Your Greatest Day?

by Pastor Tim White

Is it possible that the greatest day of your life is still ahead of you? Samson’s great days seemed to be over. There was the time that he defeated a whole army with his only weapon being the jaw-bone of a donkey. At that time of the Bronze Age, Israel was always complaining about the Bronze Age swords the Philistines had over them. So, Samson uses a jaw-bone for his weapon.

Samson had fallen into sin when tempted by Delilah. He was now a slave to the Philistines and being used to ridicule God. You would think his best day had passed ... right? Wrong! He prayed and God worked and as the Bible says he defeated more enemies in his last moment than he did during his whole life.

This week I will be sharing a sermon on “The Greatest Day of Your Life.” Please join me.

I felt like Samson when my surgeon called a couple days ago and gave Jackie and I the first good health news I’ve had in a year. I am infection free! And I get to have my new knee put back in my leg. Praise God and thank you for your prayers. After my sermon this week, Pastor Rey has agreed to preach a series while I heal from my knee surgery. God is good!!

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Enduring Faith

by Pastor Michael Fernandez

I will be 67 years young this November. I share this because I have seen and been through many challenging circumstances in my life.

When I was attending the University of Washington, I remember that I was still using a slide rule to figure out my chemistry and Physics problems. In my final year, some students had this new thing called a calculator, which could add, subtract, multiply and divide. (Now we have cars that drive themselves.) It is truly mind-boggling and amazing. What we are experiencing in our world today tops them all.

The one constant in this ever-changing world of ours is faith -- Enduring Faith. It is “enduring faith” that allows me to do what I do best.

My one niche in life is helping people in their greatest time of need. Showing up when they least expect it, praying with them, comforting, and sharing hope with them. The Hope we receive through God’s Spirit.

I love James Chapter 5 because that is where you will find the prayer of Faith:

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:13-16.)  

Pastor Ron Wilbur will be sharing with us from on James 5 this Sunday.  His message is entitled, “Let Your Light Shine.”

I have shared this prayer hundreds of times in my life. And you never know when you will see a miracle happen because God’s Word was spoken. I am always surprised when it speaks to me in a new and fresh way. I believe it always has a freshness since the circumstances are always different.  The passage never gets boring and it is always enlightening. And I have seen many miracles happen because of it.

I encourage you during these challenging times in our history, to listen to James and to be patient and have a little faith, “enduring faith.” You are all still here for a reason, so let your light shine.

Pastor Michael

Note:  Join us on Sunday for Online Worship at 10:30 am on Facebook Live, YouTube  Live, our website (www.wacathedral.org) or WaCathedral App.

Who Do I Follow?

by Rhonda Jones

It’s really easy in this overtly selfish culture to begin desiring the things we see around us…we’re exploited daily with advertising for new cars, financing for a bigger home and promises that all of those ‘things’ will make us happy. But the truth is things don’t make us happy. In fact, we can wind up further in debt and less satisfied than ever before. So, what’s the solution?

This week Pastor Ron will speak to us from James 4. His message is entitled, “Be a Stand-out person (because of who you follow).” So, here’s a question that we as Christ- followers need to ask ourselves: Do people know I’m a believer of Jesus by the way I live my life? A life that’s lived with intentional devotion to Him will shine brightly in a dark and hopeless world. So how can we be that light for Jesus?

James states that when we pray, we tend to pray with selfish motives and not pray for what God wants in our lives. I know I’ve been there personally. In fact, I’m going through that right now, trying to visualize where I’ll end up when I retire (which is coming too quickly). My mind seems to flit and flutter with thoughts of a lovely home near the water or in a forested area with room for a spacious garden. My imagination runs wild as I scan the homes for sale in outlying, uncrowded areas away from the hustle and bustle of city life. And then, after I’ve hoped and dreamt of what I could want for myself, God’s Spirit tugs at my heart reminding me that He would like to be involved with the decisions for my future. With a humbled heart before God I am able to ask, “What do You want for me, Jesus?” Then and only then is my heart at peace and I can rest in His satisfying presence.

I’m sure I’ve only touched on one aspect of Pastor Ron’s message this week. So join me this Sunday at 10:30 am – be sure to have your notepad and pencil in hand – you’ll want to write down all the points for living an outstanding life and keep them tucked away in your heart as a guide for living an intentional, Stand-out life!

See you Sunday for online worship on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, www.wacathedral.org, or WaCathedral App.

WORDS

by Pastor Linda Skinner

“Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”  Proverbs 16:24

I thank God every day for the start I had in life.  Parents who were loving, kind and had a great sense of humor.  Don’t get me wrong, they weren’t perfect, but there was never a doubt in my mind that I was loved and cherished by them both. 

Before I was even out of the womb, my mother wrote a little lullaby that she sang to me.  I can’t remember those times, of course, but I do know that somewhere deep in my brain these words were planted.  The lullaby ending with this phrase…”God sent us down a little bud for our family tree, we took her and we loved her and we called her Linda Lea.”  (Now mom always pronounced Lea as Lee.  Lee was one of my brother’s name, so she wanted mine to be more feminine, so she spelled it with an “a.”)  Even today when I type those words, it brings tears to my eyes and gives me a warm feeling all over. 

Contrasting this to the life of a very dear person in my life, who I will call Frank for sake of anonymity.  Frank grew up in a household where all he heard from his parents is about how he was the reason for their miserable life.  Many times, he was told that they really didn’t want children and that he was a “big mistake.”  Now, I never met Frank’s parents, so I could not tell you if that is how they really felt.  All I know is that the words that Frank heard were that he was not wanted or loved.  Frank was a wonderful man and he tried to hard to become more positive.  He had a huge collection of Washington Cathedral Power Capsules and he would read through those several times a week trying to let the “words” about the love of God sink into his soul.  I know Frank is in heaven now and our Savior has erased all those bad words spoken into his life, but on this earth he was never able to fully overcome the words that were spoken over him as a child.

Our words are important and, left to our own devices, they can become daggers rather than encouragement or instruments of peace.  I pray every morning that my words will be for good and not for evil as James speaks to in James 3.

This week Pastor Ron Wilbur will be teaching from James 3.  I am looking forward to what God has to say to me through Ron’s message.  Join us for online worship at 10:30 on Sunday morning – Facebook Live, YouTube Live, www.wacathedral.org or our Wacath App (IOS, Android, Amazon).

Blessings on your day,

Pastor Linda    

Love Is a Verb - James 2

by Pastor Jared Gallardo

James 2:8, "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture,
'Love your neighbor as yourself', you are doing right."

Love is a wonderful thing, but what exactly do we do? James 2:8 says to “love your neighbor as yourself” which means that love is a verb. It requires action! 

Give (James 2:15-17). These verses ask the question; What good is it if we wish people well without helping them with practical needs? Donating food, clothes, and other resources are tangible expressions of love. Washington Cathedral Church is having a food drive on 10/4/20, from 2-4pm, at the church building, because we believe that love is a verb! 

Show Mercy (James 2:13). Mercy is a defining part of Christianity. With Jesus as our model, we can love others regardless of their ability to give back. 

Ask. It's never a bad idea to ask Jesus a question like: How can I love my community? Chances are, He’ll lead you to something unexpectedly powerful. 

Look: Jesus is our number one role model - the greatest example of love in action. He sacrificed his entire life and body so others can experience true freedom. If we look to Him, we can walk in his humble footsteps. 

NOTE; Join us this weekend for Online Worship on Sunday at 10:30 am. Streamed on Facebook Live, You Tube Live, www.wacathedral.org website, and Wacath App (IOS, Android & Amazon). This week we are celebrating 36 years of ministry. Pastor Ron Wilbur will be sharing on James 2 and there will be a wonderful time of praises in song and music. Our celebration continues at 2-4 pm at our Redmond Campus with our “By Our Love” Food Drive.