[This is a guest post by Jeannette Cochran who gave this weekend’s message “For God’s Sake: Justice.” If you missed it you can find the podcast here.  Jeannette served on our pastoral staff at Seneca Creek, where she still attends and leads today. You can find out more about Jeannette and read her blog here.]

It’s a question that’s been argued in Christian circles for centuries and the answer, I believe, is “Yes.” Yes, both are important because they go hand in hand, like two sides of the same coin. Evangelism (our words) addresses the need for spiritual life; justice (our actions) addresses the needs of physical life. People are both physical and spiritual beings so addressing only half the problem gives us only half the solution.

When reaching out to the poor and needy we must get involved in helping with their economic and social needs. To fail to do so is simply a lack of love and how can we preach a gospel of love if our actions don’t match our words. But likewise, we should also share the hope and good news of the gospel so that people can experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Offering to pray for those we minister to or building a friendship can be an effective means for sharing Christ without forcing the gospel or giving the impression that our help has strings attached.

As I mentioned this past weekend, James reminds us that our actions, and not our words alone reveal genuine faith.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17

Because justice and evangelism go hand in hand, when we choose to partner with other groups, it’s ideal when we can work with those who are addressing both sides of the problem, the physical and the spiritual. Here are a few that I mentioned on Sunday who are doing just that.

• Seneca Creek’s  Neighbors 4 Neighbors
• Seneca Creek’s ESOL Spring Classes
• Zion Project
• International Justice Mission

In a world of injustice, one of the hardest things for people to believe is that God is good. But God has chosen us, His Church, to set the record straight and show the world that He is good through holistic ministry that includes both justice and evangelism.

– Jeannette Cochran

P.S. If you’re interested in the D.C. Walk to end modern slavery that was listed in the Justice flyer last weekend, the correct link to the web site is www.unbounddc.org . Sorry for the error!

Like it or not, life can get pretty crazy around here.  Thankfully, you’ve got some great options.

One recent article indicated that upwards of 25% of Americans have to work on Sundays.  And if you have kids involved in sports teams, you may very well have Sunday games.  Add to that the travel for work, the charity race or run you signed up for, and before you know it, Sunday can get extremely packed!

So if you’re wanting to stay connected, refreshed, and spiritually grounded, don’t let your Sunday schedule prevent you from joining us!  We’re now six weeks into our brand new Saturday Gathering.  Every week we have a 6:00 pm Saturday event that is the same as Sunday, INCLUDING PowerHouse and Middle School for your kids!

If you haven’t checked it out yet, be sure to do so.  What you’ll find, in addition to the same great experience you’re used to on Sundays, is a relaxed, connected environment.  There’s no rush to make way for the next gathering.  There’s no hurry to get home for dinner or chores.  In fact, many people find it’s a great time to hook up with friends and head out for dinner.

Whatever your schedule, we look forward to seeing you this weekend as we kick off a new series, “For God’s Sake.”  It’s sure to rock your world in a very good way.

-Pastor Mark

P.S. If you’ve had a chance to check out the Saturday gathering, we’d love to get your feedback.  Use the comment box below.  Thanks!

We all pray, right?  Maybe you really believe God will hear and answer.  Maybe you do it because you don’t know what else to do.  But have you ever wondered what would happen if God really DID hear and answer?

Imagine if God sat down with you at the end of the week and said, “I’m going to grant every prayer request you submitted this past week.”  What would that mean?

Would it mean…

• You’d have a better parking place
• The speed camera didn’t work right and you have one less speeding ticket
• You’d get a bigger bonus at work
• Your kids would stop whining
• Your spouse would let you do what you want
• The lab results would come back clean
• The annoying co-worker would get re-assigned to another department

Those aren’t bad things to pray for.  But we often set our sights too low.  What if we asked God for greater things?  What if you asked him…

• To remove your bitterness and replace it with joy
• To soften the heart of the person who annoys you so they will be open to God’s truth
• To give you the humility to see where you need to grow
• To help you give your kids an alternative to a me-centered worldview
• To help you point another person toward Jesus
• To live out, or even speak out the truth of the HOPE of the gospel
• To give you a heart of gratitude and contentment
• For the courage to step out of your fear and attempt something great for God

We often say that we want to “pray and plan as if God is going to show up.”  This week, why not assume he WILL show up…and pray some bold, courageous prayers.  You may be surprised at what God does.

-Pastor Mark

P.S. Here’s an amazing video story of what happens when God DOES answer even our most unbelievable prayer:

Whispering Danny

If you haven’t ever wondered why God didn’t answer your prayer, it’s because you haven’t prayed much.  So what can you do when God doesn’t come through for you?

First, reject the idea that God doesn’t care about you.  After all, David, described as a man after God’s own heart, wrestled with unanswered prayer more than most.  Consider his comments:

“Why do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”  (Ps. 10:1)

“How long, Lord?  Will you forget me forever?” (Ps. 13:1)

“My God, why have you forsaken me…I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night but I find not rest.” (Ps 22:1-2)

“Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me.” (Ps. 55:1-2)

“O God, why have you rejected us forever…?” (Ps. 74:1)

“O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God.”  (Ps 83:1)

Second, take a page from the playbook of the earliest Christians.  When their prayers for protection and provision were NOT answered, and they ended up beaten and sitting in a jail cell, Paul and Silas had an interesting strategy.  Pray.  And sing.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.  Acts 16:25

In other words, when your prayers aren’t answered the way you’d like, keep praying.  And sing.  Not just to make noise, but to remind yourself, and anyone else, that God is still on his throne, that he’s still worth praising, and that he’s still present in the midst of whatever situation you’re in.  It was this strategy that resulted in their being busted out of their prison.

And if your boss gives you a hard time about singing in your cubicle, you can blame it on me.  Or Paul and Silas.

-Pastor Mark

The question just won’t go away.  If a local McDonald’s® suddenly disappeared, people would notice, and they would miss it, and they would wonder what happened (despite Morgan Spurlock’s best efforts).  But what about a local church?

That’s the question raised last weekend by Dr. Alvin Sanders as he spoke about what’s really significant.  (Check it out here).  If Seneca Creek suddenly disappeared, would the residents of Gaithersburg, Germantown, and other local communities even notice?  Would they miss us?  Would they wonder what happened?  In other words, are we simply “successful,” or are we actually significant in the things that God is most concerned with?

It’s a great question, and not just for pastors.  We say “the church has no walls” because WE are the church, wherever we go!  So the same question should be asked about every place where the church resides.  And that means our neighborhoods, apartment complexes, and cul-de-sacs.  If God suddenly removed you from your location, would people notice?  Would they miss your impact?  Would they wonder what happened to the person/family that lived out the HOPE of the gospel?  Paul says we carry around a TREASURE in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7).  Are we enriching our communities with HOPE?

Poll Update: Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll last week about faith and work.  Here are the results:

I consider my work to be a sacred calling.

I believe my work is God-honoring

I find my work to be life-giving

More details to come…

-Pastor Mark

P.S. Whatever your marital status, you don’t want to miss this weekend as I share Something Worth Living For, “A Marriage that Endures.”  This affects ALL of us!

Last weekend we learned that our work is intended to be life-giving and God-honoring.  The question is, has that been your experience?  Is there more that we could do to help you have that experience? (check the podcast if you missed the conversation)

It would be so helpful if you could take the survey(s) below.  We’ll use the results to determine how we may be able to continue this conversation, and develop a way to bring our faith and our work together in ways that truly are life-giving, God-honoring, and that ignite the HOPE of Christ in this world.  As always, your additional comments are welcome in the space provided.

Thanks for your participation.

-Pastor Mark

When it comes to popular music, I’m about the last guy to know what’s happening.  But a recent song has captured my attention…as well as attracting no small amount of angry reaction from some very diverse corners of our culture.  The song is recorded by Brad Paisley and LL Cool J.  Yes, you read that right.

The song is “Accidental Racist.”  And regardless of what you think about it, the very fact that it’s written, and the flurry of reactions to it is a clear indication that we’re not done with this conversation in our culture.  And since Seneca Creek is called to bring the HOPE of Christ to this culture…we’re not done with the conversation either.

That’s why we’re welcoming a special guest speaker, Dr. Alvin Sanders, on the weekend of April 20-21.  Dr. Sanders has a fancy title that may not mean much to you.  But his insights and his writing on this topic may mean quite a bit.  Here are some recent examples from his blog, “On the Grind: Leading Toward God’s Diverse Kingdom” (www.alvinsanders.net)

• 42: Plan an Opportunity
• Justice and the Gospel
• Final 4 of March Multi-Ethnic Madness
• Black President, Latino Pope.  Evangelicals Are You Paying Attention?
• Can’t We All Get Along?

Dr. Sanders will be presenting a workshop on Saturday, April 20th, at Noon, and then he’ll preach at all three weekend services.  I urge you to join us for this exciting weekend, including our first “Diversity Unite” celebration.  We want to share, and appreciate the rich diversity of God’s people through our unique cultures and countries.  For more info, click here.

We will courageously continue the conversation because the gospel is a message of reconciliation.  And the church is called to be a place that reconciles people to God, and to one another, and then to reflect the heart of God to our world.

-Pastor Mark

News flash: Sundays aren’t for “church” anymore.  Check out the local paper, or the community webpage.  If you have kids involved in sports, you know what I’m talking about.  Twenty years ago we could count on Sunday morning as a “set aside” time in our culture.  Not anymore.  Whether it’s your job, your kids’ schedules, or something else, Sunday morning is no longer a guaranteed option for a big part of our community.

That’s one of the main reasons I’m so excited about our Saturday gathering.  Starting this Saturday, April 6^th at 6:00 pm we’ll offer a chance for the rest of the community to experience a Seneca Creek worship gathering at a time that just might fit their increasingly busy schedules.

Some of you know I enjoy cycling.  And Sunday mornings are THE big time for organized rides and races.  Up until now, inviting my friends to Seneca Creek meant asking them to give up something they’re passionate about.  Now I have a great option to offer.  So do you.

What about those of you who are Sunday-go-to-church types at Seneca Creek?  Here’s the buzz on that.

• Many of you have committed to switching to Saturday in order to create more room on Sundays at 11:00.  This is actually what caused us to create this new worship gathering.  THANK YOU!
• Almost 100 of you have stepped up to be part of the small army of volunteers needed to make Saturday happen.  THANK YOU!
• Others have said that Saturday actually fits better for you.  I’m glad we’ll be able to connect more consistently with you on the weekends.
• And still others have pointed out that now your friend/family can finally attend with you.  I think this is one of the surprise benefits we never anticipated.

In a few days we’ll be able to offer a life-changing worship gathering to all the people who have to work on Sundays, or have to get their kids to a game on Sundays, or have some other conflict they’re not able or willing to change.  And that’s the kind of church I’m excited to be part of!

I hope to see many of you this Saturday at 6:00 pm (or Sunday!).  And don’t forget to invite a friend.

-Pastor Mark

We’ve been in a fascinating series on Sundays called, “What’s In a  Name,” in which we’re discovering some remarkable things about God as revealed in the different names by which he is called.

But what about us.  What about you?  By what name are you called?  Is it your given name?  Or is it a label?

Watch this short video from People of the Second Chance, and leave your comments below about the labels you’ve used…or the labels you’ve received.

Have you been the victim of labels that lie? Be sure to join us for Good Friday as we learn about the name that God has given you.

-Pastor Mark