Living in faith, hope and Love

How will you prepare for Christmas?  It will be here in 15 days.  Here are ten ways to make the next two weeks less stressful and more enjoyable:

1. Re-read the Christmas story in Luke 2:1-20 (or listen to an audio version).
2. Invite a family with kids to this Sunday’s PowerHouse FX production. (BONUS: Offer to take them to lunch afterwards.)
3. Put those excess Christmas candies into a stocking from the dollar store and give them to a homeless person.
4. At the mall, choose a parking spot at the far end, walk a little further and thank God for a body that is healthy enough to walk.
5. Discuss your favorite Christmas carol with family or friends.
6. Ask your closest friend what gift they could use from God this year, then pray that God would give them that gift.
7. Invite a friend over to watch your favorite Christmas movie…or theirs.
8. Drive thru your neighborhood slowly and see the decorations, then pray for your neighbors to experience the gift of God’s love this year.
9. Pay for the Starbucks drink for the person in line behind you, and wish them a Merry Christmas.
10. Invite family or friends to join you for Christmas Eve at Seneca Creek at 3:00, 5:00, or 6:30.

Ten ways to make this season better for you, and better for others.

– Pastor Mark

P.S. Don’t forget the PowerHouse F/X Production, “Shepherd Guys are Comin’ to Town,” this Sunday.  You’ll want to arrive early so you don’t miss any of it!

One of our family traditions involves watching the movie, “Elf” each year on Thanksgiving night after we’ve enjoyed a delightful meal together.  There’s one scene in this quirky movie that involves Santa’s big book of gifts.

Every person’s name is listed in alphabetical order.  All you have to do is find the name and you can see what they’ve requested from Santa.  If you asked Santa, he wrote it down and is working on getting your gift to you on Christmas Eve.  Chances are, it’s in the big bag of goodies in the back of the sleigh.

Now before you start thinking, “Is Pastor Mark going to tell me that Jesus is like Santa, and all I have to do is ask and I’ll get whatever I ask for?” let me say, “No.”  I’m not saying that.  Jesus is not like Santa.  Although the original Santa (a.k.a. Saint Nicholas) was probably trying to be like Jesus.

What I AM saying is that God DOES actually care about the things we ask for.  And he does keep track of our needs and desires.  And if it helps to think that they’re in a book, then go with it.  I can assure you of this: Your heavenly father longs to give you good gifts.

The question for all of us to wrestle with is this: Am I asking God for his good gifts?

You don’t have because you don’t ask. -James 4:2

Put another way, are you asking (praying) for God’s good gifts?  (Check out our recent series on “Learning the Language of God,” for help on prayer)

As we anticipate Christmas and the flurry of gifts that accompany it, it would be wise to set aside some time to ask for the gifts that we really long for and need.

• It might be healing from an old wound.
• It might be reconciliation for a broken relationship.
• It might be freedom from the grip of a habit or addiction.
• It might be provision for a new job.
• It might be the peace that transcends all understanding.
• It might be a joy that will not fade in the face of circumstances.
• It might be genuine spiritual friendships that can sustain us from day to day.

What are you putting in God’s big book of requests this year?

Your heavenly father delights in giving.  God so loved that he gave.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? –Romans 8:32

-Pastor Mark

I’ve heard more horrible stories than I care to count. Far too many of you have endured things that are almost unimaginable.  And it might make Thanksgiving a wrestling match with integrity.

I completely understand that when your history and your present reality are a gigantic mess, it’s hard to put on a “thankful face,” and go eat turkey.  If that’s where you are, if you’re struggling to find something to be thankful for, may I suggest something out of this world?  In fact, even if you DO have much to be thankful for right now (as I certainly do), may I suggest something out of this world?

Followers of Jesus can be thankful for the hope that he extends to all of us.  The hope based on the resurrection.  What I mean is that this life is not all there is.  God’s plans are not contained within “the dash” as it’s called. (The “dash” on the tombstone between your dates of birth and death.)  It’s the hope in what lies beyond this life.  The hope that one day God will restore ALL of his creation.  The hope that there will be, “no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” (Revelation 21:4)  The hope that we will finally be transformed into the people we were made to be, or “into [Jesus’] likeness with ever-increasing glory…” (2 Corinthians 3:18)  The hope that “when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)

In other words, things ARE going to get better.  You WILL become whole.  And God’s creation will be restored to its intended glory, and for that we can all be deeply grateful this Thanksgiving.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.  His love endures forever!  Psalm 136:1

-Pastor Mark

The explosions on an airliner, in Beirut, and then in Paris were followed by an explosion of media coverage, and then the explosions of anger and fear and opinions from people around the world.  What’s the church supposed to do?

There’s no shortage of opinions on that, either. Some want to open their arms and borders.  Others want to close the same.  Fear mixes with faith and creates confusion.  So perhaps a little historical perspective can guide us.

Terrorism is not new to the church.  We’ve faced it before: radical religious militants from the Middle East who are bent on destroying followers of Jesus.  The problem is older than you might think.  Listen to what one early terrorist said:

I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.  Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

He was obsessed with persecuting Christians, and he struck fear in the hearts of every one of them in every church.  And then something happened.  God got involved.  And he had a little one-on-one chat with the terrorist.  And he changed his heart and his life.

At first, no one wanted to believe it…they were too frightened because of his reputation.  One man commented in his prayer,

I’ve heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your people… And he has come here with authority to arrest all who call on your name. 

When the terrorist tried to join a large church, “they were all afraid of him not believing he was really a disciple/follower of Jesus.”

But he was.  God had transformed him.  And he would go on to transform the church, and the course of history.  His name was Saul, later changed to Paul.  He wrote much of what we call the New Testament.  And he was a terrorist who was changed by the gospel.

So before we jump to conclusions and cower in fear, let’s remember that we serve the God who transforms terrorists into world-changers.  Let’s look for opportunities for the gospel to once again bring light into our dark and scary world.  And let’s continue to use the most potent weapon available – prayer – in the fight against evil and injustice in this world.  Because prayer unites us with the God of all power, and the God of all justice.  He’s the same God who says over and over and over, “Fear not.”

Serving and praying and believing together,

– Pastor Mark

P.S. You can read the full story of the terrorist here.

P.P.S. Be sure to join us this Sunday as we continue to discover the Language of God, in a timely message called, “Finding Forgiveness.”

There are school buses.  And then there are short buses.  Typically the short bus is for the special kid, the one who attends a special school, often times with special needs.

Here’s what I continue to learn.  We all belong on the short bus.  I listen to people’s stories week after week.  And I’m constantly reminded that everyone has a story, and most of them will blow you away.  Insecurity.  Doubt.  Anger and estrangement from God and others.  Attempted suicide.  Shameful secrets.  Horrifying family history.  Rebellion that lasts for decades.  Paralyzing fears.  We keep these stories hidden behind a veneer.  Because we don’t want to ride the short bus.

But God drives the short bus.  He makes a special stop in your neighborhood.  He opens the door and invites you to a “program” that is customized just for you.  He’s your father, for crying out loud.  He knows your past.  He knows your wounds. He knows your secrets.  He knows your fears.  He knows you’ve run from him, or the truth.  He knows you don’t belong on the long bus.  None of us do.

That’s why Jesus said what he did in Matthew 11:28:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

The short bus is where God meets us, and begins to heal us, and change us, and restore us, and equip us, and commission us.  The only requirement is to get on the short bus.  To get over ourselves, and get on with becoming our REAL selves.  Yes, someone might see you getting on the short bus.  Yes, they might snicker and gossip.  Just remember that God brings a short bus to their house, too.

Which bus are you going to get on?  Hope to meet you on the short bus.

– Pastor Mark

P.S. If you haven’t been baptized yet, check out the Baptism Info classes on Nov. 15 and 22.

Last weekend I discovered that Saturday morning superheroes are not confined to the cartoons.  They’re alive and well in Gaithersburg.

But these superheroes don’t wear capes.  Or tights.  They wear regular street clothes.  And they swoop in to help those who are in need of something very basic.  Language skills.  Yep, I’m referring to the volunteers who run our weekly ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program.

I was there on a Saturday morning with my Rooted group.  (We were on a field trip of sorts, one designed to help us experience part of God’s purposes for his people…to be involved in serving others, meeting people at their point of needs and graciously offering ourselves.)  What I discovered was that there is an incredibly dedicated team of teachers, assistants, child-care workers, tutors, and more who make sure each week that those in our community who need English language skills can get them.  Free.

They also provide a positive experience for the small children of these immigrants.

And they provide tutoring for the school age kids.

And they provide snacks/food for everyone who attends.

And they have to do set-up and tear-down every week (which is very familiar to many of us Seneca Creek veterans.)

Every week.

Why?  Because how we meet and treat the immigrants/foreigners among us matters.

• It matters to each of the people who attend. They’re incredible people, with stories that are often hard to even fathom.  And these classes are critical for their survival and success.
• And it matters to God. He has an intense concern for the outsider, the stranger, the alien.  Over and over this theme comes up in the Bible.  Here’s one example:

“‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:33-34)

I found out there are superheroes at Seneca Creek on Saturday mornings, loving the foreigners in a tangible, God-honoring way.  A special shout out to Yvonne Ellis and her amazing ESOL team.  Y’all ROCK!

And if any of you are looking for a way to make a difference in this world, and a way to put your spiritual growth on turbo-mode, I can’t think of a better way than by becoming part of this team of superheroes.

– Pastor Mark

P.S. Speaking of learning a new language, don’t miss our current series, “Learning the Language of God.”  It’s the best way to develop a dynamic and powerful relationship with your heavenly father.

Last February I discovered that I was the victim of identity theft.  The complications of that continue to haunt me to this day.

The latest tangled mess has to do with FAFSA forms and my daughter’s college education.  If you have walked down FAFSA lane, you know it’s a bureaucrat’s dream come true.  So there are two moribund federal bureaucracies playing ping-pong with me.  Grrr…

But there’s a worse identity theft concern.  And it’s not just mine.  It’s yours, too.  It appears that most of us are victims of this more insidious identity theft.

God is our creator and designer.  As such, he gives us our identity.  But too often, that identity is stolen, and replaced with a fake…a deception…a lie.  Here are some examples:

• God says you have infinite value. But you’ve come to believe the lie that you are trash.  Identity stolen.
• God says that you are forgiven. But you believe the lie that what you’ve done can never really be forgiven.  Identity stolen.
• God says that you are gifted and called. But you believe the lie that your mediocre life doesn’t really matter. Identity stolen.
• God says that he will be with you, even in the valley of the shadow of death. But you believe the lie that in that valley, God abandoned you.  Identity stolen.
• God says that you are his precious son/daughter. But you believe the lie that you’re only a spiritual foster child, whose connection to the family is temporary at best.  Identity stolen.

I could go on.  So could you.  In each case, your identity is stolen, and your life becomes a more tangled mess of confusion, exhaustion, and disappointment.

Here’s an idea. Let’s listen to our Maker.  Let’s let his voice be the one that determines our identity.  Let’s get our identity back!  If you needed a better motivation to spend time in God’s word, now you have it.

-Pastor Mark

P.S. Hope to see you this weekend as we kick off a new series, “Learning the Language of God.”

Have you ever said “no” to God?  Maybe even a polite kind of “no”?  I know I certainly have.

• As a teenager, I said “no” to pursuing higher education.
• As a young college student I said “no” to any thought of a life/career of serving in the local church.
• As a young seminarian I said “no” to the idea of being part of church-planting.
• As a young pastor I said “no” to considering the role of lead pastor.

Every year at this time I reflect back on what’s happened since October 15, 1989.  That was the day that Seneca Creek Community Church held her first worship gathering in the old Loew’s Theater in Germantown (now the site of a DSW).  And I think of what would have happened if God had taken my “no” and just let me have my way.

I would have missed out on a lifetime of adventure, growth, learning, and changing people’s lives and eternities.   I would have missed out on incredible friendships.  I would have missed out on seeing the faithfulness of God played out in front my eyes.  I would have missed out on a helping build a church that is breaking molds and breaking strongholds.  I shudder to think of what my life would look like by now.

And I think back on 26 years of watching God work thru me, and in me, DESPITE my initial protests.  It’s as though God was inviting me to choose “door number three,” and I was not interested, even though I had NO IDEA what was behind that door.

If I may ask, what door is God inviting you to open?  How long will say “no”?  How long will you miss out on what’s hiding behind the proverbial “door number three”?

My best advice is this: say “yes” to God.  The sooner the better.  Because whatever God has behind that door, it’s very good.  As the song says, “He’s a good, good Father…that’s who he is.”

-Pastor Mark

When I sent a reminder email last weekend saying that it would be an “historic weekend” at Seneca Creek, I had no idea what that would come to mean.  As it turned out, we made more history than we really wanted to!

In case you missed it, we had a disruption in electrical power to the building.  We lost partial power (including sound and lights in the auditorium) halfway through the sermon at the 8:30 gathering.  We finished in the dark.  Then we evacuated the building, due to overheating electrical equipment, and the smell of smoke.

The fire department (and PEPCO) arrived to check things out.  Many of you arrived during that time and wondered why there were firetrucks in our parking lot.  We were forced to cancel the 10:00 gathering while a dedicated team of volunteers worked to reinstate power to the building.  It was that sinking feeling of powerlessness.  We need power, and we didn’t have the ability to restore power.  Grrr…

At around 11:00 we started getting power back on, and decided to move ahead with the 11:30 gathering.  However, power was only PARTLY back on.  The power to the sound and lighting in the auditorium was NOT on.  So we had acoustic worship music, and a preacher who had to TALK REALLY LOUDLY up until the last ten minutes of the gathering.  By then our team had reconnected with PEPCO, who came back to the building.  They discovered that the source of the problem was a bird that had gotten tangled in their power lines, and disrupted power coming to our street.  Once PEPCO fixed that, we were back in business.  WHEW!

So what we THOUGHT would be our first Sunday with three separate gatherings, turned out to be only two, separated by a building emergency.

Thank you to everyone who helped us navigate the unexpected situation.  (Too many to list here.)  And thank you to all of you who were flexible in volunteering, changing your schedules, and more.  And a huge thank you to the team who helped get our power back on!  What a testimony to the Body of Christ working together, using our different gifts and skills.

I offer a sincere apology to any of you who were frustrated or disappointed by the changes.  I know there were even some first time guests who must have been totally confused by what happened.  We pray that we don’t have to repeat this situation again.

Now…this weekend we’re going to try again to start our three Sunday gatherings, at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30.  It will be historic…hopefully for that reason ONLY.  I’ll see you then!

– Pastor Mark

P.S. Ironically, our topic this weekend will be…Press on with power.  I’m not making this up.  It was planned months ago. 🙂

A recent article pointed out some chilling statistics about our growing chasm of loneliness that’s swallowing up an alarming number of us.  And the consequences are more immediate and hazardous than you might have thought.

In a blog by the Harvard Business Review, we’re reminded that research shows that “one in four Americans report having no one with whom they can discuss important matters, compared with one in ten 30 years ago.”  And the average American has, “only one real friend.”

The article goes on to point out that living without strong friendships, “…diminishes cognitive performance and the immune system, increases the risk of heart disease and dementia and hastens early death. (HBR 9/18/15)

Our Facebook friends will share cat videos and status updates, but rarely will they share our burdens, be they financial, emotional, spiritual, or physical.  That’s not because they’re bad friends.  It’s because they’re virtual friends.  They’re engaged in relationships that are defined by electronic presence, not physical presence.

This is not a blog about how terrible things are.  It’s a blog about how to change our situation.  And it’s a blog about Jesus’ vision for real humanity…which means people living in genuine friendships and genuine community.  People who will laugh together, work together, sweat together, dream together, weep together, worship together, serve together, and pray together.

How many of those friends do you have?  If you don’t like the answer, then I urge you to do something about it.  Come out and join us this weekend at Seneca Creek.  Stop by Connection Point and get details on our Converge groups.  Arrive early enough to meet someone before the gathering starts.  Strike up a conversation after the gathering.  (Even introverts need a few friends.)

Jesus described what his new community would look like…

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35)

Yep.  One another.  Together.  Laughing, working, sweating, dreaming, weeping, worship, serving and praying…together.  You can’t do that on Facebook.  But you can do that in Christian community.

I hope to see you then!

– Pastor Mark

P.S. REMINDER: This Sunday we are adding a third Sunday gathering and changing our start times.  Join us at 8:30, 10:00, or 11:30!