Tuesday, March 30, 2010

"The Glory of Easter 2010!"

Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed. John 20:8

I love Holy Week and I completely enjoy Easter!!! I can't tell you what it means to me to review the depth of the teaching ofPassover, to relive again with Jesus his passion, celebrate the forgiveness of Christ from the Cross, and to entertain the ideas of the resurrection. My heart just thrills. I think of my grandparents, I think of my grandchildren, I think of all my friends that have gone on to heaven and I think of my own life. It makes me tremble inside as I pray for Holy Week services knowing that I could invite someone who might find a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

And yes, I am so proud of my dad, Dr. Dale White, and Pastor Naomi Blake for producing a drama which tells the story of Easter fresh and new- - - it spreads revival like wildfire. Last Christmas I was blown away by the drama and I have read the script for this Easter and it’s even better. I pray that our whole meta church family can gather together for the 11 am service to see this glorious pageant- - - one of the few in the area and one of the best ever done in the Pacific Northwest!

Easter week will include: my dad having a soup lunch at noon Monday through Friday and discussing “The Seven Last Words of Christ” with anyone who would like to join him. He will anoint the sick and pray for healing every day that week.

Monday night at 7pm “One is a Whole Number” congregation is going to have a special Easter service and I am preaching. Yes, it will be a different message than my others that week, but I am looking forward to celebrating with this dynamic congregation (Pastor David is even going to sing.)

Wednesday night at 7pm “The Source” I will teach on the Passover. What a time to grow deeper in our understanding not only of our faith, but of the prophecy fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Thursday night at 7pm our “Serenity Service” is going to have Pastors Roy and Pam Seymour preaching with special music that will touch your heart.

Friday night at 7pm is our “Good Friday” service and our newest congregation Rooted Gathering is going to lead this service withwonderful music and three homilies by three dynamic young people from our church. It will include communion and candlelight in front of the waterfall.

Saturday night at 6pm “Boulder Creek” congregation will have a special Easter service with children bringing flowers into thesanctuary, brass, an incredible praise team and a dynamic, stirring Easter message by Dr. Dale White.

And of course we are going to have an “Easter Sunrise Service” at 6:45am. Pastor Linda Skinner will be preaching, we will haveinstrumental Easter music and a touching soloist - what a great way to greet the dawn!

Then, at 7:30am our traditional Easter “Blueberry Pancake Feed” will be open to all the congregations; Coptic, Korean, Hispanic, Brazilian, etc.- - - all in a big family-style feast!

Easter Sunday at 9am “Spirit Falls” congregation will be my opportunity to give my full Easter sermon. I love this traditional service with robes, choir, liturgy, the Lord’s prayer, kids bringing in flowers and dynamic music.

Easter Sunday at 11am in Mountainside Sanctuary will be “The Glory of Easter” drama and I will have a short, uplifting, Easter presentation of the Good News. And we’ll have a special guest from the Seattle Opera who’s singing will stir your soul!

Easter Sunday at 1pm will be our annual community “Easter Egg Hunt”- - - this is always an event never to be forgotten.
Easter Sunday at 5pm our “Sunday 5” congregation will enjoy the Shalom of Easter as they celebrate with a special Easter service.

Every service and every congregation will be blessed and overflowing! Please come to at least one of the services, but you arealways welcome to any or all of them. Just make sure that you don't miss our special “Easter Drama,” Sunday at 11am! It will be our best and our opportunity to fill up our 1100 seat Mountainside Sanctuary- - - that in itself is really inspiring! Bring your friends and give them a tour of our amazing facility as all the different congregations worship throughout the week.

This will be the greatest Easter of our lives so far! Won't you come home for Easter at Washington Cathedral!!!

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

"To Stay or Go?"

To Stay or Go…
Would you also go away?
This question, Jesus asked
to Peter who was close to Him
in this the three years past.

Some had found the road too hard
and quietly walked away.
Jesus asked those close to Him
if they too would go away.

Peter replied “But where to go?
It’s You who have the words,
eternal life is from your mouth
the way You show us, clear.”
In days to come it would be shown
that Peter too would flee
denying the knowledge of the one
they would nail up to a tree.
But it would prove he’d come around
and tell his Greatest Friend
“I’ll tell the world of all You’ve taught
from now until my end.”
This he did, we have the words
in letters he would leave.
He spread the teaching of his Christ
till he also hung from a tree.

Fiona Monaghan
3-10-10

"Will ye also go away?" John 6:67

A penetrating question. Our Lord's words come home most when He talks in the most simple way. We know who Jesus is, but in spite of that He says - "Will ye also go away?"We have to maintain a venturing attitude toward Him all the time. (From Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest March 9, 2010)

From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him." They went back from walking with Jesus, not into sin, but they relapsed. Many today are spending and being spent in work for Jesus Christ, but they do not walk with Him. The one thing God keeps us to steadily is that we may be one with Jesus Christ. After sanctification the discipline of our spiritual life is along this line. If God gives a clear and emphatic realization to your soul of what He wants, do not try to keep yourself in that relationship by any particular method, but live a natural life of absolute dependence on Jesus Christ. Never try to live the life with God on any other line than God's line, and that line is absolute devotion to Him. The certainty that “I do not know” - that is the secret of going with Jesus.

Peter only saw in Jesus someone to minister salvation to him and to the world. Our Lord wants us to be yoke-fellows with Him.

v. 70. Jesus answers the great lack in Peter. We cannot answer for others.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

“Flourishing in the Midst of Dissonance!”

But when some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, "The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.” So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue. At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: "Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you sometime ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News andbelieve. God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit,just as he did to us.” Acts 15:5-9

People regularly ask me how I can thrive in the midst of disagreements, cultural differences and personality conflicts in the church? I just smile. Because God has been preparing me to build a “Meta Church” my whole life. When I was one-year-old my dad started a community church—a church that agreed to disagree- - - a church that would major on the majors and minor on the minors- - - a church that would be more interested in building the Kingdom of God than just the success of one group. I read about 1776 and how the United States of America began. There were a lot of disagreements between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, not to mention every other element making up this great country. I see myself as a Thomas Jefferson (of sorts) building a team of great leaders - all who disagree about a lot of things; but the ones who can see the big picture and hang in there will be the forefathers and mothers of a great church which will be a family of churches honoring one another because of Jesus Christ!

I never have expected my wife to agree with me 100%, but we have always grown in our love and respect for one another—what a blessing. My kids and I love to argue and discuss theology, philosophy, and politics. I would never think of ever giving up on them- - - they know I love them with all of my heart and respect them even our disagreements. This is the kind of person that God has made me and the style of leadership he has called me to- - - we call it “collaborative.” Recently, Jackie pointed out that I have been blessed with success throughout my life using this style of leadership. Many leaders really buy into this idea- - - have you ever talked to Dr. Vath about the form of leadership that we use at Washington Cathedral?

Sure, sometimes I feel worn-out by feeling like the only one in the room that loves everyone (and you can probably see it in my face and hear it in my voice), but then Jackie and I get to take a little break and we remember how short life really is and how much we love everyone in this church. As we pray, we remember some of those that we were blessed to serve a short time with: Jane Bishop, Marcy Marquez, Marv Stone, Bill Biggs, Bill Holmes, Wayne Myers, Arden Apted, Emily (Boyce) Hurren, and many, many more. We realize that everyone is such huge a blessing (for such a short time) and the overwhelming joy of the Lord fills our hearts; and we thank God for our differences and our problems. Then we dive into the amazing pace that God has given us the energy to keep up for 25 years and our burden is light and our yoke is easy. Read Acts 15, there was conflict throughout thehistory of the church, but they flourished and kept respecting one another because Christ's death on the cross was too recent in their minds to treat people any other way. Someone commented that this is unhealthy, but I totally disagree. Read Jim Collinsand try and understand “Level Five Leadership” it is the height of maturity. No family or nation can work without people who can flourish in the midst of dissonance and surely a meta church modeled after the Book of Acts must find “knights in shining armor” who believe in the cause and hang in there as a team. What would have happened in world history if our nation gave up justbecause of internal conflict? A lot of people are giving up on the United States now, but I pray every day a blessing on thosepoliticians who hang in there through great disagreements and believe in our nation. Can I have any less commitment to my church or my family?

It is amazing how God is blessing our church right now. Every week the work in Honduras progresses and hundreds of ministries take place in the name of Jesus Christ in our community through Washington Cathedral. The church is still growing and our best days are ahead!

The other day I stopped by two hospitals to visit and pray for people who are making great progress against big challenges.We laughed and talked, I read scripture to them, anointed them with oil and held their hand as I prayed. The first patient was a young brilliant doctor (a healer by trade). The second was an older widow who is a wonderful mother, grandmother andgreat-grandmother. After I prayed for her (my last visit before rushing to preachat a service) she said, spontaneously, “Thank you! I love you.” Then, slightlyembarrassed she said, “Can I say that?” I smiled and knew that it came from the deepest part of her spirit. It was almost as though God had told me that He loved me. That is all I need to flourish, regardless of the greatness of my personalchallenges!

Your friend and pastor for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

"To Become a Church!"

Prayer brings people together to accomplish what would be impossible without God!

I love the high priestly prayer of Christ in John chapters 15-17. “When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.” (John 15:10-13)

At Washington Cathedral we have been very intentional about reaching out to the whole body of Christ and letting them know that this is a place of love, forgiveness and acceptance: Calvinist and Wesley Armenian (those whobelieve that human choices can really mess up a life and those who believe that God is sovereign and anythingelse sounds like blasphemy), Lutheran and Catholic, Charismatic and Bible Baptist, Liberal Methodist andFundamentalist Independents, Post-Modern and Modernist, Salvation Army and Assembly of God, Seventh DayAdventists and Quakers, those who would study the Bible twenty-four-seven and those who work twenty-four-seven to help the poor in Jesus’ name. We need them all using their gifts and working together as a team for us to be the church God wants us to be.

This may surprise you, but we do not all agree with each other at Washington Cathedral- - - but, as followers of Christ we agree to respect people of all age, races, and cultures in the name of Jesus. We even respect those with whom we have very strong disagreements. I think this is one of the reasons that we are very good at reaching people who are very far from God with an authentic personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Make no mistake about it - this was why we were called together in the first place- - - to become a church- - - and it is why the majority of people love this church and its dream to fulfill the great commission by going into every ethnic group to make disciples.Disciples means “learners” - those who learn and do what Jesus did. We call this, “Building the greatest caringnetwork that the world has ever seen! Caring for the people we find and finding people to care.” Actually loving people in the name of Jesus and watching them in turn learn to grow close to Jesus and love others (it has had an amazing ripple effect if you have eyes to see). We have come a very long way, from nothing to where we are today, and we are just getting started. I have at least 20 more years in the ministry and I plan on handing off the helm of this church to a leader who believes in the collaborative method - empowering gifted people who will simply respect and walk with the leadership to innovate amazing ministries to reach and touch the world for Jesus Christ. That brings me back to the high priestly prayer of Christ.

"I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the worldbegan! O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I haverevealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them. (John 17:21-26)

For those who stick it out with Washington Cathedral, you can expect to kneel next to someone with whom you do not totally agree. You can expect to learn to love them and respect them because Christ's love, humility, and respect flows through your heart. Arrogant Christians will just not be comfortable in this church and I am sure there are plenty of fine churches to choose from if that is the kind of church you feel called to. How can so many peopledisagree and still learn patiently and miraculously to get along? They must have a feeling of humility and reject the feeling of spiritual superiority. Remember, the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Sure, every one of us feels like we are right or we would be less than sincere. But hopefully we know we are not God and our love for Jesus takes over so we are patient with one another - better yet, we flat out learn to love and enjoy one another and people know that we are Christians by our love. That is what will draw them and that is what will minister to our families as we enjoy the great adventure that we have been called and appointed for.

I will never be able to tell you enough times how much I love my friends who have joined in this great adventure andthose who are called to another part of the kingdom church too. I pray that we at Washington Cathedral learn tobecome a happy church living out the high priestly prayer of Christ.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

"Revival!"

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

What an important guideline for life. Out of the heart comes life or death; health or illness; joy or discontent; strength or weakness. The Bible knows what it is talking about. One translation uses the imagery of the heart being the source of life. Can you imagine the peril that any community would be in if they allowed their water source to be polluted? This is a guideline that we would all do well to follow.
This is especially true when it comes to the yearly renewal of the church. We are in a new building, starting new congregations and attendance is up, but we still have to gear our game up. Craig Davis recently pointed out to me that he was trying to schedule an event in the ReCreation Center and there were 14 different groups using the building that day (and that didn’t count the pool - which was full of people). We started a New Korean Congregation on February 28th and we have a Brazilian Congregation getting ready to begin soon as well.
We must step up our game to the next level in preparation for all that God is doing. We are on an excitingadventure discovering the power of the Book of Acts and how collaborative leadership works in the meta church model. Recently, when I was speaking for Leadership Nexus at a Phoenix conference, one denominational leader said, “This model could save our denomination!” Blazing this new trait for the meta church has not been easy. There have been fallen trees to cross, un-bridged rivers to forge and constant reinvention by patient, life-long friends who believe in the unique calling of this church and seen the fruit of my leadership of this great team.
Many of you may not know this, but every year we work to reinvent Washington Cathedral. This year, we will invite diverse people who have gone through the discipleship of our new Wednesday evening service (The Source) to be a part of this process. I know a lot people just don’t have the time, and that’s alright- - - everyone can’t be part of the taskforce to reorganize an organic organization, and some people are just not made for the teamwork approach. Here’s a quick outline of what our reinvention process looks like: Basically we look for those who are walking with us. For those who are willing to listen to why God has led us and blessed us to do things in a certain way - this is called discipleship. Then, we do everything we can to listen to the community, the church members and leaders on how we can do things better. We go away on a retreat and pray about it - looking for God’s will and not our own.Then we come back with a plan for change. Some items may have to be a part of our five-year plan; others will be instituted immediately when we kick off our new year in the fall. And finally, the staff then takes all this information and spends a week in prayer and spiritual disciplines discussing and planning out the plan for the next year.
This year our new Wednesday night service, “The Source,” is the focal point of this revival. If you want to bea leader of Washington Cathedral then you need to worship with us weekly; but if you want to be a part of the large renewal taskforce, then you need a good heart and participation in our Wednesday night “The Source” service.Pastors, lay leaders, and myself will teach through the book of Matthew. I know none of us can make it every week, but we are going to make it available online and you can email me or another staff member your comments onthe teaching and be a part of the journey. We will take a prayer retreat in early summer called “Weekend at Galilee” where we will brainstorm our modifications for the next year and by fall we willhave filtered through all the data to find the will of God. If you want to be part of this renovation team at one of the most exciting times in the history of our church, then join us next Wednesday night – 6pm is dinner and 7pm is the teaching and interaction at the end. This is going to be the greatest year in the history of Washington Cathedral!
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White