by Pastor Tim White

I am a Big Picture guy. When I advise people to dream, I ask them to dream big. I ask you, as we rebuild our dreams, to dream a dream so big that it cannot be accomplished in one generation. Dream a dream that will bless our community here in the Puget Sound area, that will bless our nation, and will bless the whole world. That’s all. When we really lift our eyes to God who created the Universe, we build dreams so big that they cannot be accomplished in our lifetime.

Everyone has a dream somewhere in their DNA. And for everyone who is alive it is time to rebuild your dream. Rededicate, refresh, re-envision, reorganize and retool. The Bible makes it clear our dreams are bigger than we understand and so we need to be constantly adapting them as we prepare them to meet God’s expectations - not just ours. Instead of being frustrated, maybe we need to dig deeper to discover what God’s Word is trying to say to someone who is graduating from high school, or college, looking for a new job, surviving grief, or just retired. God does have something to say about our frustrations and discouragements and he really responds to our individual stories and concerns. He can always point us in a better direction. Washington Cathedral is listening, so this is an exciting time for all of us.

Many people today, for one reason or another, do not feel happy about our nation. We pray that they can join with us. As every veteran knows, our nation is not perfect, but together we can work towards positive growth in our nation. We all have that need. Running to our room in frustration is not a good option. How much better to come outside and engage in meaningful dialogue that will help our nation to be better and to be a source of blessing to the entire world.

This weekend we are refreshing the American Vision. And a big part of that is to consider how blessed we are to live in this country. In all our services we will be awarding the Medal of Freedom to a young Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He has a dramatic story that is at the heart of refreshing the American Dream. As you know, people from the right and the left, Republicans and Democrats, will all be demonstrating together in the dream that our nation can come together and get over the challenges that face us. Right after the 11:00 am service, there will be a picnic with a great bounce house for kids, a fun and competitive dessert contest - and you get to sample them also. There will be games for the whole family. From 12:00 to 2:00pm - a short time for a picnic, packed with great food and fun for all. Hotdogs and hamburgers provided. Also, gluten and meat-free options. The salads and desserts will be potluck style, so bring a large serving of either. Whether you love our nation, or you don’t, but want to love it - you are invited.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim