Beloved let us love one another because Love is from God and everyone that Loves knows God because God is Love. 1 John 4:7-8
It was May 1973, when I climbed up into the Wallowa Mountains in North Eastern Oregon. I was with three buddies and the snow had not melted in the high mountains. It felt like we almost froze to death in that spring blizzard. We hiked all day in the five feet of snow sheltering the wild mountains from civilization. I took a day and climbed a granite mountain of nearly 10,000 feet. As I stood there I just knew there was a God and I promised to serve Jesus Christ with all my life. At that moment as the wind gusted threatening to make me fall off that beautiful peak I knew that Jesus called me to start a great caring network led by men and woman that would be like knights in shining armor reaching for Gods best.
This weekend I want to honor those idealistic Christ followers that God allowed me to serve with.
Please sign the kudo board for me because they are making it into a book for me to always remember you forever. And my great-grand kids will get to treasure this book someday.
This Sunday February 25th 2024 will be my last time to address Washington Cathedral as the lead pastor. I will have short message about building a great caring network. Many of you might have guessed my subject. I am very excited to have a young gifted pastor to hand leadership over to. Rev. Mark Nsimbi is anointed by God to lead our church into the future and I will do everything I can do to help him realize his potential before God.
If you can make it this Sunday either in person or on line. It will be one of the most inspirational times of our lives.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
Neighbors Hold Our World Together
I know I probably talk about this way too much but I think it’s a subject that deserves to be touched on. On Tuesday someone came to the Kansas City victory parade and shot 22 people. One died and seven people are in life threatening situations in the hospital. I know it sounds like usual modern life but are we remembering that a short time ago this kind of thing was very rare.
When I was in Highschool all the boys had shot guns in our cars. So that we could go hunting after school. No body even thought that shooting their neighbors was even open to think about. It was unheard of that anyone would think this way. But today it’s common to worry about going to join a large crowd. I have a simple question. What happened and what can we do to change this problem?
This week in worship I want to share with you five miracles that could change the world. I have prayed for these miracles every day for 51 years. It is the story of the story of the prodigal son. Join us at 10:30 am either online or in-person.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
How to Discover the Child Inside of You
And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."Mathew 18:2-5
I know some people don’t like children. We all work hard to become sophisticated adults. Kids act out, don’t always pay attention the way that we like. But to be like a child for just a moment.
To giggle,
to skip,
to look at someone you don’t know but still want to invite them to play,
to give hugs like a child,
to rest your head on the shoulder of someone you love,
to have a smile full of glee,
to trust like a child.
To be innocent enough to love like a child.
Jesus said that we need to become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven. Imagine that Gods healing power could transform you into an innocent child for one day. Well, this Sunday at 10:30 am Pastor Mark is going to preach a powerful sermon on why being childlike is so much a part of being a Christ follower. A bunch of kids are going to be dedicated. Kids that someday you will be proud to have known. It’s going to be a very inspirational day at the cathedral. Why don’t you join us either in-person or online.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
The Power of a Neighbor
What was the strategy of Jesus to change the world? We can see a clear dissection of the direction Jesus wants us to move toward in the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.
Jesus recognized an unseen fabric holding all human beings together. He died on the cross for everyone. He rose from the dead for everyone, and he loved everyone. Jesus treated people with amazing love and dignity.
This short tax collector named Zacchaeus was despised by most people. He was Jewish but he had sold out to the oppressive Roman government. He robbed defenseless people for a living. And Jesus spotted him climbing a sycamore tree so that he could get a better look at Jesus. Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home to a party in his honor. And Zacchaeus became a follower of Jesus after this kind gesture. Furthermore, Zacchaeus was a disciple of Jesus for the rest of his life.
One of the fundamental teachings of Jesus was that we must love our neighbors as ourselves and to remember that everyone is our neighbor. This one idea can change the world.
Won’t you join me this Sunday morning at 10:30am, as we take a deep dive into this beautiful idea.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
The Evening Prayer
O Lord I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
Psalm 141:1-2 NIV
I love the evening time, as you get home from a hard day at work you come home. The sounds of kids playing, dogs barking in the distance, coyotes howling, birds singing. An evening meal with your family. The prospect of a family game or playing a few holes in golf as you try to complete 18 holes before the sun sets completely. The sunset which is often spectacular in the puget sound. Fish jumping, frogs croaking their peaceful sounds, even the music of a human conversation as it has a restful tone in the evening. The sound of a fire in the fireplace or the taste of soup for dinner.
Throughout the scriptures there is the romance of evening vespers and the great souls who persisted with prayers at this holy moment. I love to pray in the evening from the back deck seeing deer come up to eat grass from our yard and rabbits joining in the time of fellowship. Maybe holding hands with my best friend Jackie as we talk and pray while remembering we are human.
It is evening in my ministry as I prepare to turn over leadership of my beloved Washington Cathedral to pastor Mark Nsimbi in the dawn of his youth. It’s just a beautiful thing. When I pray these prayers I thank God for the adventure he has allowed me to fully participate in at Washington Cathedral. Oh I’m staying on as a part of Marks team for a year and a half. But how I pray for you at this time in my life. Here is what I pray.
1. Thanksgiving for allowing me to be your friend during the mighty adventure of our lives.
2. That all of you have fully committed your live to Jesus Christ and have a confidence that you will be going to heaven someday.
3. That you have discovered you personal spiritual gifts and are happily using them at Washington Cathedral.
4. That God has forged you a wonderful family to be a launching pad of world changing dreams.
My evening prayers are beautiful and precious. I can feel the love of Jesus as I share this moment with him.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
P.S. Join me for inspirational worship at 10 am either online or in-person.
The Blessing of Community
I have loved the passage proverbs 3:5-6 since I was a boy. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” One of my Sunday school teachers, Ken Sanders, told me that this should be my life verse, and it has been one of mine since the fifth grade. A few others have also had ideas for my life verse, and each of those are kind of my life verses too.
Ken Sanders was an amazing Christian man. He was a veteran of WW2 in Europe. He raised 3 fine boys, and his wife Dorothy taught me to love hot dogs at a birthday party for Mike in their super cool underground house. Ken loved fishing and was one of the best fishermen I have ever known. But more than that, he was one of the best Christians I have known. One time, Ken bought his dream fishing pole and took the boys of his Sunday school class fishing to celebrate his new pole. On the way back, I put the fishing poles in the trunk of his car and as I closed it, I broke his new pole. I was probably 11 at the time and I was so devastated that I had broken Mr. Sanders’ new fishing pole. When I apologized to him, offering to buy him a new pole with my savings from my lawn mowing business, he refused to let me do that as he explained, “Timmy you are more important to me than a new fishing pole.” I have never forgotten that moment.
We are pushing hard to build our Sunday school because I think that every child needs a “Ken Sanders” in their life. We can get pretty distracted these days and parents periodically teaching or helping in Sunday school is not considered as important as it was when I was a child. In those days our Sunday school teachers prized the “grace moments” that they could influence our lives in a Godly way. Ken Sanders taught Sunday School because he loved his three boys (Ken Jr., Larry, and Michael) and because his dad had asked him to follow Christ on his death bed. Ken honored that by being a faithful leader to his church.
Do you want to change the world? How about making sure your kids grow up in a church family full of people willing to pour out their lives as a sacrifice to Jesus by helping to shepherd your kids? I love the kids of our church and I am patient with them because of what my teachers did for me. Dorothy Hamlin, Jessie Morris, Barbara Ingersoll, Ken Sanders, Tom Sanders, Dan Sanders, Terry Preszler, David Ingersoll Sr., Warren Hamlin, Phil Boucher, and Dick Sanders. We are in the business of building a safe and healthy community to support as many kids as we can. When I see children with the leadership skills that our church kids have, I am an optimist about the future. I am dedicated for the rest of my life to helping build the Sunday School of Washington Cathedral.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
Ask and you will receive
If I could give you one gift that would lift your life to a higher adventure it would be to learn how to pray better. God does answer prayer -I am quite certain about this fact and yet I still have so much to learn about prayer. When we first started the church, our kids were young, and they taught us about prayer. We were always losing things like keys, wallets, purses etc. and when we gave up looking for the items our daughter Elise would ask: “Dad/Mom have you prayed yet?” I would start to lecture her that God had more to do than find our keys for us. But she would beg me to pray and after we did, we always found what we were looking for, much to my embarrassment.
One Sunday our family left church to race to get to a Mariner game. I had a technique to find parking at Mariner or Seahawk games. My son and I would park 3 miles away at our secret spot and then run to the stadium. The girls in our family all protested saying they did not want to run three miles. I explained that we were late for the game, and we didn’t have time to search for 30 minutes only to be forced to park three miles away anyway. I don’t know if you knew this, but my wife Jackie and I don’t always agree. So, Jackie took exception to my plan and insisted that we drive right up to the stadium and look for a parking spot at the entrance. I explained, from my advanced theological information, the game has been going for over 30 minutes and I absolutely knew for a fact that they were not going to leave a spot at the entrance. Jackie pointed out that I had just preached on prayer and why didn’t I practice what I preached. Then she started to quote my sermons back to me. “God answers prayer.” “A day without prayer is a day without blessing.” "It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without heart." As she preached to me (not going to lie, I was a bit angry) but I turned to drive right by the entrance as the girls all prayed for a parking spot. Just as we were closing in on the entrance, we heard a very loud whistle. I rolled down my window and heard it again as a man and his son waved me into what was the best parking place I had ever seen. I started to explain that we couldn’t afford this spot. He explained that the person who owned this lot was an usher in our services. I looked up to find Vern Berg and his son Loren. They said, just give me your keys and you can walk across the street to the game. I was so amazed, but I did have to hear Jackie and my daughters say: “I told you so, oh ye of little faith!”
Come this Sunday at 10:30 am either online or in person and let's discover together how prayer works.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
God's Plan is Best!
An open door in 2024. “See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” - Revelation 3:7-8 (NKJV)
This week’s sermon title is: Let’s Go! - How Jesus calls His disciples. I love the story of Jesus calling his disciples because something in each of those stories brings back to me how we are each called. When I think of my calling it makes me very emotional and inspired. I just want to shout at the top of my lungs…” Let’s go, Jesus!” I feel the same way when I think of the calling of my friends and family. It all feels like “high drama” and excitement.
Last week when I shared the children’s story, they asked something like this: “What if we sin after we are called does that delete the importance of that call?” What an insightful and practical question, Aren’t our children so smart? This week we will be answering this important question as we discover that God’s plan is the best plan! The music will be great, and the fellowship will be encouraging. I hope you will join us Sunday at 10:30 in-person or online. It is a time of worship that you will not want to miss.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
Pastor Mark and family heading to Kenya for a sabbatical. Wishing them safe travels!
Jesus Brought Love on the First Christmas
Merry Christmas! I just love to say Merry Christmas during the Christmas season, don’t you? Of course, I would say Merry Christmas all year long, but I think they might take me away in a strait jacket. Whoever “they” are. This Sunday December 24th at 10:30am is going to be a very special Christmas service.
Our big Christmas event is Christmas Lights the Night on Saturday, the 23rd. That is where we will have the Christmas train that takes the kids on a fun train ride. There will be s’mores while people wait. And then a live manger scene, with actors and animals playing their roles while being backed by beautiful music from our worship band. I don’t know if you know it, but the amazing worship band means that Eliot’s dad, a professional guitarist back in the day is there with their family friends to just lift the bar from a great worship band to a sensational worship band! The church and campus will be decorated to the hilt and our animals include a new camel named Hank the Tank. We have a professional jazz trio opening the service to put a touch of class to our service. The choir will be there, and you will be able to hear a dynamic Christmas message from Pastor Mark Nsimbi. And then there is the “Oh Holy Night” moment when two Ballet dancers lead the tiny cherubs in an explosion of joy and beauty toward the end of the service, followed by singing “Silent Night” with our lights.
There is a hot chocolate bar like you’ve never seen before and Christmas cookie paradise to enjoy after the service. This may be the greatest Christmas spectacular that our church has ever put on in 40 years. You can get free tickets for the 4:00PM and 6:30PM at wacathedral.org or christmaslightsthenight.com.
The next day at our Sunday Christmas Eve morning worship service we will have our beloved Vanessa here for a mini-Christmas concert. The kids will have an old-fashioned Christmas story and I have the opportunity to share a special message/story on The Gift of Christmas Love.
It’s going to be a very Merry Christmas weekend so please join us.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
Live every moment with joy
Imagine all the joy spreading through the whole world during Christmas 2023! According to PEW research it was estimated that there are 3.8 billion Christians worldwide in the year 2020. Wow, think about it, 3.8 billion people filled with Joy from Christmas. Imagine 3.8 billion people all determined to enjoy helping less fortunate people.
According to The Charitable Roundtable Christians’ charitable gifts make up the largest charitable gifts of any group in the world. And 30% of Christian giving is in the month of December. It is as if Christianity wakes up and flexes its muscles during the Christmas season. I feel that you can see the twinkle in the eyes of most human beings when they give to help others regardless of their religious background. The angels knew what they were talking about when they celebrated Christmas by proclaiming: “Joy to the World” at the first Christmas.
I just returned from meeting a jolly man named Heinz. Heinz is originally from Austria where the Christmas tradition is for families who wait for Christmas Eve to cut down their trees and bring them into their homes to decorate them on Christmas Eve. They fill their homes with the Evergreen fragrance of Christmas. Then the families go to church carrying candles and lanterns to take the flame from the Christmas Mass to light the candles of their homes. We met at the Tacoma Home Depot to receive a flame from the Eternal Peace Flame in Bethlehem that was passed hand to hand by Austrian Christians around the world to bless churches at Christmas time. The whole project began in 1987 and is spreading more and more throughout the world. Every year before Christmas, the flame originates at the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem and goes to Austria. From there it is distributed throughout the country by the Scout movement. The eternal light signifies peace to as many people as possible.
I also had the joy of meeting, RJ Ryder who leads a men’s Bible Study for St. Patrick’s Catholic church in Tacoma who met Heinz and his wife K.J. Lange (both Austrians who now live in Poulsbo but grew up in Austria) and now that they are retired, they have joined the Peace Light of Bethlehem project throughout the world. The head of Austrian airlines allowed them to fly to New York to pass the peace flame. A company from Austria funds the costs to spread this flame around the world. I can’t tell you how inspiring these kind Christians were as they shared with me how our world is being touched by churches passing the peace flame around the world. These enthusiastic people told me wonderful stories of how we need this Christmas peace flame more than ever. They are sharing hand to hand more than just a peace flame but also Christmas joy!
This week we are going to discuss the importance of Joy in our Christmas experience. Because Christmas is like opening a window opening to a refreshing breeze freeing us from all the stale stench of the world’s continuing predicament. WHO and WHAT are the angels that open the windows to relieve the rancid monotony we often find ourselves being suffocated by. And how can we open our lives to more of this Christmas joy being spread by angels.
Join me this Sunday as we learn about angels and joy from the Christmas story and see our advent candles being lit from the international Christmas Peace Flame from Bethlehem.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White