Saturday, January 21, 2012

Being Grounded: in Scripture

Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:3-5
The healthy love and compassion of Jesus Christ always amazes me! In so many of our encounters with the hurts of other human beings, it’s easy to begin to think in terms of manipulation instead of healthy Christ-like love. We often try to help someone quickly process their grief, but the depth of their hurt or the uniqueness of their personality has its own timetable. We hastily want to cheer a child or discouraged friend. All the while, however, we may be acting less out of genuine Christ-like compassion and more out of our need to stand back from the discomfort when we feel when we draw close to someone who is really struggling. This attitude may cause those we are trying to help put up defenses and actually drive away those who are trying to help.
We may fall into the illusion that we own people, that we can use them, that we have a right to manage their feelings. By offering premature advice on how to cope, by prodding with our faith rather than creating an atmosphere of trust and growth, we say much about our need for easy closure. When we barge in with such consolation, we may sometimes be making hurting souls into objects of projects.
In fact, a possessive approach to relationships creates many of our own disappointments; people rarely respond well to our efforts to manage their lives or orchestrate their response to their pains. We find relationships bending or even breaking under the weight of the expectations we place on them in our discomfort with another’s suffering. We can then end up even more alone―walled up within our disappointments or sadness.

When we treat people the way Jesus did, bridges are built and windows are opened; and we enjoy the relationship whether it is moving on our timetable or not. I am discovering that being grounded in the scripture, knowing that the Holy Spirit does the work and not me, gives me so much more patience, joy and discovery in my relationships with a variety of wonderful human beings.

For some reason, God has gifted our church for reaching out to a diversity of people to share the life-changing love of Christ. Imagine if we continue to grow in relating to everyone in our lives with the wisdom and gentle strength of Jesus? I relish every moment God gives me to live and grow in this holy endeavor.

Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White

Friday, January 13, 2012

The Secret: A Perpetual Inner Fire

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

Do you have deep feelings of insecurity that are hidden carefully in your life? Or do you feel that you alone are plagued with a weakness of some kind? I have good news for you- - - you’re not alone! These are feelings that many, many people wrestle with. Sometimes it’s hidden behind the cocky blustering of a person who seems egocentric, but in fact is covering up for feelings of being unloved or unaccepted. Other times feelings of inferiority are manifest by someone who instead - pulls back and trims their sails- - - they don’t want to expose their heart out of fear of being hurt. Surprisingly this shy person is feeling the same deep personal feelings as the blustering extrovert- - - “Who am I?” And- - - “If people ‘really’ knew me would they love and accept me?”

Geneticists tell us that the whole human family, from every race, can be traced back to a single mother whom they reluctantly call Eve. Their point is- - - we are all cut out of the same mold. So the good news I have for you is that you are not alone in your deepest darkest feelings. We have many of the same fears, temptations and creative ideas as a person sitting in prison or a person receiving a Nobel Prize for being a genius in some field. Because according to the Scriptures (and to science) we are all cut out of the same mold! How many of you have had a great idea that you never acted on only to find out later that someone else had the same idea and seized the opportunity?

When I was a youth pastor, many years ago, I enjoyed helping teenagers who were wrestling with an inferiority complex. When I saw a young person that felt like they had nothing to offer- - - I just loved getting to know them and making a lifelong friend. This was the process I used:

  • I prayed for them every day thanking God for their life until I was just bursting with enthusiasm for their God-given potential.
  • I used every opportunity to let them know how much I cared for them and encouraged them to wholeheartedly pursue God’s plan for their life. This included writing letters to them, talking to them on the phone, using them in sermons as an illustration of the good things God was doing, and being present at their special events (games, concerts, skateboarding competitions, etc.).
  • I tried to make friends with their friends and influence them with the excitement that God gave me for their life. That meant their parents, brothers and sisters, and friends at school.
  • I tried to seize every opportunity of challenge to be there for them- - - when they received a bad report card or made a mistake. Wow! This was my God-inspired moment to let them know all that I had been praying for them about.

I had such enthusiasm for this because most of the time growing up I myself was an arrogant jerk as I remember it (my mom says otherwise, but she doesn’t know everything I did during my teenage years. I’m trying to break it to her slowly.) I found Christ in a new, fresh way at seventeen- - - and something really happened. I had a “Scrooge” experience. I realized that I still had time to turn around all that I had done wrong if I would only let God work through my life. I envisioned people really excited about Philippians 4:13 so they could quote Paul, but mean it for themselves.

Well, that was a long time ago but I truly loved the job of being a youth pastor. It’s really the job that we all have as followers of Christ- - - to be so excited about what God is doing in our lives that it overflows and we pray for it to happen in the lives of others. Let’s do that this week!

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Friday, January 6, 2012

Say "Yes" to God

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (NIV)


Yes!!! There are so many people who are fearful of the year 2012- - - television and movies are full of doomsday scenarios. They tell us that the sale of guns and ammunition is at an all-time high, about the difficult economy and our world’s need for a Christian revival all can make people fearful in almost every aspect of their lives. Many people think they have to do it all on their own- - - make their marriage work, raise their children, manage economic storms, withstand anxiety- - - all by themselves. When in reality, we simply need to say “yes” to Jesus Christ. In fact, he is the divine “yes” or “amen” to our lives. Yes to living our lives under his purposes. Yes, to managing our finances his way. Yes, to rebuilding our relationships on scriptural principles. Yes, God Yes!!!


I am sharing a series on how to find the gift that God has given you and how to use it in cooperation with an army of positive Christians called the church. In every hardship, setback and tragedy is a gift from God that is branded into your life and you will be a miserable self-absorbed person unless you learn about teamwork and how to say “yes” to God with your gift. Have you ever seen a self-absorbed person who is really happy? Have you ever met a person walking under the Spirit’s leadership whose life is full of abundant generosity and is miserable? It is time to say “yes” to God in so many areas of our lives. I dare you to come to church for four weeks straight- - - not hit and miss- - - and see if God does not radically bless and change your life! There will be pastors waiting after every service to answer your questions about how to discover your spiritual gifts and how you can use them as a team with the army of positive people called Washington Cathedral. We literally cannot have too many gifted people. Everyone’s leadership skills are needed (if we can work together), and the strength, roots and impact of our lives can expand exponentially if we really begin to say “yes” to God. Yes God- - - use me, hurts and all. Make me a blessing. Let me be a part of the team. Yes God, we will move forward and not waste a minute of 2012 in fear, bitterness and regret.


I can see that we have been getting ready for this moment at Washington Cathedral for 27 years. How long have you been waiting to say “yes” to God?

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White