"VISIT... Just Once!"

This is the battle-cry launched by Dr. Dale White as we head into Easter! The life story of Jesus will be told during the next two Sunday 11am services . It will be a drama like this area has never seen before. Dr. Dale White and Pastor Naomi are working together to put forth our very best life-of-Christ drama in our new Mountainside Sanctuary. Bethany Chattin will play the harp at the 6pm Saturday (4/11) & 9am Easter Sunday services. Pastor Scott has a dynamic worship service planned at every single service during Holy Week. The preaching will be powerful – life-changing good news – the music will be an awesome celebration and the best of the people of Washington Cathedral coming together in a grand recognition of God’s victory on Good Friday and Easter. You are also invited to join us for a soup lunch with 2 very special grandmas during Holy Week and Pastor Dale White will be leading a series of inspirational discussions on “The seven last words of Christ from the cross”.

But most important is for you to invite your friends this Easter. Yes… dare them to try this great, positive church even just once and see if it a delightful surprise that will change their life forever. Invite your family, your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers, everybody!! We have so many services… they can try us just once.

HOLY WEEK SERVICES (4/6 - 4/12)

Monday
12:00 pm Soup Lunch with 2 Grandmas & “The seven words of Christ from the cross”
6:00 pm Positive Christian Singles

Tuesday
12:00 pm Soup Lunch with 2 Grandmas & “The seven words of Christ from the cross”

Wednesday
9:15 am “Wow” Women’s Bible Study with Pastor Linda Skinner
12:00 pm Soup Lunch with 2 Grandmas & “The seven words of Christ from the cross”
7:00 pm Wednesday “Under the Green Roof” Passover Service with Dr. Mary Folsom

Thursday
12:00 pm Soup Lunch with 2 Grandmas & “The seven words of Christ from the cross”
7:00 pm “New Life Recovery & 12-Step Groups” with Pastors Roy & Pam Seymour

Good Friday
12:00 pm Soup Lunch with 2 Grandmas & “The seven words of Christ from the cross”
7:00 pm “The Crucifixion” a special drama with Easter parties for the children

Saturday
6:00 pm “Easter Eve Service” with harpist Bethany Chattin

Easter Sunday
6:45 pm “Easter Sunrise Service” with Pastor Linda Skinner
7:15 am “All-Church Blueberry Pancake Breakfast”
8:45 am “Early Morning Communion Service” with Allan & Laurie Wenzel
9:00 am “A Liturgical Easter Service” with harpist Bethany Chattin
11:00 am (Let’s fill the new Mountainside Sanctuary) The best “Life-of-Christ Drama” we have ever presented along with a very dynamic Easter worship service and inspirational sermon by Pastor Tim White!
12:30 pm “New Generation Service” with Becca White preaching
2:00 pm “The Best Easter Egg Hunt in Town” (Children up to 6th grade) with “Bible Bear & Charity Chicken” and long with a special Easter story-time for kids with Pastor Michael Fernandez)
5:00 pm “Sunday 5” Experience Easter in quiet life-transforming reflection with Pastor Scott Burnett

It is up to you and I to get the good news out about Easter this year. We don’t have the money to advertise so let’s all take it upon ourselves to invite a friend and watch God use our best effort to change lives!

Dawn Dancer…
Tomb Breaker…
Laughing Jesus…

It's Easter!!!

“Cynicism & Wonder”

But dear friends, use your most holy faith to build yourselves up, praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ with his mercy to give you life forever. Show mercy to some people who have doubts. Jude 20-22

The journey of faith is a conscious, perpetual departure from cynicism and return to wonder.

Depart Cynicism

Return to Wonder

Cynicism is a particular type of negative attitude that undermines trust by suspecting shadows within the motives and actions of others. It germinates in disillusionment and grows like aninvasive vine, obscuring a clear view of life.

Wonder is joyful curiosity. It is a complex emotion that includes delight in the surprise itself,as well as an appetite to understand the elements and mechanisms of the surprise. Wondercontains hope because it knows there’s something new to know.

Cynicism believes heroes are phonies, celebrations are charades, and fulfilling conclusions are hollow confections.

Wonder sees the crocus in the snow. Wonder cheers the unexpected recovery. Wonder knows disappointment and chooses to allow room for goodness.

Wonder refuses to tight-leash the heart.

Religion can flourish in cynicism but faith cannot. Religion can be knotted with distrust and frustration; faith flies from such entanglements.

Wonder accommodates faith’s full wingspan.

Pastor Scott Burnett

And I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19

"Easter - Pagan or Pure Power?"

Yes, Easter was a pagan festival about Spring and new life. Yes, it got pretty twisted but one has to wonder if it was not Romans 1:20 and Romans 2:15 trembling in the pagan heart.

I can’t help but imagine a grandmother who had not yet understood about a God who is good (Psalms 118:1 & 29), let alone a God who is as wonderful as Jesus. Maybe that grandmother had buried a precious grandchild and in her sorrow saw the witness of Spring whispering about new life?

So, amazing grace came into the world with good news, no actually great, great, good news that the Creator God came in human flesh in Bethlehem’s cave. He would teach us how to live life and then die willingly on a cross so we could live forever!

Easter, a pagan term, became the awesome word describing the celebration of the Creator God named Jesus- - - Who didn’t stay on the cross!!- - - or stay in the tomb!!!

Pastor Tim and friends will present the greatest, dramatic sermon ever conceived- - - in 4 Acts! The sermon will be preached in all worship services but the drama will be only in the 11am service.

ACT 1 The Glory of Easter 2009- - - “The Cross is a Plus Sign!” March 29th at 11am Sunday Morning inMountainside Sanctuary.

ACT 2 Palm Sunday “When in Doubt Throw a Party!” April 5th at 11am Sunday Morning in Mountainside Sanctuary.

ACT 3 Good Friday “The Crucifixion!” (Recommended for adults only- - - greatchildren’s parties provided) April 10th at 7pm Friday Night in Mountainside Sanctuary.

ACT 4 “The Glory of Easter 2009” in Mountainside Sanctuary, Easter Sunday at 11am- - - Bring grandma- - uncle Bill, plus your neighbors. Easter Sunday’s drama is called- - -

“Dawn Dancer!”

“Tomb Breaker!!”

“Laughing Jesus!!!”

PS. Attending just this one Sunday all year could color your whole world!!!!

Caleb

"Servants In Training"

“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be;if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” John 12:26 (NAS)

Perhaps it is because of my intense interest in human behavior that I have become a counselor. That might also be the reason that I have noted some definitely distinctivedifferences with “our kids” at Washington Cathedral from the many children I have worked with over the years as a teacher. I’ve had the immense honor to watch some of these “kids” turn into some pretty amazing adults right from infancy!

I had the experience of being with the Youth Group Team to visit Honduras awhile back and was able to observe that transformation first hand. I watched three young ladies become women of purpose and commitment during that short eight-day period. Each was in a slightly different season of life but each made significant adjustments in their lifestyle and thinking on that trip.

Since that time, I have observed that their original passion has settled into a deep burning resolution. They are now stoking that passion with education, networking andexperience so that the next time God calls them to do something beyond themselves, their passion will be fueled by knowledge and the assurance of their calling. They are turning into deeply committed servants and totally fired-up at what they believe God can do through them.

Grown-ups will have a similar experience early in 2009. It is my expectation that those adults will experience something akin to what the Youth Team experienced. Of course, it will be “age-appropriate” and will look a bit different, but it will definitely be a transforming experience because, while God definitely calls the equipped, He also equips the called for even greater things than any one of us ever thought possible.

Pastor Sally Jo Holmes

“Sex For Christians!”

Sex was God’s idea! Yes, as strange as it may sound, sex was God’s idea—not Hugh Heffner or the sociologist Kinsey. You might be surprised that God created sex and that the Bible is notsilent about the subject. In fact, it is anything but silent on the subject. The Bible has a lot to say about how God intends this important part of our lives to be happy and fulfilled. As well it should – because this is certainly an area where human beings can become very mixed up andconfused.

I am on a series of messages about sex for Christians. And I am talking about it in such a way that a junior high-age boy can be sitting next to his grandmother and both of them realize that God loves them – and in fact understands them more than they understand themselves. I will have help from some of the leaders in our church to teach about this scientifically and in-depth biblically. I expect it to be a life-changing series and yes... singles are welcome (and encouraged) to attend. I think that someone recovering from a divorce could benefit from this topic as well as a couple waiting for marriage. I expect to be armed with the fruit of the Holy Spirit so that those who might disagree with “Christian concepts” of sex, can know that they are notbeing spoken down to, but will hear the message in love. I also believe that this series can help revive a struggling marriage and that every young person, who is not yet married, should hear these lofty ideas about love and sex – God’s way.

Don’t miss this opportunity as we study the love chapter and talk about the depth of what the Bible has to say about sex.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White