It took about 4 hours to reach Gaithersburg but it was a perfect morning for a nice quiet drive. Jane, our family's GPS, took me right to the front door of the church.
I arrived a little early for the second morning service. After finding a parking place (the parking lot was almost full), I had a chance to look around and check out the church facilities. Shortly after the first service ended, it was time for the second service to begin, so I made my way to the sanctuary, which seats almost three thousand people.
The service lasted approximately two hours, and was filled with music, scripture reading, prayer, and expositional preaching. It was a lively service, and I was glad I made the drive. It was well worth my time and effort.
Following the service, the lobby was filled with tables full of fresh brewed coffee, and couches and chairs for people to sit and share together. At the back end of the lobby, the church has a wonderful bookstore, where all of the titles in the store are handpicked by C. J. Mahaney. After perusing the store for a while, I made my way to the cash register to pay for my treasures books.
While there, I had a conversation with the lady checking me out. She found out that I was a pastor visiting the church on my sabbatical, and she gave me two John Owen books that I had chosen for free! Worth my trip to church--ha!
The people at Covenant Life Church were so warm and kind. The music was terrific, the preaching was enriching, and the bookstore was spectacular. If you are ever in the Gaithersburg, Maryland/Washington D.C. area, you should worship with this church family.
Tomorrow I hit the road again...stay tuned for more updates.
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