"Excitement at the Stairs!"

And Jesus said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children…….Matthew 18:3

The most inspirational place to be in the Re-Creation Center, in my opinion, is at the bottom of the stairs! My heart sings with joy and laughter as I watch the feet of small children climb the mountainous stairway to the classrooms. I can see the excitement in the children as they anticipate reaching the top. These precious children do not see the staircase as an obstacle. Just the opposite is true. Climbing the stairs is the beginning of the adventure they call Sunday school!

Every class for children at Washington Cathedral is a Growing in Jesus TLC (Tiny Little Church.) Although the smallest of our flock do not fully understand what a TLC is ~ they definitely know when they are in class they meet with Jesus. I can only imagine how their hearts are smiling up at Him before they even reach the top of the stairs.

We are all children of God and we are never too old to experience the child-like joy that comes from anticipating a personal meeting with Jesus. Next time you find yourself climbing stairs in the Re-Creation Center I hope your heart will jump for joy as you walk toward Jesus.

By Jannette Backlund

"I was frankly amazed last Sunday morning!!"

Standing there on the worship platform, just starting to preach. I suddenly realized something very powerful and very, very comfortable!

I was experiencing a preaching-pastors “fully-alive moment” in terms of relating to theworshipers. Maybe you didn’t realize how much the feedback of the worshipers means to the preacher. Real preaching is as much- - - “Yes!”- - -”Yes!!” from the congregation, sensing God-energized ideas or else the sermon is nothing but a dull lecture.

If you’ve ever tried to pour out your heart in joy and love to someone through a rail fence or speak in total vulnerability to another person who happens to be standing behind someone else (and you can’t even see their face) then maybe you’ll understand what I’m trying to say.

The Mountainside Sanctuary in the Randy & Rod Halvorson ReCreation Center is frankly an awesome place. It reminds me of the wonderful, little, country-church sanctuaries where it seemed my heart was strangely warmed every Sunday morning. And now, believe it or not, we have the same rapport but with padded seats and individual arm rests. Actually it reminds me of the Greek/Roman theatres which provided every seat in the house with a direct view of the speaker. Sunday I was looking directly into the eyes and the face of every single person in the room. Maybe even more importantly, I could feel love and warmth in their faces flowing back to me.

Frankly I recommitted myself to weekly praying and giving- - - and I thanked God again for the chance to be a part of such an incredible and totally practical dream that is already happening and yet only just beginning through Washington Cathedral.

And all week long I had these beautiful moments when I remembered specific faces in that worship service- - - and I felt growing expectation for next Sundays worship.

Caleb

"New Generation!"

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:26

The New Generation Service is Movin’ & Groovin’!

One of the “unspoken rules” on our church staff is that if one of us gets an idea we are excited about, it’s up to that person to be responsible for making the idea happen.

At our staff retreat back in August, I was foolish enough to say that I thought it would be great to have a service when our Recreation Center opens right after our big 10:30 service is over. The purpose would be to allow all of those who had been involved in ministry during the BIG one, to have a chance to go to worship at a convenient time.

I had totally forgotten about that idea, when all of the sudden (after an eternity of waiting) we were in the new facility and Tim said it was up to me to get that Noon service off & running! Within two days I tried to pull a service together…..decided to bring back the donut & fruit break…..involve teens and youth leaders….and even our youth worship band! It’s been crazy to try to bring it all together, but those who have attended the pastcouple of weeks have loved it!

We’ve been blessed by Roxxy’s soulful songs she’s written, awesome music, our students taking on the role ofreading Scripture, being ushers & greeters, and it’s just so amazing to be in our new facility! So far, there are a lot of seats available, but what an inspirational place to worship!

Sometimes I forget that God is in the business of making what seems impossible to be possible….like getting into the Rod & Randy Halvorson Recreation Center! I once wondered if we would live through all of the stress of abuilding program. But as many of you can see we not only lived through it, Pastor Tim is a very healthy looking dude these days!

Thank you all for hanging in there with us and all you have done to make this Godly dream possible!

Jackie White
Director of New Generation Ministries

"Relationship or Religion?"

We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor struggling with all hisenergy, which so powerfully works in me. Colossians 1:28-29

Many times Christians grow dry in their faith. When they pray it feels like God is a billion miles away. Their fervor which was once so full of forgiveness, joy and compassion for other people now becomes satisfied at the altar of legalism and the temple of exclusive superiority. You have heard people who are reallydiscouraged say, “Well at least we are better than so and so.” This kind of thinking is what we call “false righteousness” because it is a cheep and easy pick me up. But it takes a toll. It has been my observation that often these people begin to talk less about Jesus and more about God. But inside the Spirit of God is not refreshing their Spirit. This is the tendency when we move from relationship to religion. How do you handle times like this?

When I first became a Christian I thought Jesus Christ was so cool. He was my hero, and my friend. My Lord and my savior. I was just amazed that he really did live, and was still alive answering prayers. When I prayed it felt like he was in the room. When I was disturbed about something it was if he took me in his arms as a loving father and spoke to my heart. When we went for a walk it was like neither one of us needed to say anything. Just being together was so good. When I saw a picture of him my heart leaptwith enthusiasm to say, “I follow him.” When I met another Christian it was as if I was meeting a long-lost family member. I was so overwhelmed at God’s forgiveness of me that I could not bring myself to judge others. If they wanted help I was right there with compassion. When someone spoke of the “high calling of Jesus Christ to some new standard of living” my heart cried out and I responded to the challenge. I was the first one forward at every church altar call just because I was always ready to grow and always proud to tell people that I followed Jesus Christ.

Slowly, the enemy gets a hold. We run into the weakness of other Christians and a divisive attitude sets in. We start to think we are stronger than almost anyone we know. I call this stage “Christian adolescence.” Doesn’t that remind you of the way you thought when you were a teenager? You became an expert on your parent’s imperfections. In fact you could write a book on them. You knew so much more than your parents. The problem is... this kind of thinking creates distance between you and them and sets you up to make some hazardous decisions. And so it is when you grow through Christian adolescence.

In Revelations 2:4 Jesus says, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent,I welcome to you and remove your lamp stand from its place.”

The wonderful news is that when we have strayed from the joy and power of keeping our eyes on Jesus, he is ready to forgive us and to renew us. As the psalmist said, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White