Jesus, Social Media and The New Marketplace

This weekend at Washington Cathedral, we begin a new teaching series called “Trending”, where over the next few weeks, we will discuss trending cultural topics, explore how they influence our faith and what the Bible teaches us about them.

I’m really excited to jump into the series this weekend with a message called "Digital Divide: When Our Faith Collides with Social Media"!

When preparing for this message, I couldn’t help but first wonder...would Jesus have used Facebook, or Twitter? Assuming these online platforms would have been available to him, I think the answer would be yes.

Why do I believe this?

Of Jesus’s 132 public appearances, 122 had a marketplace context. The four gospels record Jesus telling 52 parables, with 45 of them having a marketplace context.

Jesus valued spaces where people of all backgrounds gathered. For Jesus, that space was the marketplace. Today...social media is the modern-day marketplace. In fact, on Facebook alone, there are currently 1 billion active accounts being used every day.

Just as in the marketplace spaces in the days of Jesus, people from all backgrounds are on social media. Lives are shared. Important theological and social issues are discussed. Culture is shaped. News is broken.

But as we know...not everything about the internet or social media is beneficial. The number of friends, followers and likes you have don’t always equate to real life friends and relationships. It can be deceiving and sometimes be very hard to represent Jesus when those political and theological discussions are taking place. [preaching to myself here]

Thankfully, the Bible has plenty to teach us about authentic relationships, being a witness, guarding our hearts and wise living. All of these can guide us into using social media in healthy, Christ honoring ways.

I hope you’ll join us this weekend and hear more about the trending topic of social media use and how our faith can influence it in positive ways!

Speaking of social media...are you following Washington Cathedral on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?  We’d love to connect with you there!

Grace and Peace.

Rex

Power of Presence

If you know me, you know that one of my great passions in life is baseball. Specifically coaching baseball. The other day, while helping a group of catchers practice different mobilities for blocking pitches, I thought to myself...”I could be here all day.”  I just love coaching youth players!

Well, my team (Bothell Rockies) has a short list of values that we constantly review. One of them is the value of “togetherness” and the other day, I read them this quote from Babe Ruth who said, “the way a team plays as a whole determines its success”.  If you’ve ever played on a team, or work within a team at your job...you know these are true words.

Not only is togetherness crucial to a team, it’s crucial for every church. It’s something every follower of Jesus should value if they desire to have gospel-effectiveness in their community and the world. But this value of togetherness isn’t as easy as some may think.

We live within a culture that is quickly losing its grasp of togetherness and leaning more and more towards celebrating individualism. The cost? Too many have wandered into the desert of isolation where all sense of team, unity and community go to dry up and die.

One, if not the best reason a church should value togetherness is because the Bible has a lot to say about it. Jesus said...”wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.”  The Apostle Paul speaks to the church being like a physical body made up of parts that rely on each other for proper function and effectiveness.

One reason I believe some find togetherness hard to commit to is because they think they somehow have to be just. like. everyone. else.

Not true!

Our differences, when not looked upon as right, or wrong...better, or worse - but actually celebrated, are what make the Church so valuable to the world. A City on a hill kind of church like Jesus described!

I’m excited to talk more about the real power of being present this Sunday, and to look closely at some of Jesus’s teaching about why it’s such a crucial value for us who make up Washington Cathedral, as we live in these urgent times.

Will you join me, and maybe bring a friend? See you Sunday!

Grace and Peace.

Pastor Rex

Trust: Discovering Healthy Faith and Relationships

I am very excited about the new series we begin this weekend.  I can’t think of another topic more important for our church family than developing Trust.  It is essential in building a healthy congregation and healthy families.  Real communication and collaboration is impossible without the two-way conversation that comes with Godly trust.

Last week, it was Fernando Fox’s birthday. He is one of many amazing kids growing up in our church.  He is “one-in-a-million,” so much so, that his Sunday school teachers turn into his biggest fans.  He has a great sense of humor and an amazing imagination. His parents, David and Rosanna Fox, are doing a wonderful job of raising this masterpiece of a boy.  I think you could credit his sensational big brother, Andres, with helping in this project also.  As I was praying for him and the other kids growing up in our church, I was moved to tears asking God to help us learn more about trusting in a Biblical way. 

As you know, we live in a society which tends toward being cynical and pessimistic – learning to be suspicious and to rush-to-judgement of situations and people. We learn this through a survival response to the deep hurts in our lives.  If someone goes through a divorce, they often become really good at breaking off relationships and refusing to allow them back in their life.

A more difficult way of living is the Christ-like way. That is holding no grudges, lovingly asserting our understanding of what is true, and simply loving the whole world like Christ would. Admittedly, this is the much harder way. It means leaves ourselves open to criticism, judge-mentalism, gossip and to enemies who have no interest in our welfare.

I choose to trust God.  I choose not to wallow in self-pity or exaggeration. I choose to communicate as best I can.  I also choose not to be a door mat, but to speak the truth in love and humility.

This week I am going to start our series, “Trust – Discovering Healthy Faith and Relationships” by showing us the New Testament concept of Trust as the fulfillment of the profound concept of Trust found in the Old Testament.  One of my Rabbi friends once had a long discussion with me about the differences and I learned so much.  I believe that we cannot understand the New Testament Christ-like Trust without understanding the rich meaning of our Old Testament heritage. If God can allow me to communicate how to trust the Father and the Son, then I believe each of us will be better for the time we have spent exploring this critical concept of Trust.  It is going to heal a lot of our wounds and make us a healthier church family.  Please join me as we kick off this new series.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White