 1:9
Today, Jackie and I had a wonderful time having lunch with Chris and Bree Davis. They shared stories about their children Madison and Brady. Chris and I discussed fishing and work. Bree told Jackie about the great experiences she’s had being a Martial Arts Instructor in our Martial Arts Ministry. Jackie was able to share with Bree about a recent conversation she had with Melissa Tyksinski over coffee and how highly they valued their friendship with the Davis’. They were so excited about their new home in the neighborhood with the Horner family and we prayed together. As Jackie and I drove away from that lunch we both felt so uplifted and encouraged. What a gift it is to have such a wonderful family of friends.

If we want to fellowship with Jesus – then we need faith-filled fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20

Sometimes we wonder why our faith is struggling and the answer is actually simpler than we can imagine or maybe, even want to hear. All we need is faith-filled (positive) fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We came to an even better understanding of that fact the other night when Jackie and I had a dinner at the Prosch’s home. We felt our spirits being restored by the experience of just being with such great people. We enjoyed the drive to Monroe and meeting their neighbor when he stuck his head over the backyard fence. Tyler was excited to show us his car collection. Brianna made us both use stickers and loved playing lots of jokes on Jackie. I told Brian and Carla that someday Brianna was going to be a great counselor. We thoroughly enjoyed the backyard barbecue complete with some Minnesotan food celebrating the Prosch’s homeland.

Jackie was really touched when Brianna showed her the two purses she uses to save her money in. I was moved by their family tradition of prayer for the meal – they go around the table, just like our Small Group TLC’s, and let anyone pray who wants to. Then, instead of saying “Amen” the kids say, “Now let’s eat the food!” Brian, just like a father would, made a little speech about what Christ has done in their lives and family since coming to Washington Cathedral. We heard about their camping trips with the Roth family and others. Jackie and I drove home rejuvenated at the presence of Jesus in our fellowship.


“As they talked and discussed these things with each to other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them.” Luke 24:32

Years ago my brother Jim and his family joined our church while he was working as a carpenter building commercial buildings. We asked him and his wife out to dinner and when we sat down he said, “Okay, what do you want?” I asked what he meant and he said, “I am a preacher’s kid too. I know that people in church always want something when they get together.” I responded, “Can’t I take my brother and his wife out to dinner without him suspecting that I am going to ask him to be a Sunday school teacher or something?”

Today, I am not asking you to get involved in a ministry. Rather, just to be intentional about getting involved in your brother and sisters lives. It is better if there is no agenda -- simply life long friends walking together with God in a healthy relationship. You will be surprised at how God will bless you if you take a little time to get to know some of the family of God.

Friday, July 27, 2007

A Celebration of Cultures

You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:43

The other day Michelle Mendoza interviewed Pastor Ricardo and myself for a program on KCIS Radio. During that interview we had the opportunity to share with her how we feel the favor of God in our new bilingual worship service at 12:30 on Sundays - Esperanza. We were able to share that one of the great advantages of a “bilingual” format is that English speaking people could begin to learn Spanish and Spanish speaking people could begin to learn English. We explained that the worship songs are done in Spanish and English. (It is amazing to hear the blending of both languages in tune to the music.) When someone like Ricardo preaches, Pastor Rey or our intern pastor, McKenzie, translates. We shared that one of the highlights is after the service when we have a delicious Hispanic meal and the incredible bilingual fellowship.

It was exciting to have the opportunity to share with our community through KCIS what is happening here at Washington Cathedral. In building a great caring network, God has called us to reach through cultural barriers and be a diverse community in the name of Jesus.

Dr. Daniel Shaw a noted Christian Anthropologist says in his book Folk Religions “since God is beyond human culture the only way we can rightly interpret the Word of God is with Christians from more than one cultural context.” The discussion is inspired and allows us to see God from beyond our personal cultural biases. We have all known that God is beyond culture. When Jesus taught, he addressed cultural mores using the formula – “You have heard it said, but I tell you ……” He was not putting down culture but he was fulfilling the deepest expectations and highest ideals with the profundity that one would expect from an interview with God.

Another of our new services is Catalyst Redux, which represents a new post modern culture. Many from that culture question much what has been associated with Christianity and expressed by the culture of Modernity. Their Saturday night 8 pm service is very creative. The service encourages multiple voices sharing the message, rather than just one. The participants mix art, poetry, discussion and candle light with open interaction of the class of cultures often representing religion in the 21st century. What a joy it is for me to see those who have been completely turned off by the Christian religion to find a new fresh faith in Jesus Christ at this service. Our intern pastor, Ben McCary, is working diligently on this Catalyst Redux project under the close directorship of Pastor Scott Burnett and it is having much success.

Recently, I attended 11 different worship services at Washington Cathedral not counting weddings and memorial services. Every service was different. In every service I could feel the presence of God and I was deeply touched. What an adventure! It is going to be so exciting to see what God has in store for us in the next year.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Esperanza Service

I recently received this letter from David Fox and I was so impressed by his passion for the Esperanza service that I just had to share it with our church family.

Today’s premier Esperanza service was fabulous. It was the beginning of a new era at Washington Cathedral – the day the church took an incredible step towards reaching not only the “unchurched,” but the “churched without a church.” In other words, Latinos in Redmond who have no church nearby with services in their own language. The level of energy in the sanctuary was apparent right from the first Praise Team song, when Alex Wolf strummed an incredible Flamenco-type solo on his guitar. Pastor Ricardo Uribe could no longer contain his enthusiasm and ran over to the congas. He slapped a beat that took the rhythm of both the song and the service to new heights.

When Mackenzie Debow opened the service with announcements in Spanish and English, and we all knew that this dream of a bilingual service at Washington Cathedral was now a reality. After she invited us to meet two new people during the snack break, the congregation took it several steps further and introduced themselves to anyone they didn’t recognize. There was so much excitement in the air; it made me want to meet every unfamiliar face there.

God was clearly present with us, encouraging fellowship across cultures. I have always been intrigued to know that there exists a country in West Africa where Spanish is spoken, but I had no idea that I would meet a couple from Equatorial Guinea right here in our own sanctuary! There were people from several other Spanish-speaking countries present, as well as North Americans who had learned Spanish both here and afar. And many people without any Spanish background attended the first Esperanza service, where they heard a powerful message and had a wonderful time!

The best part of the service was Pastor Rey’s sermon entitled “What is in your hands?” based on the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-28. With Pastor Ricardo translating into English, Pastor Rey drew parallels with the challenges faced by young King David, Moses, and his own experience of getting cut from an all-girl volleyball team. We all know how enthusiastic Rey gets when he’s at the pulpit, so having to pause every sentence for Ricardo to translate for him was truly a challenge! At times Rey couldn’t think of a word in Spanish and said it in English instead, so Ricardo said the word in Spanish for him. Next thing we knew we were hearing a sermon in English being translated into Spanish! Pastor Elise later remarked that hearing it twice really allowed the word of God to sink in.

I was so proud of everyone’s willingness to reach out across cultural and linguistic fences to share the Gospel of Jesus. Kelsey Robinson had just returned from the High School mission trip to Honduras and put her newly-acquired Spanish to the test as an usher. Kelly Glenn did a wonderful job of giving the offertory prayer in her best “Castellano.” Sara Clark led the Praise Team with songs in Spanish, English and a combination of both! There were plenty of people working hard behind the scenes as well. Gigi Bresolin and Josh Kildall missed this wonderful service so they could lead the first bilingual Esperanza service Sunday school class. Josh said it was a good start, as only two out of eight children left the classroom in tears!!

I encourage you all to step out of your comfort zone and attend the new Esperanza service at 12:30pm Sundays. Better yet, reach out and invite a friend to come experience God’s presence with you. Who among us does not know someone who speaks or has studied Spanish at one time (maybe even you?) There are mini-flyers available in the atrium that will make it easy for you. Pastor Roy Seymour was brave enough to attend, he can now say, “Que Diós te bendiga” (God bless you.)

Have you tried the Esperanza service yet? What did you think?

Monday, July 9, 2007

What Are You For?


When Paul saw them he thanked God and took courage. Acts 28:15b


I was so inspired by Colonel Erskine Austin’s part of the sermon last week. He talked about point #2 - “Freedom is Not Free.” It was a great moment for everyone in our church having our lives marked by such a wonderful man. He said something that really made the hair on the back of my neck raise up. His statement was, “Pastor Tim and I agree on the principle ‘it is not what you are against, but it is far more important what you are for!’”

It is easy to stand against almost everything. But, the more important issue is “what are we proposing for the future?” Pastor Scott gave me a book the other day entitled Presidential Courage. It tells the story of how brave leaders have changed America from 1789 to 1989. One thing I couldn’t help but notice is the diversity of philosophies -- George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan and others. They all have one thing in common -- in the complexity of their life challenges they found a vision to pursue. A vision they could stand by, and hang onto as they pounded out the practical issues. They were prepared to sacrifice because they knew in the final analysis the vision was bigger than they were.

Let me ask you a question. What do you stand for? What can you get behind? What will you be remembered for? And what in your life requires an enormous amount of courage just to continue? So much courage that you cannot possibly do it by yourself – God must help you.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every person who complains about our society or government, or community, or a business, or faith would instead propose a change to improve it? And what if they backed up that proposal for change with an offer to wade in and help until the change came about? Can you imagine what kind of world it would be if there was just this one attitude change?

I for one am tired of religious people being known for all the things that they are against. What are we for? What changes are we proposing and what are we doing to wade in and back up that proposal with an offer to help?
Tim White

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Summer Time

Here we are, right on the verge of summertime! Wasn’t it January last week? Time flies…

How do we tune in to the sunny season before it’s over? Something that helps me slow down a little bit and enjoy life is remembering what I love about it. Here are a few things that leap to mind:

Summertime is full of favorite fragrances…

The smell of coconut and chlorine means there must be a pool nearby. Blue pool-water below and blue sky above is a beautiful place to be!

And what could be more summery than the smell of a fired-up grill? You might love the aroma of steak over charcoal; I’m partial to salmon and portabellas… yum!

Of course, there’s the scent of fresh-cut grass, which I especially enjoy when somebody else did the mowing.

Summertime is full of favorite sounds…

During the sunniest months, I load up the CD player with music from Brazil; it’s the perfect sonic backdrop. Seventies “power pop” hits the spot too (Badfinger, Big Star, The Raspberries…), and there’s no denying Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome” its rightful place as summer essential.
Give us those nice bright colors
Give us the greeeeens of summer
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, oh yeah…

Sometimes songs I don’t even like carry wonderful summertime memories. For instance, “Close To You” by The Carpenters transports me back to my favorite Adirondack lake.

Hearing Dave Niehaus call a Mariners game on the radio is a surefire sign of summer. He helps me find the rhythm of the season.

Clocks and calendars seem to have less power in July and August. There are better things to do than worry about what time it is – things like nothing! Nothing is an excellent thing to do in the summer.

Camping is a great way to do nothing; it provides shape and substance to no-agenda. Lounging on the back deck with a book, or shooting the breeze with a friend can do the trick too.

Oh, and let’s not forget one of the very best things about summer in Redmond, WA – the air-conditioned sanctuary at Washington Cathedral! It’s cool to be cool.

What are some of your favorite things about summer? Leave a comment about your favorite aspects of the season.

Friday, May 25, 2007

In God's Image

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 3:27

There are many things in life that I love to observe. I love birds. I could sit and listen to the birds sing at dawn and waist the better part of an hour. The image of bird watchers has not always been the most macho of images. But I plead guilty, I like birds. I also love to observe insects. When I was a boy I would spend a whole day just watching insects and then would read everything I could about a species of ants or bees. I love to observe stars and someday we will have an observatory on our campus. I have been accused at being like an “old mother” bragging about people in our church. I am amazed at the entrepreneurs in our church that have started from scratch and really built something that financially benefits their employees and our economy. I am amazed at the scientists in our church and the joy I see on their faces when they speak about their chosen area of study. I am amazed at the craftsmen in our church that rebuild cars as a pastime or maintain sailboats. I am amazed at computer programmers, mathematicians, musicians, poets, and stay at home moms. I admire people in service organizations that are the backbone of all their organizations accomplishments. I love to talk to teachers, mechanics and electricians. I enjoy people because the Bible teaches that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. That we are all created in the image of God.

I see flashes of God’s image in the dry sense of humor of a homeless man, or an act of caring by a tired nurse. I see brilliance and genius in the craft projects that children bring home after Sunday school or in the questions of a critic. We are all made in the image of God.

Look in the mirror and see your features and remember – you are made in the image of God.

Your God’s image assignment this week is to take a moment to observe people and look for God’s footprints. Ask someone who loves you to discuss with you the footprints of God’s image in your life.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Compartmentalizing the Future

For I know the plans for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

The other day, I had the opportunity to play a round of golf at Bear Creek Country Club with an airline captain, the director of a futurist think tank, and a director of a financial investment company. In 18 holes of golf, none of us talked about our profession or personal life. The only exception was when I hit my tee shot in the yard of one of my playing partners. He said with a smile, “I know the owner of that home quite well and I will retrieve your ball.” I asked, “Whose house is it?” He said with a smile, “It’s mine.” For the rest of the golf game we talked about the weather (it was hailing at times.) We told a few jokes, mentioned our families, and talked about golf.

I think that is the way men are. We are very good at compartmentalizing our lives and just because you know us in one setting, doesn’t mean that you know a lot about us. And one huge compartment that many of us never get around to opening is “the future”. Are you ready for the future? I think all of us have some fear of change. The kids keep growing up, jobs keep changing in description, the community just keeps changing as time goes along. Sometimes, we just wish change would go away. But as we know, change is coming and nothing can gear us up for the future like faith. Faith says, God is in charge of the future! Faith says, God will help us prepare for the challenges of the future! Faith says, stop whining about change, step up to it, and respond with a positive attitude. Faith even says, lets get excited about the great things God has ahead for us in the future.

In faith, I can say that I am not afraid of old age. There maybe a hole in one still waiting for me. There are new levels of wisdom to be achieved, new accomplishments of mentorship to be adventured through. In fact, in faith, I can believe that God has a better idea than death called eternal life.

Your greatest ideas are yet to be thought of, your deepest friendships are yet to be experienced and your greatest accomplishments are yet to be enjoyed. God has good things ahead for you and me.

Friday, May 4, 2007

Expectancy

That God can be known by the soul in tender personal experience while remaining infinitely aloof from the curious eyes of reason, constitutes a paradox best described as darkness to the intellect, but sunshine to the heart.
A.W. Tozer
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Psalm 40:3
Today, as I work, I am watching the back wall of the Randy & Rod Halvorson Re-Creation Center go up. The crane is lifting the massive steel beams into place and it is amazing how beautiful the new building is becoming. It is a dream becoming reality.

When our family spends time together, we enjoy talking about what it will be like when Rey and Elise’s baby is born in August. What does he look like now, what will he look like when he’s born? Will he have Rey’s wide smile and Elise’s determination? Becoming a grandparent is such a time of discovery! All of us speak up when Elise is around, knowing her baby can hear us and hoping he will become accustomed to our voices. Jackie and Elise told me that the baby must really be accustomed to my voice with all of the sermons he has heard. I try to get Elise to watch basketball, hoping that it will help make the baby a sports fan. Jackie has picked up the hobby of constantly scavenging for baby paraphernalia and I don’t think she can pack one more thing into our garage! No wonder they call it a time of expectancy.

I think many of us feel somewhat like that about our new recreation center. What is it going to be like? Wow – it will change our lives! What a blessing to the community. Is this all really happening?

But the same thing is true of our relationship with God. As Tozer put it, we have a tender, personal experience with God but it is a paradox because there is still so much we don’t know, so much to be learned. And the not knowing about God is sunshine to the heart! It is positive expectancy about life and faith. I suggest to you that this is a great way to live.

It is like this, you live in this room, and you’ve lived there for years. It’s comfortable because you know everything in the room so well that there is a large element of what we shall call, boring. And in the room is a button. It is a little bit scary, and a little bit exciting. No, it is not the “Easy Button” in the Staples commercial, but it is a big button and this button is marked “Surprise!” I suggest to you that the surprise button is God. It is God unleashed. God in an authentic uncontrollable relationship with you and therefore your relationship with life.

I pray that God represents surprise in your life this week!

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Ms. Wheelchair Washington

And provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
Isaiah 61:3-4

In 1993, a college girl was walking and tragically, was hit by a drunk driver. Her name is Sigrid Laegreid but this story is anything but a tragedy. Jackie and I had the chance to visit with her last week in recognition of her having just been crowned Ms. Wheelchair Washington. She is a delightful lady who just bursts into the room with joy spilling over on everyone. I had watched her interview on KOMO TV. As the news anchor and she were looking at a picture of her in college before the accident and she said, “Dang, I was cute in college!” She made Jackie and I laugh again and again as she told stories about how when she went to her parent’s homeland of Norway and was made to ride with the luggage area of the tour bus because she was in a wheel chair and the bus had no wheelchair access. Her every funny story made the point that there is an incredible part of our population whose disabilities put them in wheel chairs but they have so much to offer our community. Sigrid comes to Washington Cathedral on Saturday nights and is very interested in the project to put the zero entry pool in the recreation center. She told us that it has been a long time since she had been swimming and, “Do you know how much fun it is to be in a weightless environment for someone like me?” She mentioned that the elevator lifts for a pool are not the answer. She said, “I was stuck mid-air in one and I was wearing a bikini – do you know how embarrassing that can be?”

Since being crowned as Ms. Wheelchair Washington her dream is to talk to as many people in our community about the importance of workout facilities for those in wheel chairs. She says, “A parking spot is not enough; there needs to be something beyond that.” Sigrid has agreed to be the chairperson for the task force to raise the rest of the money for the zero entry pool. We need grant writers, communicators, letter writers, and people who know people who could afford to give a major gift to this indoor pool. So far we need a minimum of 320 thousand to complete the building of the pool. If we add some touches to make it truly sensational we could add another 250 thousand to that. Since we are under construction, time is short we need to get this thing going. We have received major miraculous anonymous gift to get us to this point so we still have the naming rights to the pool left. This community pool could be named after a corporation or an individual that would be a blessing for generations. Sigrid will be interviewed in all the services the weekend after Mothers Day and will be talking more about it. And she goes to Baltimore in July to compete for Ms. Wheelchair America. So let’s all be praying for her. She told Jackie and I that she may not win it all but she is planning on winning the evening gown contest! I have a feeling that Sigrid is going to make this challenge a joy filled adventure just as she has with her whole life!

Thursday, April 5, 2007

The Glory of Easter

Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
1 Corinthians 15:54b, 55

Our mission statement is to build a great caring network and everything we do is evaluated in some way by that mission. It is our way of saying that like Jesus we want to be servants to show the world what touched us about God – a love we could not resist.

Recently I heard someone asking about our concept of entertainment evangelism. For us Easter, or Christmas for that matter, is not a matter of entertainment but of service. Throughout the year we minister to so many people who are struggling with grief over the death of a loved one, and each time we try to communicate the Easter story. Sometimes it is on a cold day at a cemetery graveside service. It is difficult right after a death to really consider Easter. But there is something about springtime, especially about Easter and making our very best effort to tell the Easter story.

We have some gifted people involved in retelling the dramatic story. Most people don’t know it, but Pastor Naomi has quite a resume as an actress and a musician. She has starred in Hollywood movies with Terry Garr and Shirley MacLain, and in several musicals. Our special effects were designed by one of the directors of Northern Exposure. We also have other accomplished actors from local drama troops – The Glory of Easter pageant really is our very best effort in retelling the great story of Easter. And of course we combine it with worship, a short sermon, hymns and praise to put on an amazing Easter worship service. For us the benefit is just one grandchild, or widowed wife who has a light of faith and joy of Easter begin to glow in their eyes. A servant church meets needs in the community and the inspirational Glory of Easter Pageant definitely is a need – and we feel privileged to be a part of ministering to people at this all important holiday.

Your friend for the rest of my life,
Tim White

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Build The Family

"He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.”
Acts 10:2


Did you ever wonder how you got to where you are today? You work hard. You think you know what you’re doing. Did you ever wonder what you were thinking when you look at the path you’ve followed; and found there were a few detours you hadn’t planned? I look back over the last dozen years and see that God has had a plan for me. It was His plan, whether I understood it, or even checked with Him to see what it was.

A divorce eight years ago brought me to Washington Cathedral through my best friend, Craig Davis. That started a new awareness in my life. I attended divorce recovery and singles and decided to get involved. One thing I learned was that I never wanted to go through a divorce again. I wanted to understand God’s plan for me, and I wanted the support of a church family.

What does all this have to do with “Build the Family Foundation?” Well, I learned that Washington Cathedral had a foundation dedicated to building the family, and in fact the mission is to “Create a Safer World for Children by Building Families”. So, Helen (my beautiful and talented wife) and I (that’s another story involving Washington Cathedral) about 3 years ago, raised our hands and volunteered to join the “Build the Family” board to support married couples in building and maintaining their marriages and families. Also, I’ve been a volunteer and board member for the last 10 years at “Eastside Domestic Violence Program” and have seen first-hand the impact of violence on families, particularly children--and wanted to continue that work in the church.

Along the way, with a lot of work by others, the “Up with Marriage” task force set up several seminars for married couples, date nights, and the annual dinner with Pastors’ Tim and Jackie encouraging married couples to keep working it out. “Build the Family” has a number of initiative areas, the most visible being the Divorce Recovery program and Singles program. Other areas include; parenting, pre-marital counseling and shared housing. I know there are many other areas of need in the community just waiting for someone with a heart and passion to step up and lead the charge to make a difference for families.

Helen and I have been blessed by all the friends we’ve made and the chance to grow in our faith.

Anyway, late last year Pastor Tim and Pastor David asked me (which really means both Helen & I) if I would be willing to head up the “Build the Family Foundation.” After more than a little prayer, we decided the Lord thought it was time to commit to another level of service--so, we said “yes”. Now the work begins and we are excited, if not a bit nervous, to be leading a growing and successful program.

All of the ministries at Washington Cathedral are built around our Small Groups. I see the future of Build the Family doing God’s will come from small groups of people working together to accomplish great things. If you have a passion for building families and want to become part of one of those small groups ready to make a difference in this community; or would like more information on “Build the Family Foundation” and how you can be part of Washington Cathedral’s “Great Caring Network”, contact Pastor David Gerzsenye, myself or any of the board members. This is an exciting time in Washington Cathedral’s history and a great time to serve the Lord!

“Build the Family” board members include: Carol Gerzsenye, Mary Ann Pease, Melissa Tyksinski, Craig and Reava Davis, Jerry and Marti Neyland, Steve and Suzette Dalpez, Ed and Helen Schild

By Ed Schild

Friday, March 16, 2007

Anything You Can do I Can do Meta

May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.
Ephesians 3:17-18


In the Middle Ages the Vikings shook the foundation of Europe with a ferocious invasion. I love to read and study about the Vikings. My heritage is Scottish and Irish but my wife Jackie’s forefathers were the Vikings. In the Tri-cities there was a character known to everyone as Swede. His name was Svangren and he was actually from the disputed territory between Sweden and Denmark. I married his beautiful grand daughter Jackie. So while I do not have much direct Viking heritage my children do. The Viking invasion during the Middle Ages was almost unstoppable because it was a meta invasion. It was not based on one king or centralized government but in those days those of Norwegian ancestry who ran a farm and had a community of workers and who owned a long boat was a Viking king. Every little village and monastery throughout Europe lived in fear of seeing the Viking long boat show up for a mini-invasion. The word meta means outside the box, in a church growth it refers to a church that is bigger than its membership, or its buildings. It is a movement more than an organization. Every lay pastor who leads a Tiny Little Church is a king. And the Tiny Little Church is the long boat. Of course in our church every TLC is a force for the kingdom of God: 1) every TLC has a hands on good Samaritan project helping the less fortunate, 2)every TLC leads people very far from God into a personal relationship with Jesus, 3) every TLC prays and sees God work miraculously, 4) every TLC grows people up into the strength of maturity, 5) every TLC makes each other stronger by being a part of a greater meta church. These TLC’s take the form of health groups, Bible study groups, teenage discipleship groups, athletic groups, single parent groups, exercise groups, business groups, etc. etc. Every leader is working collaboratively to build the body of Christ and put God’s will above their own. All that we require of TLC leaders is that they are a member of Washington Cathedral worshiping regularly with us. Second we ask that TLC leaders do some regular training so we can stay on the same page. Thirdly we ask that our TLC pastors do not to put down the church but work as a team with all the other ministries.

I love the book of Ephesians because it emphasizes a God who is out of the box. And how I long for each of us to know how wide, how long, how high and how deep is the love of God. And for our world to experience the power of his mighty love that goes way beyond the traditional boundaries of a church. Someday we will have thousands of TLC’s around the Puget Sound area each making a little mini invasion with kindness, respect and a servants heart like that of Jesus. Each person will be an incarnational (Jesus Christ working through our bodies) presence of Jesus to their family, neighborhood, school, workplace and community. If you are interested in finding a TLC group or if you would like to become a TLC pastor then contact Bill or Elaine Brammer who are the overseers of TLC’s.

Your friend for the rest of my life,
Tim White

Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears – the ying and the yang of pop culture!

To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. The oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
Isaiah 61:3b


Does it just seem odd to write a devotion that begins with the words Anna Nicole Smith? Ever since her death on February 8th 2007 if you turn on a television, listen to the radio or read a news paper you are inundated by her story in the news. Culture is more a part of us than we know. But we are used to that now aren’t we. Having the styles and trends of people like Anna Nicole Smith, Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears. Our kids try and look like them, they tell us what is cool (many of us are not listening), they define beauty for a generation. Last week I was trying to read my Bible and listen to CNN on television at the same time. An older gentleman setting a couple of chairs away from me turned and commented on the CNN report about Anna Nicole Smith who was shown slurring her speech at the American music awards presentation – “Man what a waste.”, he said. I agreed with him, but we were talking about two different things. He went on to say, “To have a girl so beautiful and hot and then die so young.” I was not thinking of her as beautiful at all, I was thinking about the tragedy of her life. Who tells us that Anna Nicole Smith is beautiful or Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears. Culture teaches us and our children more than we know about life. It tells us the food that tastes good, the style of clothing we should buy, and the music we should enjoy. The American Heritage Dictionary defines culture as the totality of socially transmitted behavior. The amplified Bible describes Acts 7:22 as saying, “Moses was educated in all the wisdom and culture of the Egyptians, and he was mighty (powerful) in his speech and deeds.” Today we are all educated to some degree or another in pop culture. Pop culture permeates Muslim society and Christian alike. A generation ago, Italian philosopher, Theodore Adorne predicted this in his book, The Industry of Culture. He argued that in such a situation, the lowest common denominator of culture will spread through out the world.

I have two daughters and they are both beautiful. As they were growing up, I would often say to them, “Wow, God made you beautiful!” Their mother Jackie would always correct me. I know that may come as a shock but it is true, Jackie does correct me from time to time. She would say, “Now dad, we value beauty in charter and intelligence far above beauty that is only skin deep.” To which I would say, “That too.” But Jackie was right, today when I see my daughters they just sparkle because they love the Lord, and they have a strength about them that is amazing. They are compassionate, idealistic, fun to argue with, and very creative in everything they do. They have character beyond anything I could have ever imagined. They are each an original masterpiece and yes, they are beautiful. Some of you might remember my story about using our family computer when instant messaging was still a novelty. I really didn’t know what it was, when on the screen came this message. “Why hello beautiful, how are you doing today?” I recognized the name as a young man in our youth group that was stricken by one of my daughters. I answered him, much to his embarrassment. “This is not beautiful, this is her father pastor Tim.” But as I chuckled and went up-stairs to tell Jackie the story I thought, he’s right, my daughter is beautiful. As I watch the stories of America's pop icons, I can’t help but pray that lots of kids follow a different path to a deeper kind of multi-dimensional beauty.

Your friend for the rest of my life,
Tim White