"Strangely Brilliant!"

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,Look full in His wonderful face,And the things of earth will grow strangely brilliant,In the light of His glory and grace.

I apologize to the hymnist for turning her poetry inside out. What Helen Lemmel penned was,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim…

Her intent was to accentuate the unequaled beauty of Christ by casting all else in dull, muted tones. Fair enough.

But closeness to Jesus has mostly heightened my awareness of life's beauty.

…Setting sunlight turning trees and trail to gold
…The glide of a canoe across a mountain lake at dawn
…An ancient marriage proposal sung in Gaelic
…Rhodies blooming
…The crack of a bat on a 98 mph fastball
…A full night of sleep
…The summertime incense of charcoal
…Saltwater and coconut oil
…Friendships rekindled

In my experience, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a baptism of all things into their intended glory.

Pastor Scott Burnett

"A Summer That's Too Good To Miss!!!"

I remember the sweet days of summer. When I was growing up, I would count down the days until it began. Summer jobs, summer reading (just for fun), summer workouts (getting the edge on next years improvements), summer vacations, summer camps, the change of pace in summer worship that would refresh my faith, sitting on the front porch in the evening ~ just enjoying the cool of the planet and the appearance of the stars.

I was playing golf with Bob Cryder last August and as we approached the 18th green we crossed some freshly cut grass. He turned to me and said, “Do you smell that?” I smiled, “I sure do.” He smiled and said, “What do you smell?” I said, “Football!” He said, “That’s right.”

Summer is a great time of year. Everyone is precious. I hope you get a vacation. I pray that you savor swim lessons with your kids and long walks to enjoy nature. But I also hope you worship God this summer and grow in preparation for the greatest year of your life. At Washington Cathedral we are calling this the “Summer That is Too Good to Miss!” In other words, if you have to miss church (and we all do sometimes) then we want you to know that you are really missing something very special. July is the month of Vacation Bible School, Youth Camps & Singles Retreat. But there are 12 worship services that you can go to ~ one for every day of the week (except Tuesday or Friday). Childcare is provided at every worship service, the Bible is taught, powerful prayers are given, communion service is celebrated, world changing offerings are given as a community, and a family-style picnic is enjoyed. The only service that's a little different is the Sunday evening Spanish service ~ and even there someone will probably sit by you and translate for you.

Our church is being transformed as our study of the Book of Acts draws to a conclusion. But heading into summer, each month has a theme. July is for hero’s! Discover and develop the heroic aspects of your personality and faith. Those are the same aspects of a personality that give peace in anxious times and entire families hold on to it during tough times. August is for children. Rediscover the carefree, joy filled, awe inspired child inside of you. Every weekend we will have a children’s inflatable toy and a children’s talent contest right in the service. Then, September is for leaders! Discover the mountain moving world changing leader inside of you. How do you break through to succeed in the areas that you were created for?

Every service is going to be a lot of fun and I promise that you will leave refreshed. So make sure to attend as many as you can. It truly will be the “Summer That is Too Good to Miss!”

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Tim White

"We Need One Another!"

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so that we can help each other.

1 Corinthians 12:7

“We were both made for each other,” the young couple beamed as they sat in my office. I smiled, appreciating their love and also knowing the adventure that lay ahead of them. But they’re right. People are made for each other. We need one another. Many things in our own personalities force us into emotional, intellectual, and spiritual isolation. But no matter how difficult it is - with our uniqueness and porcupine-tendencies - we still all need one another.

Yesterday, I woke up before the rest of the family and got ready for work. I glanced over in the corner of our living room and still setting there were miniature cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, and chaps. They were remnants of Elijah’s stay with us. I walked over to pick them up and put them in his toy box, knowing that they will not fit him when he comes back again, I could not bring myself to put them away. I nicknamed him “El Tegrito” or “My Cute Little Tiger” because he seems to like things he’s afraid of such as the ocean, or a swimming pool, or our horse-dog Strider. He even rode on Strider’s back - and they were both smiling. I thought to myself, “I miss this little grandson so much!” God created us to need other people.

You will never know how good you can be until you get involved with other positive people. Join a “Tiny Little Church”, use your gifts, reach out and make some friendships with people that you wouldn’t normally befriend - you might be surprised. Make it to worship as regularly as you can and take time to pray for the people around you. Be religious about spending time with your family - enjoying them and encouraging them as if God were working through you. Because as odd as people can be; we really do need each other.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Tim White