Why I'm All In the Daniel Fast

I write this email from a caffeine-withdrawal fog….so please excuse any nonsensical sentences. The withdraw symptoms aren’t that extreme – I’ve already been limiting myself to two cups of caffeine a day (the pregnancy allowance). But not having that first cup in the morning really makes a difference in my mental energy and good mood….which is why I am “All In” for the Daniel Fast.

Being a feeling-oriented person I’ve often let my desires or cravings influence my daily actions: feeling tired? Stop for a cup of coffee…forget the fact that I may be 15 – 20 minutes late. Had a bad day? Why not go out for ice cream with a friend or family member? Too tired for my evening devotional time? I’ll do it in the morning (then I sleep in).

I want all of that to change. I want to be led by the Spirit of God, not by my whims and desires. Galatians 5:16 – 18 tells us that the flesh and the Spirit are often at odds with one another, and that we are to be led by the Spirit, not by our flesh. And Romans 8:14 – 17 shares the good news that all led by the Spirit of God are children of God, and if we are children of God we are also heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (if in fact, we suffer with him so that we may be glorified with him).

My hope is that as I learn to nail my selfish desires to the cross I can be more aware and open to what God has for me, and create a greater impact in my community, which is so in need of revival. And all it takes is turning my focus away from my task list and my personal wants toward the Lord and all that he has for me....so I’m all in!

-          ANNOUNCEMENT  -

The Daniel Fast reaches its climax with our Fall Kickoff on October 7^th! As part of your Daniel Fast, begin praying for those people you will share your faith with and invite over these next two weeks!

Introducing some NEW TLCs! (Starting Oct 7)

Washington Cathedral’s small groups (or “tiny little churches”) are a place to gather with new friends and experience the type of authentic community we all crave. This quarter we are launching several new groups we would like to highlight:

I. Have you ever wanted a little more time with our senior pastor? He always shares such wisdom from the pulpit, and personally exhibits a caring and inspiring heart. If so, join “Diamonds in the Rough” at Mike and Monica Weaver’s house in Redmond (Tuesdays at 7:30 pm). Pastors Tim and Jackie will teach and share from the “diamond principle” for discovering your hidden potential.

II. Do you feel a passion or burden for the Spanish-speaking population in this area? You are invited to the “Esperanza” TLC, for both Spanish and English speakers. The nexus of this group is our Spanish-speaking congregation, but are all welcome! Rey and Elise Diaz lead the group which meets Wednesdays at David and Rossana Fox’s residence in Kingsgate.

III. Benjamin Smokovich kindled his passion to reach communities for Jesus Christ when he served for five years in a poor flavella in Brazil. He brings that passion to Kirkland with his new “All-In” TLC, challenging participants to be “all in” for Christ, and providing the opportunity to reach out to homeless of the Eastside.

IV. Twenty-somethings often find themselves in a season of transition….and yet long for a sense of family. “Emerge” is a group for young adults in this season of life. College, career, still-trying-to-figure-it-outs, singles, married, and those with ever-changing facebook status are invited to come and create that sense of family with Tim and Sarai Jacobs on Saturdays.

V. Are you thinking you might be interested in joining a TLC, BUT wondering how you can possible fit another commitment into your schedule? This just might be the group for you! We are all in the same boat: a group of families navigating through life’s ups and downs, figuring out how to keep Jesus at the center of it all. “Sunday Supper” TLC begins at Michael and Teresa Fernandez’s house to share a potluck dinner, then rotates to other members’ houses to dine together.

VI. I’m not sure which is more difficult…being a teenager today, or raising teenagers today! “Parents of Teens” meets briefly on Sunday mornings to support parents as we struggle this season together. Led by Kerrie Holleman at 10 am.

****To sign up for any of these new TLCs (or some oldies but goodies), email: reyangeldiaz@gmail.com or stop by the TLC table at the back of church on Sunday. (Signing-up ahead of time is very important because if we do not get enough sign-ups for a particular TLC, we may merge two groups or wait until a different quarter to begin).

What Happens When a Community Goes "All In"?

One example, in particular, stands out in my mind: in the first century A.D., an emerging band of rebel rousers were once described as “turning the world upside down.” This was the first church, growing like wildfire in Asia Minor (Acts 17:6, ESV).

History has also shown that times of fasting and seeking the Lord have preceded times of great revival. Across our nation, churches are calling congregants to three weeks of a partial fast, called “the Daniel Fast” to help us develop a more intimate relationship with Jesus and really put our lives on the altar to be “All In” for change.

In a community where so many people feel alone, increasing numbers of people are experiencing hard times out of work, and the spiritual battle for our children’s hearts are reaching epidemic proportions, I can think of no better time to be “All In” for change. Our community’s call to fast begins Sunday, April 23rd (notice the date has changed since this weekend’s message).

A true fast, a prophet once said, is to

"loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter

— when you see the naked, to clothe them,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

 

 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.” (Isaiah 58:6-9)

Therefore, our fast will begin by participation in our Auction “Fiesta de Milagros,” (Friday, Sept 21st)….at which we have the chance to do just as Isaiah said and share our food with our hungry and to close the naked.

Then, Sunday September 23rd, Pastor Tim and Pastor Rey are encouraging everyone in our congregation to begin a modified form of the Daniel Fast, for three weeks of seeking God’s face.

The parameters of Washington Cathedral’s fast are as follows:

(1) Eat a healthy natural diet of your choice (no in between meal snacks or processed sugar).
(2) Pray five times a day
(3) Share your faith daily
(4) Give something up for 21 days without talking about it
(5) Resign to the will of God in ways he will show you

Debi Raines, who has experimented with the Daniel Fast previously, describes her experience this way: “I really like the Daniel fast because it allows you to eat, yet be restricted in your eating. The results are that your physical needs are met, but you never feel satisfied. This makes you lean into God, for three weeks! I experienced realistically and tangibly that only God can satisfy! I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything and I am so excited to begin a new on September 23rd!”

On Sunday, September 23rd, we will provide a detailed packet of information on the Daniel Fast at church. In the meantime, you can find out more at: www.daniel-fast.com. Please pray about being this venture with our community and doing something concrete to show that you are All In for change.

The Contagion of Joy

            We think joy is circumstantial. Then we read the testimony of the Apostle Paul describing his joy while awaiting his death in chains (Philippians 2:12-18 and 4:4). Joy can burst out of difficult circumstances, and it can be as catching as wild fire.

Last week my grandson and I hiked up Cougar Mountain so that I could teach him how to be a mountain man and to survive in the wilderness if he were ever lost. I showed him all the things he could eat in the forest, natural ways to defend himself from Mosquitoes or even cougar, and how to stay warm and start a fire without matches (his mom is going to love that one). I showed him which plants and bugs were poisonous and which he could eat.  In response he replied: “Wait a sec, G.P. -  You want me to eat a bug?!”

“Not just any bug.” I showed him which ones were good and how to prepare them.  Then he caught the adventure of it and was filled with excitement and joy.

“Okay, G.P., I am going to eat the next bug I see!”

“Slow down, grandson, you only need to eat bugs if you are lost and starving.”  But his joy was contagious, so we might have snacked on creepy-crawler or two. True joy is contagious, it is that simple.

            

             The joy from the good news the Apostle Paul had experienced was even greater – it was transforming! It can change our lives, every day, for the rest of our lives, if we let Jesus have his way.  And this transforming joy is viral.  It becomes a revolution when every Christian realizes that he or she is a church-planter.  And God has set us up with a great platform to do so.

             We live in an age of social networking. Have you thought that you have a congregation in your social network? People that may not have any other connection with Jesus other than the change they see in you….people that are waiting for someone to pour love, joy, and grace into their lives. First, your family and friends but then second your social network: your high school friend and college buddy….your dentist and your dog-walker! You can stay in touch with them.  You can hear their hurts, pray for them, and invite them to move one step closer to Jesus Christ.  We proposed five easy steps for this.  We called them the five P's:

1. Post the sermons on your social network.

2. Pray for your group and encourage them daily

3. Pass along your enthusiasm about your faith, your church and your savior.

4. Plan some ministry ideas for your group.  What can you do together that would honor Jesus?

5. Begin a faith conversation with your group.  Give them an uplifting idea daily.  Talk to them and listen to them.  But share your faith with them in a viral way.

Pretty simple but a lot of fun.  And as I say to my grandson in his mountain man training: “Let’s get-tur done!”

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Small Steps toward Big Trouble

I felt soreness in my legs and feet but ignored it.  I put on my socks.  I pulled on my ankle brace.  I laced up my shoes.  I stretched and warmed up as always.  Then I began playing.  Only a couple minutes into the game I felt the SNAP.  But it wasn’t a momentary accident. Step by step I snapped my Achilles tendon.  Although the moment I remember the most is the SNAP, I didn’t ruin my Achilles tendon all at once.  I ruined it step by step.  Really, it wasn’t even about one day or one week but a long period over which patterns and habits emerged.

When most of us think about Samson, we immediately think about Delilah cutting his hair.  But Samson didn't ruin his life all at once.  Samson ruined his life one step at a time.  Throughout his life he ignored God’s spirit.  He had established habits of allowing his emotions to lead him astray and expose his Achilles’ heel, leading him to forfeit God’s best. Long before he even met Delilah, Samson was walking step by step into a trap.

With each step, Samson had ample opportunity to turn around.  Even in the episode with Delilah, Samson had three chances to realize that he was playing with fire.  The story of Samson is the story of a man taking small steps to big trouble. 

Where are you in your journey?  Are you taking small steps away from God or striding eagerly in His direction? I challenged the entire church with this thought: “What do you do if you are walking away from God?” The answer is simple - turn around….change.  It’s never too late to become who you are meant to be and to accomplish what you are meant to do. 

Mark 1:15 - ¹⁵ “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

What To Do When You Fail

I’ve failed more times than I care to confess or remember.  In high school, I lost an ASB election and thought I would never live again.  It was humiliating.  I wanted to move to another school.  I didn’t know how I could pull myself together for the following year.  Yet here I am years later alive and well, with God’s plan still before me.  Failure is an event, not a person.  So I don’t mind telling you I’ve failed.  I have.  I’ve wasted chances.  I’ve completely blown it (believe me I have).  But don’t think for a minute I would ever call myself a failure.  I am what God says I am and God calls me his child. 

Samson experienced failure in a painful way.  He failed in such a way that the very people from whom he was supposed to deliver Israel ended up mocking him and making him their “pet” (pretty humiliating). Yet Samson did more than show remorse for his failure.  He didn’t blame others or circumstances. Instead, for the first time in his life, Samson repented.  Samson turned around.  And with God it is never too late to turn around.  At rock bottom, Samson took one tiny baby step in God’s direction.  And somehow…someway…

Samson accomplished more in his dying day than he did his entire life! With God’s strength, Samson was finally able to do what he was created to do (despite all of his failures).

Handling failure in our personal lives is difficult.  The pain of regret is real and tangible.  Yet the story of Samson teaches me that just because someone is down, doesn’t mean he is out.  We learn that despite our failures, God is strong enough.  I wanted to encourage everyone with this simple truth – God is still powerful enough to somehow and someway turn our failures into a good accomplishment. God never ceases to amaze.

Do you believe this?  Do you see failure as an event or a person?  Do you believe God can turn around any and all of your failures? 

Proverbs 24:16 - Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.  

When Your Weakness is Exposed

By Rey Diaz

Among my family and friends I am known as an emotional robot.  I don’t cry.  And I don’t know what to say when someone starts crying.  I am known for saying the worse thing possible.  But this does not mean I am not emotional.  In fact I believe that since we are all created in the image of God, we are all emotional beings who might express emotions differently.  If you were to watch me during a football game or driving in traffic, you would see I am very emotional. 

There is nothing wrong with emotions.  The danger comes when we allow these emotions to drive us. In Samson we see a gifted and talented young man with so much potential, who allows his emotions to drive him.  When we allow ourselves to be emotion-driven, our Achilles’ heel becomes exposed.  Samson’s emotions tended to lead him directly into traps.  For many of us, our emotions do the same for us – they expose our weaknesses. 

There is only one solution to this problem.  Paul addresses it in Galatians.  He begs us to “let the Holy spirit guide your lives.”  When we allow God to lead us and guide us, we are safe.  God leads us into a place where he can perform a miracle and turn our Achilles’ heel into strength.

So which are you?  Are you emotion-driven?  Or are you spirit-led?  Maybe you go back and forth between the two.  Today, I want you to do the thing that tough Samson couldn’t do - surrender your emotions to God.  Will you do?

Galatians 5:16-17

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. ¹⁷ The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.