Risen Hope!

It been a few years, but we are going to have Pastor Dale White narrate the resurrection as we enjoy an Easter morning passion play at 11:00 am in the Randy and Rod ReCreation center.  This is a historic moment of faith you won’t want to miss.  We need you and your friends to help us pack out this splendid auditorium that was designed for theater and to accommodate a large number of people.  Join us as our church family gathers a new momentum for a new start in Easter 2017.

Happy Holy Week,

It almost sounds a bit funny to say “Happy”, but it is true.  One fruit of the Spirit is Joy, and are we ever experiencing joy! We are having fun this Easter watching God move mightily in our presence as we experience springtime in Washington Cathedral. (Or using other terminology, experiencing “revival” in our church.)   Last week Sally Jo Holmes and Marilyn Biggs had to be just overjoyed as they led our prayer wave for this Easter. Most of us signed up to pray 10 minutes a day for the last few weeks and then on the Friday night before Palm Sunday, we began our 24 hours of prayer for renewal in our church and community. I can’t express how it felt to have tears streaming down my cheeks at each of the Palm Sunday worship services, as hundreds of people came to the cross to dedicate or re-dedicate their lives to Christ.  I just wish I could have seen the face of our two prayer captains in those precious moments. I could, however, see the face of Pastor Becca after delivering a soul-filled message. This had to be have been the greatest response to a message she has ever seen in her ministry career.  After those Palm Sunday services, there was just a joy in our church as we met new friends - laughed and visited. Later, on Tuesday at our staff meeting, when Pastor Jackie shared with us the touching response of those who wanted to meet with a pastor a spontaneous cheer rose up.  And that was just the start of Holy Week.

Pastor Rex and his team have an awesome Good Friday service planned in the beautiful Spirit Falls Sanctuary in front of the waterfall and the three crosses.  The flow of the service, the moment of communion, the praise music and the message - I can’t wait to see what God has in mind for us on Good Friday.  Our youth pastor Josh and I were sharing about the cross as he prepared for the Wednesday night youth group and we both teared up discussing that holy moment.  Our prayer together after our meeting was such a joy-filled experience.

Saturday at 4 pm there will be a Easter egg hunt in the recreation center pool.  How cool is that! The kids never forget it and it is back by popular demand. After our big 11:00 Easter Service on Sunday, there will be a huge Easter egg hunt on the beautiful grassy hill with a view of the whole valley.  Mark Thompson, the famed ventriloquist, will be there. Spread the word and bring friends to either or both of these one-of-a-kind events.

And who doesn’t love Pastor Linda’s enthusiasm at the Sunrise Service in Spirit Falls at 7:00 AM?  What a way to start off the greatest Easter of our lives. The music will be beautiful, with our very own young soprano, Dani Burke, closing out the service. (I know sunrise is at 6:17 am, but in the Puget Sound area the sun is rising off and on until 7.) You’ll enjoy the birds, the wildlife, the light off the flowers and the waterfall. We have seen, ducks, geese, a bald Eagle, a red-tailed hawk and doves, who all join us for this tremendous moment.

Someone in the staff meeting was teasing Pastor David about his cooking and Pastor Josh took exception to it saying, “Hey I’ve been eating his cooking at church since I was a baby.”  Our beloved Single’s Pastor is working hard to prepare an Easter breakfast for the community. On the menu are delicious pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausage, potatoes and juice.  It will be served from 8:00 am to 1O:30am.  What a great event to bring your neighbors to.

The featured event of the entire Easter weekend is happening at 11:00am in the Randy & Rod ReCreation Center. We have canceled all the other regularly scheduled services in order to bring our entire church together for one amazing moment of renewal. You will experience the Easter story first hand -- from Jesus being removed from the cross, portrayed by our amazing actors in this kid-friendly presentation, to his resurrection from the Garden tomb, originally designed by a Hollywood director.  The actor playing Jesus is our own Raffael, whose Christ-like enthusiasm is spreading throughout our church. Pastor Rhonda and the choir will be at an all-time high as they sing Easter hymns. I will have a short, positive Easter message that I promise you will be the most inspirational I have ever delivered.   Our worship leader, Eliot Stone is bringing together a peak performance by our worship team.  He has even recruited his dad (a famed guitarist) to join him.  The praise itself will be so authentic it will express the cry of your heart.  They will all be joined at the end by children choirs, teen choir in a moment so wonderful that it will impact the rest of your life.

I have been going door-to-door inviting people to our church this Easter and icing my knees at night. I have had so many amazing Godly experiences.  But today I went to get my hair cut and they asked me if I had any plans for Easter. I basically told them just what I have told you.  My stylist, who is new to our country from Vietnam, told me his testimony with enthusiasm. Coming from a background of no faith, he prayed to Jesus that he could get his family and himself out of Vietnam and after being stabbed in the back he promised while in the hospital that he would find a church for his wife and children.  He said, “Pastor your inviting me to church is an answer to prayer of several years.”  Well the rest of the barber shop asked me what the meaning of Easter was and I got to do a practice run on my sermon only with questions and answers. It must have been okay because everyone there committed to come to church this Easter.

I’m thinking about just getting my hair cut all day rather than going door to door. It was a lot more fruitful and my knees don’t hurt as much.  But, unfortunately, I don’t have that much hair.

I dare you. Surprise us by your attendance this Easter. I have given my life to building this great caring network and your presence at that 11 am service means more to me than you will ever know.  I can only imagine what it will mean to your family and to God himself as we all join together in this moment of miracles.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Today is still Easter

Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish brought a new baby into the world.John 16:19-20-21 (NLT)

Written by Pastor Tim White

I love Easter. We had such a blessed time at Washington Cathedral this year. A turnaround church is a miracle and Easter marked the breaking of the barrier – building the core, envisioning the spiritual growth that we can all experience through the risen Lord.

Today is still Easter; not the holiday we celebrate once a year based on its relationship with Passover, but Christ the Lord is risen! He is indeed. Everyday!

As Jackie and I enjoyed our Easter family dinner and egg hunt with our precious little grandkids, who will be committed world changers, we basked in the chaos. They are all so cute! We love our extended family and in-laws so much. We could not help but dream in such a joy-filled setting.

That night I was reminded again of the gift of joy when I was watching an interview with John Travolta, one of my favorite actors, where he was defending the church of Scientology. He said, “Find me any other religion that has one of its main tenants as joy.” I yelled at the TV, “Following Jesus Christ! ‘Joy to the world’, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’, ‘Joy at the resurrection’, ‘Joy as a fruit of real spirituality’.” Of course it was a one way conversation but the sentiment rings true, especially as we celebrate Easter.

Now is the time to live with a new sense of joy and power from Easter. Joy to tackle each of our problems from the foundation of a loving grace-filled community of friends like Washington Cathedral.

I was reminded again of this community at Washington Cathedral when Jackie came and read to me from the hundreds of contact cards that had been filled out from this weekend’s services. Some said, “Where has this church been? I’ve been looking for a community like this.” Cards from many people in our church said, “I love my church family at Washington Cathedral.” As we read all the encouraging notes we both said, “It’s going to be fun to see what God has for us and those we love in the near future.” What we didn’t say aloud but felt deeply was that every day is Easter because Jesus is still risen – still alive and still being a revolution of love in this world.

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Easter Message by Pastor Tim White: Why do you look for the living among the dead?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feZ7SpOw11o

Photo Credit

Easter an end or a beginning

Written by Fiona Monaghan Three years before the first Easter, Jesus stated his mission with the reading of the proclamation in Isaiah 61:1-2:

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. ² He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.

As the time came for him to leave, Jesus had gathered faithful men from all walks of life and it was finals week, crunch time, feet to the fire time. He knew his time was short, that the end was fast approaching. He had said all he could say. His teaching had offered a great hope, that this life is not the end. The way it should have been before sin entered this world and set humans at odds with their Heavenly Father where the choice instead of what is best became what is best for me. From this premise every war, every argument, every hurt would come.

He had made enemies within the Jewish Leadership, and they were going to use all the power at their disposal to bring about his demise. He had left it all in the hands of a few disciples and his teachings would either take off after his death or die in the dust.

As history has shown, those disciples with the help of God’s Holy Spirit did take those teachings and spread them far and wide. We now have proof that what Jesus started back 2000 plus years ago was truly a force to be reckoned with. It is the only religion that has a God coming down to man.

A way was provided for reconciliation to be acquired and it isn’t all up to us and the power of our own will to earn our salvation. To be made right with God and be adopted into His family is a gift freely offered. We celebrate Easter not because of the death of a great man, but because that great man conquered death and rose from the dead on Resurrection Sunday!

Death is no longer is a thing to be feared but a doorway to something much better and greater than we can even imagine…

Wouldn’t this Easter be a great time to really take a deep look at this gift of eternal life and all that it entails? For those of us with faith to be more appreciative of it and be willing to share it and for those who are still seeking something to believe in. Jesus’ gift is still extended to all. Take this weekend to celebrate and acknowledge the great gift we’ve been given this Easter!

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The Risen Son

By Pastor Rey Diaz Crowds in cities like Thessalonica, Philippi, or Corinth: Who is this odd little man, sounding as if he’s a royal herald making a proclamation about a new emperor? And who is this new emperor anyway?

Paul: He is a Jew! And he was crucified! He is called Jesus!

Crowd: At this point mouths drop open with incredulity. People stare. This guy is drunk. Or crazy. Crucifixion is about the most shameful thing that can happen to you. Besides if he was crucified it means he’s dead. How can a crucified man be the Lord, the Son of God?

Paul: No! He’s alive! God raised him from the dead!

Crowd: Now the crowd knows Paul is mad. Everybody knows perfectly well that dead people don’t come back to life. It’s the ultimate statistic. 100% of people will die. No one escapes.

Paul: I have good news to share. The Messiah died for our sins in accordance to the Bible and he was raised on the third day!

This was and continues to be shocking, scandalous and foolishness to the crowd. But Paul continues sharing this Easter message. There is after all one true God, the God of Israel. He made the whole world, and he planned an amazing rescue operation for that world.

The news is that this rescue operation has happened! Jesus, who died and was raised, is Israel’s Messiah and when he returns he will be Lord of he whole world.

You can see why the gospel was considered scandalous by most. But in essence Paul was just sharing good news; it is the news that something has happened and as a result the world is a different place. It wasn’t a new religion, moral system, or philosophy.

One can debate the merits of a religion, moral system, or philosophy, but a news event is discussed in a different way. Either the event happened or it didn’t; if it did happen, either it means what people say it means, or it doesn’t.

Paul was telling the people that Jesus death and resurrection had changed the world, that the world was now a different place, and that he was summoning them to be part of that new, different reality. This event would cause them to adjust their entire lives in order to come into line with the way things now were.

When Roman heralds came into a city like Thessalonica announcing that a new emperor had been enthroned, the didn’t mean, “Here is a new sort of imperial experience, and you might like to see if it suits you.” They meant, “Tiberius (or any other emperor) is the Lord of the World. You are lucky recipients of this good news; he demands your loyalty, your allegiance, and of course you taxes.” That’s how Roman good news worked.

Paul uses the word ‘herald” to talk about his own mission sharing the good news. He wasn’t offering people a new type of torch so they could see better in the dark. He was saying that the sun had risen, and that if you would only open the curtains you’d see that you don’t need torches anymore.

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” – C S Lewis.

That is what is written on his memorial tablet in Westminster Abbey. That is what Easter does for us. When we let the message of Easter get inside of us and then we look out at the world, then suddenly you see everything else in a new way. “A way that makes sense of everything- startling, shocking sense, a sudden and scary clarity. This is what Paul means by the “power” of this “good news.” It does things to people. It transforms.”

Easter is at the center of the gospel. The Messiah died, was buried, was raised, and was seen. Take that away and Christianity collapses. Put it in its proper place and the whole world is different. This good news about what has happened points to the good news about what is yet to happen. Death’s defeat. Eternal life. Resurrection. Heaven. That’s what Easter is about. Come celebrate with us this weekend!

PS – I have borrowed heavily from a book by N.T. Wright “Simply Good News: Why the Gospel is News and What makes it Good” to write this little blog.   And by ‘borrowed heavily’ I mean straight plagerism in some parts. I decided to read this book during holy week and have been so inspired. I highly, highly recommend it to everyone. Get it here: Simply Good News.

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You Gave It All, No Questions Asked

One of our Administrative Assistant's, Fiona Monaghan, loves to play with words and ideas. This poem was inspired by the question 'What Is Easter About? ' Atonement (At one ment) was the purpose for Jesus death and resurrection; to be put back into right relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Atonement

What did it take to stand so tall while hate piled up around? They spat and mocked the Son of God while no wrong in Him was found. You came, this very path to walk it had been planned above; the Father put it in the works in order to show His love. To love those people He had made who’d strayed so far from home He loved them with a lasting love He’d do it all to bring them home. You never wavered from Your task You trod each path until the path would lead to Calvary where your precious blood was spilt. To cover sin, it was so shed the sin-debt to fulfill; You gave it all, no questions asked Atonement paid in full.

Easter and Christmas are two times that Jesus' name is spoken freely, more than any other time in the year. Those two times changed history forever. Something supernatural happened between man and God at those times. Christmas was God coming down to live among us. Easter provided a way for us to live forever with God. Atonement is the payment being made on our behalf. This Easter make a point to take time to meditate on Atonement and what it does in our lives.

Like what you see but want more? Check out Washington Cathedral's website for more information.

3MT - Getting the Family Together for Easter

Check out our devotional series, 3 Minute Thoughts, a devotional thought in three minutes or less.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RhPKnhaDFw&w=640&h=360]

Check out the Washington Cathedral website for more sermons, information on how you can get involved, and more on all of the good things that God can do in your life.

Lenten Ideas for Families

40 days of lent: Family Faith Practices

Have you ever celebrated lent with your family? Maybe not at all? Well, tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Check out some ideas Pastor Becca has for how your family can celebrate Lent together this year.

1. Read Jesus’ Sermon on The Mount as a family. Matthew 5-7 2. Pray for your enemies or someone who has persecuted you. 3. Don’t waste any food today 4. Pay 3 people a sincere compliment 5. Tithe your time: Spend 10% of your time (2.5 hours) serving at church. (This could be weeding the parking lot, cleaning the bathrooms and vacuuming, or asking a pastor for a way to serve) 6. Listen to someone who seems lonely 7. Take 5 minutes of silence before you eat dinner 8. Celebrate! Enjoy a family game night 9. Do someone else’s chore for them without being asked 10. Spend 10 minutes writing out a prayer to God 11. Forgive someone 12. Tithe your money: Give 10% of the money you made that week to the church, helping people in need in the name of Jesus. 13. Thank God for 20 blessings in your life 14. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while 15. Give up social media for a day 16. Tell someone in your family something you love about them 17. Ask someone to pray for you 18. Ask to pray for someone 19. Take communion 20. Buy a couple $5 gift cards to gas stations to give to the families living in their cars at the church 21. Purge your closets, donating unnecessary items to the goodwill 22. Apologize 23. Donate some books or art supplies to your local elementary school 24. Write someone an email, telling them you appreciate them. 25. Turn off your T.V. and go outside 26. Pray for your church 27. Bake cookies for someone 28. Read Psalm 139 as a family before dinner 29. Ask God for help 30. Introduce yourself, or reconnect with one of your neighbors 31. Have someone over for dinner 32. Walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation to work/school 33. Thank someone who is in leadership for their service (Like a pastor, teacher, police, etc) 34. Cook dinner together as a family 35. Pray for the current events in the news 36. Don’t turn on music during your car ride- enjoy conversation or silence 37. Go for a walk or hike as a family 38. Ask God to help you know Him more 39. Spend 10 minutes praying for someone you work with/ go to school with 40. Read the Easter story John 18, 19, 20

About The Author:

Becca McCary Becca is a children's pastor and part of the preaching team at Washington Cathedral. She writes on motherhood, spirituality, and biblical interpretation. She also has her own personal blog with resources for mothers and Sunday School teachers.