"Whatever It Takes!"

It is so easy to feel responsible for those we love. Could I sometimes get in the way of God’s will for them by praying the wrong things for them? God’s ultimate purpose in everyone’s life is to reveal Himself to them and through Jesus, He does this.

“If you have seen me you have seen the Father…” John 14:9
When we love someone and pray for their lives to be blessed and peaceful and for things to go right, that may not be the path they need to take in order to find Jesus - thereby God. If God’s ultimate purpose in every man’s life is their salvation and reinstatement into His family, it needs to be in His way. The most powerful prayers usually include the phrase “Whatever it takes” or “Thy will be done.”

By releasing our hold and putting it, in trust, into God’s hands, He will do the required part. Be prepared, willing and able to support and comfort those we love, as God brings them into relationship with Him. This is His purpose in sending His Son, Jesus…
“Just rejoice with godly excitement that His voice has been heard. You may often have to watch Jesus wreck a life before He saves it.” (Oswald Chambers) See Matthew 10:34-39

I have found this to be true in my own experience. I remember the phrase that started the most exciting five years of my life - “Whatever it takes.” It has been a journey of ups and downs, expectation and disappointments, joy and peace. I wouldn’t have traded the ticket for this ride for anything. I would and should, wish no less for those that I love, than for them to find God to be the true anchor for ones soul, the true provider for all needs and the ultimate truth in all things.

Fiona Monaghan
Staff Administrative Assistant

"Brain Rules!"

"See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” Isaiah 42:9, NIV

The way of faith is not static. Belief moves. God’s call, God’s song, unfolds dynamically over time. It’s not a puzzle we solve. It is unfrozen.

Humans were not made for stasis; even our brains function best when we’re in motion. Scientist and author, John Medina, explains this phenomenon in his new book, Brain Rules.

Exercise increases oxygen flow into the brain, which reduces brain-bound free radicals. One of the most interesting findings of the past few decades is that an increase in oxygen is always accompanied by an up tick in mental sharpness.

Exercise acts directly on the molecular machinery of the brain itself. It increases neurons’ creation, survival, and resistance to damage and stress. www.brainrules.net

Clearly, the interplay between physical and mental vitality is profound. I suggest spiritual vigor is integral to the same equation. Our place in creation isn’t merely decorative! We’re made to be played, saxophone-like, resonating with the Creator’s breath.

God reaches toward us from our not-yet and invites us to lean into his all-things-work-together-for-good. This is what it means to follow Jesus. This is why we aren’t interested in religion as usual. This is how we find ourselves flourishing at the edge of brand new things.

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Pastor Scott Burnett

"Life is Sweet!"

Yes, life is sweet! My wife Jane and I are getting a new lease on life at Washington Cathedral - and life has never been sweeter! In fact, how sweet it is to stand on the edge of tomorrow.

I was telling my son Tim, that one of the most amazing miracles I have ever witnessed is the growth of leaders at Washington Cathedral. What a privilege to call this church family home. I remember when Pastor David Gerzsenye was a hesitant seeker - wow, what a big-hearted, gifted pastor he is now. I have watched Pastor Linda Skinner grow as a great leader and fine teacher - God is working in her life. I had lunch with Pastor Michael Fernandez today and he is just full of joy. He shared his heart with me and his calling to pastoral care - I haven't seen a better pastor’s heart in all my years. And of course Pastor Naomi - I have known her since her first solo in church. She feels like family to Jane and I. We are so thankful for Bruce in her life. What a privilege to get to know Pastor Scott - I love the way his mind works. Something just clicked in my spirit when I heard him preach a few weeks ago. I love Dr. Marty Folsom’s smile - what a dream Washington Seminary has become and is becoming. Pastor Ricardo and I had coffee - God has his hand on that young mans life. It’s only a matter of time until a huge Hispanic congregation emerges. Tim McGee leading the five non-profit foundations and Bill and Elaine Brammer leading TLC’s (small groups) - what church could ask for sharper leaders? We think the world of Roy and Pam Seymour and what they are doing in Recovery Ministries. Dr. Ray Vath, Dr. Bob Hoskins, Dr. Paul Huang - what a team! Janette Backlund and the entire Children’s Ministries team that loves the kids of this church would be a source of pride for any church. The young intern-pastors working with youth are each world changers and I have been preparing all my life to help Rey and Elise accomplish the impossible in the Tegucigalpa city dump.

I enjoy the people of the congregation, the administrative assistants, musicians, maintenance people and... I am pretty proud of the Co-Senior Pastors Tim and Jackie. We feel like we’ve stepped onto an all-pro team. Yes, how sweet it is to stand on the edge of tomorrow!!!

Dr. Dale C. White

Cathedral Canon

"Attitude Adjustment"

Attitude adjustment - it is something we all live with daily; the need to do it and the question of how to do it. Over the past few years, I have chosen a path that has been very beneficial on many levels. There was a lot going on around me and it was very easy to be distracted by one crisis oranother. One day I determined to wake up earlier than usual and spend an hour with a devotional. I had chosen “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers (the updated version). I can honestly say that my temperament, patience and tolerance have all increased due to this blessed time of my day. My formula was to read through the daily reading once or twice and write down my thoughts; what I thought he was saying and how it applied to me at this moment in my life. It opened up for me a one-on-one dialogue with God as I saw areas in my life that I needed to work on, and wasbeing encouraged to be a totally sold out disciple for Christ and let Him work through me in my world. I then found that I would flow into a prayer of thanksgiving or praise or even recognition of a change in me that needed to be made. I wrote out the prayer as if it were a letter from me to God, then it ended up being a two-way exchange.

…so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry whichI received from the Lord Jesus… Acts 20:24

There it was again ~ right where I am living! I had begun to think that maybe it was time to move on. Thoughts had crept in about changing my situation and then I read the devotion for today and was corrected, yet again, from making a move without permission. Any ministry I participate in is to fulfill God’s purpose, not man’s. I answer to Him and only Him. I am to be loyal to the commission given me until He chooses to move me. So, I will buckle under and fulfill this assignment. True obedience is what He asks of me. To suffer the small discomforts of this life so I may have the full benefits and rewards of the next. This is why I must practice this daily time alone with Him. I need to be constantly readjusting my thinking, my motives and even my feelings as they can be so easily bent out of shape. I have heard that my spiritual life is much like a missile. It never flies in a straight line, but is being constantly readjusted by degrees until it reaches it’s target.

“Search my heart and motives O Lord! Bring to my attention and clean out the wicked ordispleasing thing in my thinking or feelings. Remove the garbage that can collect in my heart from the things around me: attitudes, pettiness, criticism or disloyalty that can damage my spirit.Readjust my focus and the true aim of my heart which is to be totally fixed on You and Your plan for me in this life. Amen.”

Fiona Monaghan
Staff Administrative Assistant

"A God Thing"

Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

The last great unconquered frontier for the advancing cause of Christ may vary well be the personal prayer life of his followers.

Dr. Joe Stowell President of Moody Bible Institute

What is one good thing about going through a tough bone crushing time? It is that you have a chance to ask for God’s help like you never have before – you have a chance to grow!

The other day at the high school snow retreat. Roxie Blair was learning to snowboard and she fell. Her snowboard took off (at what seemed like) a million miles an hour into avalanche territory and just disappeared from site. After some thought, she made a decision not to go into the woods and risk her life, or anyone else's. She worked her way back to the lodge to report that she would have to buy the board that was lost. What a bummer (as we used to say). Just as she was walking to a bank machine to get the money to buy a new snowboard, she and the other kids thought; well, this is better than a terrible injury and we will just have to trust God in this perplexing situation. Just then a young man walked up and handed her the lost snowboard and said casually, “Oh, here’s your board.” The whole group celebrated! When they turned around the guy was gone, without any of them noticing that he had left. They all felt that it was a real “God thing.” As we have come to call such moments that are impossible to completely understand.

The exciting news that Pastor Ben McCary pointed out to me, is that everyone grew from that crisis. Everyone saw how essential it was to trust God. We are in such a moment now in our church, in each family, in our businesses and in our lives. It is time to trust God and look for the possibilities that He would have us pursue.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

"Experience Easter"

Last week when I was preaching at our Esperanza service, I could feel the power of the Spirit of God working. It was just as real as anything in life. It was beautiful, joyful and incredibly powerful! As Pastor Ricardo Uribe translated the message, it gave me an opportunity to watch the impact on the rowd. When I was sharing about the power of the kingdom of God and what it really means to become a follower of Jesus Christ, a young man just lit up with joy. Pastor Rey Diaz told me later that this young man had committed his life to become a Christ follower. As Rey told me, he gave me a high five and we just celebrated. Ricardo had already called me and told me that a new birth in this young mans life was on the way. He had spent many hours discussing his questions and watching the reality of Jesus Christ grip his life. This young man, who is going to be an incredible world changer, said, “Finally I met Jesus. I personally knew that he was there and I chose to follow him.” That was Easter striking a few weeks early.

I want to ask you a question – how many people are going to find a life-changing, personal encounter with Jesus Christ this Easter? There are one billion Christians on this planet – that means there will be a lot of Easter services. I hope I meet Jesus again this Easter – I hope he touches me with the miraculous. I hope he instills within me a new confidence in the pervasive power of his Kingdom authority. I hope my life is changed again as further proof that Jesus Christ is still encountering people just like he did in the garden on the first Easter, or in the upper room, or at the sea of Galilee. My hope soars for all those who have Jesus “pigeonholed” as just another religion. I hope they meet him and his miraculous power and he knocks them off their horse, just as he did a man named Saul who became Paul and changed the world.

I promise you that this year – Easter will be just awesome at Washington Cathedral! Of course there will be harp music, of course the choirs will be bigger and better than ever. Of course there will be dancing and children and the waterfall and a whole cast of actors dramatically reenacting the Easter story. Pastor Ricardo is going to sing “Via Dolorosa”. Pastor Naomi is going to sing “I’ve Just Seen Jesus” and my Dad, Dr. Dale White is going to be with us this year to share his dramatic retelling of the story. I will have the best sermon of my life and the worship team is gearing up to be better than ever! So if you’ve ever wanted a friend, co-worker, neighbor or family member to have a life-transforming encounter with a resurrected Jesus, then bring them to the “Glory of Easter” this year.

One Easter service can transform a life, a family and a community!

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

"Community Is Not Dead!"

I look around at the neighborhood in which I live, and I realize that it is not the neighborhood of my youth. Small-town Nebraska was filled with families deeply rooted in their geography; my family knew them all, both the “town-people” and the ranchers, and we were related to many of them. Community was a critically important part of our lives. It was more than just a social calendar; community was a survival network – a safety net for our lives. When thelocal fire department siren blared to life, we all knew it was time to get out of the local jewelry store or clothing store because the owner and volunteer fireman was on his way to help. Word traveled fast. Sometimes it was a minor emergency. Sometimes it wasn’t. “HankSawyer got his arm caught in a baler. You want to ride with me?” Where did that community go? Have we outgrown our need for it? As for the community of my youth, it is shrinking but not gone. As for the rest of us, we all need to feel a part of a community – a group of friends we can count on in times of trouble. A group that will rejoice with us in times of joy, comfort us in times of sorrow, and just show up with a helping hand when the kids are sick, the car just broke down, and the boss is demanding more than we can give!

I am so thankful that community is not dead at Washington Cathedral. It is an integral part of who we are! I look around, and I see the bright smiles on the greeters. I notice the sincere caring in the eyes of those who hear of a need. I watch the teachers in the classes as they greet the children coming in. I watch the small group leaders minister to their families. I am encouraged, and I realize, COMMUNITY IS NOT DEAD, IT HAS JUST RELOCATED!

It also makes me realize that I can do more. I can make a greater effort to say “Hi!” to the new family in the third row. I can make sure they know they are welcome and I can answer their questions. I can join a small group and reap the blessings of a new community of friends. I can make a difference in the lives of the people around me! After all, isn’t that what community is? And aren’t those the people that Jesus was really referring to when he said “Love your neighbor as yourself?” I am energized by the opportunity to serve. Join me in the excitement!

Elaine Brammer