Blog Archives
Does God take vacation?
Have you ever had a crazy-busy season of life after which you just wanted to take a vacation and get some rest? That’s kinda what it can be like around a church office the week after Easter.
We just finished the biggest event of the year, with four gatherings and almost 1500 people. We wrapped up a week-long Spring Break camp that turned our normally quiet building into a hotbed of activities, games, fun, learning, and very loud groups of kids. And we pulled out all the stops for a powerful, multi-sensory Good Friday experience. It’s enough to make our staff want to take some much-deserved vacation.
Which got me thinking. Does God take vacation? Jesus made this statement during his ministry on earth.
My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working. John 5:17
Apparently God is NOT taking vacation just yet.
Ever wonder what God does when he works? Is he fixing things? (sorta) Is he building things (sorta) Is he solving problems? (sorta) The short answer is, he’s working on you. And me. Yep, we’re his project. And he wakes up in the morning thinking about you, thinking about how to get you closer to his original design.
That journey, from who we are, to who God longs for us to be, that’s the journey of transformation. And that’s the journey we’re committed to walking with you. Our mission at Seneca Creek is “To develop fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.” IOW, to help you experience God’s transformational work in your life.
One of the ways we try to help is through our Rooted Experience and Converge Groups. (I know, shameless plug here.) So as you think about where your life is, and where you long for it to be, just remember that God longs to work in you and on you. And since one of the best ways to participate in that work is in community, why not consider signing up for Rooted, or (if you’ve already gone thru Rooted) for one of our Converge Groups for this Spring. It just might be one of the best choices you make in 2018.
A recent Rooted celebration event
God is always at work. He’s not on vacation. Are you giving him room to work in your life?
-Pastor Mark
P.S. Speaking of work, I worked on a list of resources to share last Sunday, then forgot to mention it. So if you have questions about the Resurrection, or if you know someone who does and you’re trying to help them, check out this list of resources.
Mabye PRISM is a good thing…
News flash: the government is collecting information about your phone calls and emails. Maybe that’s a good thing.
Okay, if you’re a civil libertarian or conspiracy theorist, you should stop reading now and start writing your email explaining why I’m off my rocker. Otherwise, please read on.
I’m not saying this as a politician or historian or legal scholar. I’m saying this as a pastor. My concern is to help people connect with the God who made them, and live the life he designed them for. And what I’ve observed is that we struggle to do both of those because of the secrets we carry.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve wondered, “Why is this person not growing…why are they stuck in their life/faith.” Only later do I discover they’ve been living with secrets. And only when those secrets are brought into the light can the person begin to make progress. A phrase from the recovery movement sums it up well:
You’re only as sick as your secrets.
So as a pastor who wants to help people I know that giving SOMEONE access to what’s inside your life might well be the best thing you could possibly do. Maybe the federal government, or the NSA, or PRISM is not ideally suited for this task. In which case, find someone who is. Join a Converge group. Seek out a spiritual friend. Sit down with a church staff member. And begin to get honest about your life and your secrets. You’ve been living with that toxic secret long enough.
-Pastor Mark
Living in faith, hope and Love 