Sammamish Sparkles Like Snow

This past Sunday I was honored to be invited to lead worship at the official launch of Mars Hill Sammamish alongside a team of musicians pulled from Celestial City, Ghostship, Citizen, and Thunderoso - some of the Mars Hill Church bands at Downtown Seattle and the University District.

The Sammamish church has a very familial atmosphere - something which, sadly, evoked memories of starch church environments I grew up around.   Lots of affluent white collar families with young kids, teens, and even grandparents - all of which were very put-together, nice, and moral.  At first glance, the look of the building and the people who filled it brought memories of the years I spent in religious churches where I never knew Jesus, never really saw who Jesus is, or how who is ought to move us to respond to his calling.  In a 1st world nation that often claims Christianity as its religion, I think many of us are all too familiar with these psuedo-Christian churches with friendly messages void of challenge or responsiveness from the congregation.

This was not that kind of church.

Toward the end of the service, the band and I collected ourselves at the back of the auditorium to go back up on stage.  I stood behind some 300 plus people who were being beckoned by Pastor Mark on the screen.  He asked the men to stand and identify themselves as Christian men and to audibly vow that their wives, children, and church would be served and loved - by them.  My tears and throat swelled; the men didn't miss a beat.  They stood firmly when prompted and gripped the hands of their wives and children as they proclaimed their vows - loudly!  One man in particular caught my eye, as he turned to his wife and proclaimed the vows as he looked her in the eye.

As I stepped up on the stage and collected myself to lead the people in song, I saw a flurry of snow whipping around outside the windows.  The men prayed over their wives and served them communion,  the people responded with zealous clapping, many singing with joyful tears, and adults and children being baptized.

We closed the morning singing Jesus' praises in the old hymn "Jesus Paid It All" together.  I praised God for melting my heart of stone and washing our crimson stains as clean as the sparkling powder collecting on the trees, and the all God's people sang in unison:

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

We kicked off the new Real Marriage series strong with shy of 750 people and 11 baptisms between the two morning services.  It was truly a blessing to see God moving in Sammamish, calling men to lead as God had designed them to lead, and absolutely blowing my assumptions to pieces.  Thank you for having us, Mars Hill Sammamish, and for responding to Jesus' calling on your lives.