What Does Love Ask of Me?

By Pastor Rey Diaz

Throughout this series, we’ve talked about how Christianity has a branding problem.  Jesus never called his followers “Christians.” He called them “disciples.” That’s a scarier word because it actually means something. A disciple is a pupil or follower. A disciple learns and grows by obeying and imitating his or her master. And Jesus made it very clear how he wanted his followers to behave:

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

If Jesus commands us to love one another, we need to ask: What does love require of me? I don’t think anyone would disagree about the central role love is to play on our lives.  But just like Christianity has a branding problem love has a definition problem because we all define it differently.  So what exactly did Jesus mean by “love one another”?

My main argument this past week was this – if you want to know what Jesus meant by what Jesus said, watch what Jesus did.  In other words, if we want to know what Jesus meant by “love one another”, we have to watch what he did. 

So what did Jesus do?  He walked into Jerusalem knowing it would cost him his life.  He looked at us and asked, “what does love ask of me?”  Love asks me to give it all to rescue people from sin.  Love asks me to sacrifice it all on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins.  These were not idealistic words from Jesus, but words he lived out. 

Once in Jerusalem, Jesus was asked which of God’s commandments was most important. His answer tells us what love requires of us:

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37–39, NIV)

Ironically, Jesus not only answered with words but was in the midst of answering with his deeds.  Jesus made it clear – love God.  Love people. 

So what does love asks of me? 

First, love asks that we put God first.  There is a vertical aspect to our relationships.  We were made in the image of a loving God and until we fix our vertical relationship the horizontal will be impossible. 

Second love asks that we put people first.  That we put their interests above our own interest.  I have included a checklist based on Jesus’ actions and the love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13.  Look at the people God has put in your circle.  Are you really loving them as God has loved you?

Can you imagine what would happen in our families and communities—even our nation—if, for a month, we asked what love requires of us and then responded accordingly?

“Love one another“ Checklist

Matt 22:37-39 and 1 Corinthians 13

Vertical

☐  God is first

☐  God is at the center

☐  I won’t hurt God

☐  I won’t hurt me

Horizontal

☐  I will put other first

☐  I won’t hurt others

☐  Patient

☐  Kind

☐  Not Jealous

☐  Not irritable

☐  Not keeping a record of other’s wrong

☐  Not demanding my own way

☐  Allowing truth to win out

☐  Not giving up

☐  Not losing faith

☐  Staying hopeful

☐  Expecting the best

☐  I will endure everything

"Today I Quit Being a Christian"

By Pastor Rey Diaz

Those were some of the most devastating words I ever heard as a seminary student.  Anne Rice, who had become a hero to me in high school and college, said them.  In her book, Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession, she shared her powerful personal story about her relationship with Jesus. She grew up in the church, but left as a young adult. In her fifties, she rejected her decades-long atheism and returned to church...for ten years. And then she made this announcement on her Facebook page:

Today I quit being a Christian. I’m out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being “Christian” or to being part of Christianity. It’s simply impossible for me to “belong” to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group.

Rice’s statement stirred controversy (and broke my heart), but let’s be honest: the idea that Christians can be quarrelsome, hostile, and disputatious isn’t exactly surprising. How is it that people like Anne Rice—people devoted to Jesus—sometimes feel driven from Christianity? Why are there Christians on all sides of cultural and political issues, arguing with non-believers and fellow Christians alike? Is this really what Jesus intended for his disciples? I don’t think so.  But somehow Christianity has been branded and associated with this label. 

But Jesus had something entirely different in mind.  In fact, Jesus tells us how his disciples should behave and he makes no mention of hostility or disputation. He says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). The distinguishing characteristic of a disciple was not to be knowledge, belief, or church attendance, but love.  When the early Church started they didn’t have anything except “love one another.”  They didn’t have the New Testament, they didn’t have big churches, they didn’t have videos, media, or technology.  But they changed the world.  Not by what they believed, but how they behaved.  How they treated one another.  The world was drawn into this Jesus community because they “loved one another.” 

By the end of the first century, the apostle John was the last of Jesus’ original twelve disciples still alive. He was an old man who’d witnessed great tragedy. Many of his friends had been killed for their faith. He’d seen fellow Christians persecuted and martyred by the Emperor Nero. He’d spent many years living in the city of Ephesus, taking care of Jesus’ mother until her death.

In the last years of his life, John wrote the following in a letter to young followers of Jesus. It’s his final reminder to them of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sin. Dear friends, since God loved us, we also ought to love one another.       1 John 4:7–11

He could have given these young Christians all sorts of advice, but he focused on love.  It was the thing he most wanted them to remember. The love that God demonstrated to us through the sacrifice of his only Son on our behalf obligates us to love others.  We owe it to God to love one another. 

What if we put love back at the center.  What if those of us who decided to follow Jesus, approached every person, every relationship, every situation asking ourselves – What does love ask of me?  That’s how we rebrand Christinaity.  If each of us make this our focus in our circle and our world.  What does love look like in the marketplace? In our families? In our marriages? In our friendships?

If we don’t love well, it doesn’t really matter what else we do. So try it. Focus on it. Meditate on it. This week, practice loving the people around you.

That’s what Jesus did.  We celebrate Palm Sunday as Jesus enters Jerusalem.  A few days later, at the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus begged his Father for another way.  Is there another way to save us besides the cross?  The Father told Jesus there was no other way.   So Jesus looked at us, you and me, and said “What does love ask of me?” 

Families are Stronger than Messes

Love is patient.  1 Corinthians 13

Last weekend Pastor Tim messages in the “Not A Fan” series reminded us that in God’s way of ordering things, our relationships are much more valuable than any material thing -- Our relationship with Christ and our relationship with one another.  The importance of that fact became even more apparent as Pastor Tim went on to announce that we had come to the point in our negotiations with our lenders that they were leaving us no other option than to sell our properties and buildings.

  The official statement from the church is: “Washington Cathedral is being forced by our lenders to sell our property.  The good news is the church is not now nor ever has been the buildings.  And our property is worth significantly more than we owe.  So we are headed on a new messy adventure.  However, we know that all things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.  This is Christ’s church and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.”  The Pastoral Staff

At first this was shocking news to many of members of the Washington Cathedral family, but after learning more of the facts, most have come to understand that this is not a set-back of any kind, but rather a new opportunity for us to grow and strengthen the ministries of Washington Cathedral.  The church is not the buildings, the church is a family and families are made up of people.  It is the people who Christ gave his life for.  And we were reminded that “Families are Stronger than Messes.”

The facts are that the church currently owes $14.6 million on this property.  The payments are about $70,000 per month and that is way above our capacity to pay at this time.  We have been working with our lenders for over a year now to try to renegotiate the terms of our loans to reduce those payments.  After many meetings, phone conversations and written correspondence, it became clear that the only option that was acceptable to our lenders was to sell our property and pay them off.  The good news is that our property is much more valuable than the amount we owe and when we sell the property we should be able to pay off all our loans and still have a good nest-egg to reinvest in relocating.  God has been so good to us and I feel he will help us find the right buyer for this property.  With the current zoning it will more than likely be some kind of non-profit or a school.

Pastor Tim reminded us Sunday at the Town Hall Meeting that we are never going to give up.  All the ministries of Washington Cathedral will continue on for generations because that is the kind of commitment that we have from the church family of Washington Cathedral.

The response from our church family has been amazing.  I can’t tell you how many people have talked to me and said “Pastor Tim is right.  The church is not the building it is the people and this is our church no matter where we meet.”  Others have told me how excited they are to see how God works this all out. 

You could sense a new powerful closeness among our church in every one of our worship services.  We don't know exactly what is going to happen this year but it is going to be a year of adventure when we see God work in powerful - powerful ways.

If you have question about any of this, please let us know and one of the pastoral staff would be happy to meet with you.

To Love One Another

By Pastor Linda Skinner

Don't miss this week as I make a special announcement for Washington Cathedral which will impact the future of our church family.  We will have town hall meetings to discuss the announcement with the leaders of our church.  Pastor Rey and I have been on a series of messages entitled “Not a Fan”.  It has been a revolutionary series as we discuss the The Great Caring Network as a revolution of caring. 

 

Pastor Rey introduced the idea that Jesus called us to be disciples not just Christians.  The word Christian is only used three times in the New Testament- the word disciple being the preferred term for a Christ follower.  Last week, we studied I Corinthians 12, which shows that the church is intended to love one another and work together in harmony even through the uniqueness that we all experience.

This coming week we are going to dive into I Corinthians 13 the love chapter and a message we are calling “The Glorious Mess”.  We will be changed by the fact that God can work through our lives and church family, even when life seems like it is not going the way we thought it would.

My favorite day of the week is Monday. It is the day that we get to watch our grandson Elijah.  At 5 years of age, he is always a surprise.  I have my plans for him and then he has his own plans.  He usually wins.  I plan that we go for a hike in the woods but he wants to play at our house that he loves called the yellow house.  I try and get him to speak Spanish with me - he instead just corrects all my mispronunciations. 

Last week as we were sitting having lunch I wanted to talk about science with him.  We spent an hour talking about the gravity and how it worked.  Oh how I love times like that!  After it was time to wrestle.  He had me wrestling for about an hour- not just with him but with all his stuffed animals.  I was exhausted after all our vigorous play.  I told Jackie I needed to sneak off for a nap. Something I always do on Mondays.  That meant it was her turn to take over.  I went into our bedroom and was out like a light.  When I woke up, he was in bed with me playing video games on my phone. He said, “GP you sleep so much, we are supposed to play.”  I did not know how long he had been there.  But I enjoyed that he enjoyed just hanging out with me. 

The body of Christ - the church was designed to have relationships that are so strong that we are constantly surprised and the strength of our family.  Don't miss this week as we see the indomitable friendships of Washington Cathedral in action. I think you will sense God's presence in a way that you have never before.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White 

Define the Relationship

By Pastor Rey Diaz

What’s a Christian? Ask ten different people and you’ll probably get ten different answers: someone who goes to church every Sunday; someone who was born into a Christian family; someone who believes Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead three days later; someone who celebrates Christmas and Easter; someone who doesn’t drink, smoke, or use profanity. Others take a darker view. They’d say Christians are judgmental, selfish, arrogant and close-minded.  And it's complicated because you can find Christians on both sides of every issue – moral, political, economical, and social. 

If there’s so much disagreement about what a Christian is, how are we supposed to know who to trust on the matter?

The bad news is that the Bible does not define "Christian".  In fact, the word “Christian” only appears three times in the Bible.  So there is no right answer.  But that is a moot point.  Because  first-century Christians didn’t call themselves Christians.  Christians called themselves something far more dangerous: “disciples.”

“Disciple” is scary word because it’s clear and concrete. It means a learner, pupil, apprentice, adherent, or follower. A disciple learns and grows by obeying and imitating his or her master. Discipleship isn’t as simple as going to church services, believing a set of facts, observing rituals, celebrating holidays, being born into the right family, or behaving morally.

 

Being a disciple is active. It requires effort...and sacrifice. 

We can hide behind the word “Christian,” but early Christians considered themselves disciples.

So, what does it look like to be a disciple of Jesus? In John 13:34–35 (NIV), he gives his disciples their marching orders: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

When Christians live like disciples, outsiders look at their communities with wonder: “Look at the way they love. Look how they honor women, children, the elderly, and the sick. Look how they respond to persecution—it’s like they don’t even fear death.” That is kind of love has the power to change the world.

Jesus calls his followers to build communities of world-changing love. Too often, we fail and outsiders end up viewing churches as places of scorn, hostility, rejection, and stifling moralism— exclusive, self-serving clubs in which they’re not welcome.

So here’s the question: Are we going to be content just being Christians, or are we going to be disciples?

Method to the Madness

Letter from Pastor Rey

Dear Friends,

Over the years I have become convinced that life change happens within the context of relationships.  And relationships happen face to face.  Another way of putting it is that relationships happen in circles, not rows. 

What does this have to do with you?  Very simple.  God’s best for you, his plan for your life, and the changes required to see that plan come into fruition are not going to happen coming to church and sitting in rows, week after week.  Sorry to give you bad news but it’s the truth.  Sitting in a row and listening is important.  Extremely important, but its not enough.  And it will never be enough.

The next step is to put into practice what we hear while sitting in rows.  Most of us try for a while but then stop.  God knows us.  So he created us as relational beings.  It's in the context of relationships that life change happens.  In groups we move from theoretical to concrete.  Instead of talking about “faith”, we talk about “my faith.”  Instead of “prayer” it's "my prayer life.”  Instead of “fears”, its “my fear.”  And then we put into practice what we heard and wait to see what happens.  You see miracles.  You see change.  Your faith grow.  That is what we want.  We want your faith in your heavenly father to grow.  It wont happen in rows.  It will happen in circles. 

I talk about God’s love for us on a weekly basis.  Some have no idea what I am talking about.  It's in circles where we feel God’s love through others. 

We believe rows are good.  Circles are better.  Listening is good.  Doing is better.  Hearing is good.  Putting into practice is better. 

So I am inviting you to join a TLC this winter quarter.  It is going to be the best 10-12 weeks of your life.  Grab a friend and join together. 

From the bottom of my heart,

Pastor Rey

 

 

Not a Fan

By Pastor Tim White

Not a fan.  It is the name of the sermon series that Pastor Rey and I are diving into in the coming weeks.  We will focus on how we can help you discover your gift and fully engage in the mission of your life - the great adventure that God has going on right here in our world. 

We hope that we can embrace a culture of deep personal relationship with the Son of God.  One that is so transformative that it could never leave us where we were.  Remember, “He who has the Son has life.  He who has not the son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12).

I have to confess that I have been enjoying how little Isabella is wearing out Elise, Rey, Elijah and the rest of the extended family.  She weighs only 5 pounds 13 ounces, but she is a handful.  It makes me chuckle because her mom did the same thing to us.  As first time parents, you may think having a baby is just kind of a side thing that is not going to be too demanding.  Think again.  He who has a baby is going to have their hands full.  That is not a scripture but it has certainly been true in my experience.

I remember the time I was stuck (well I should say I volunteered) watching the children for the W.O.W. Bible study.  It was in the early years and there were only about 10 kids to watch.  But after one hour, they had colored on the walls, crushed some indoor plants, eaten dirt, broke a few things, escaped a few dozen times.  After that I was never asked to watch the kids again, and I have been resting ever since.

They were such a handful. 

So why would we think following Jesus would be a nice tidy religion.  It is a relationship with a living, thinking, loving being whose ways are so much higher than our own that we are going to have our hands full.  He is going to challenge us to fully engage in the things that are important- no essential- to be fully alive in.  The good news our hands are not just full of challenge, because he takes our hand and walks through what we could never do by ourselves.  It is the adventure of a lifetime!  Get ready as Pastor Rey brings the sermon to you next week that God is going to Rock our World.