Well, who's elf would you want to be?

Molly's Butterfly

Weeks and weeks ago, my daughter Molly found an interesting green caterpillar by Grandma and Grandpa's RV, and since she was studying butterflies in school, she kept it. She took it to school to display it next to the Monarch caterpillars they had in their class room. It predictably turned into a chrysalis, and then nothing happened! The butterflies in Molly's class room all emerged and were released, and I figured this one had just gone on to caterpillar heaven somewhere.

My dad, a bug expert, was still in town, and he said to hang onto it, that sometimes these can stay unhatched for quite a while. So, our little cage has been sitting in our laundry room for weeks, and I sort of forgot about it, until on Monday night when I was doing laundry and looked down to find a butterfly sitting in there!
Kelly woke Molly up (it was about 1:00 a.m. when we discovered it) and she was very excited! The next morning Molly and I looked up "Oregon butterflies" on Google to try to figure out what it was, and it turns out the Oregon Swallowtail is the Official Insect of our fair state. She then took it to school, and Mrs. Bierly lent us her butterfly "cage" so it would have some space to move.That evening Molly called Grandpa to tell him all about it. They decided Molly should try to keep it alive in captivity until it warms up outside in the spring. So there you go. This little butterfly has brought our home some excitement and joy this week, and I can think of three times (at least) that I suggested we just chuck the "dead" cocoon!

Maybe I should reconsider some other things that I've long considered dead and hopeless...God may have some surprising plans...

Airplane Night at Awana

It was Paper Airplane Night at Awana last night! The kids were asked to bring a paper airplane to club, and there were prizes for most creative design and furthest flight. Of course, there were the regular lessons and songs and games, too--Wednesdays are fun nights!

There are some pictures below, and I've posted more in a gallery on our web site's Photos Page. Enjoy!

Valentine's Weekend at New Hope

We had a terrific weekend at New Hope! There were two Valentine events and, of course, a great time of Sunday morning worship!

I’ve posted a few photos below from Friday night’s Sweetheart Dessert and Saturday’s Young-at-Heart Valentine Soup Supper. I’ve also added more pics to the galleries on our web site’s Photos page.

Sweetheart Dessert - Friday, February 13.

Young-at-Heart Valentine Soup Supper - Saturday, February 14.

Tithe Rap

Last Sunday Dewey preached from Matthew 6 and talked a little about the "tithe" in biblical times (giving 10% of your income to the Lord). So I thought this video from a church in Lawrenceville, GA might add even more clarity to the subject. (Hmm, maybe our shepherd team needs to start working up some mad hip-hop skills?)

How to install a wireless security system.

1. Go to a second-hand store, buy a pair of men's used work boots ... a really big pair.
2. Put the boots outside your front door on top of a copy of Guns and Ammo magazine.
3. Put a dog dish beside it ... a really big dish.
4. Leave a note on your front door that says something like this: "Bubba, Big Mike and I have gone to get more ammunition - back in 30 minutes. Don't disturb the pit bulls, they've just been wormed."

Donations Reminder

The local "Homeless Connect" event is coming up on Tuesday the 17th, so here is a reminder that this Sunday, February 15th, is the last Sunday to bring donated items for the bin in our entry way. If you'd like to bring donations at a different time, contact me at the church (503-472-1144) or email me (BrianEJanssen-at-aol.com).

For a list of suggested donations, you can see the blog entry from January 23rd below.

Jesus Is Not a Brand

..."Marketing is the process of promoting, selling, and distributing goods or services. It's a business concept, but something very similar happens in the church. As much as we bristle at comparing evangelism to a sales pitch, there are certain similarities."

There are indeed similarities. But evangelism and sales are not the same. And we market the church at our peril if we are blind to the critical and categorical difference between the Truth and a truth you can sell. In a marketing culture, the Truth becomes a product. People will encounter it with the same consumerist worldview with which they encounter every other product in the American marketplace.

Thus our dilemma: The product we are selling isn't like every other product—it isn't even a product at all. But if the gospel is not a product, how can we market it? And if we can't avoid marketing it, how can we keep from turning it into the product it isn't?

Last month I came across an article in Christianity Today titled Jesus Is Not a Brand by Tyler Wigg-Stevenson. It was so thought-provoking that I read it twice. The author makes a strong case that we all look at things through our modern consumer-age filters, and that the local church community is key to genuine Christianity. Take a look!

Back in the saddle

It's been a week since I've posted--a week ago today I turned on my computer and found that my hard drive had crashed. Ugh. Anyway, I'm busy now re-installing software and trying to piece together files from emails I've sent, etc (it's been 8 months since I backed up my files, so I lost a lot--alas)!

Anway, I just caught up on uploading a couple sermons to the web site: Dewey's messages on Being Truthful (1-25-09) and Adultery (2-1-09). I'll try to get yesterday's sermon up soon, too.

I also got a nice recording of the song Draw Me Close, which we sang together on January 25th, and you can hear that online as well. Enjoy!

How Great Thou Art

Today is George Beverly Shea's 100th birthday, and as a frequent singer at Billy Graham's crusades, Shea's signature song was the great hymn How Great Thou Art.

I recently read an article about this tune, and was surprised to hear of its winding history of how it became one of the Church's most popular worship songs. You can read it here.

I looked and looked online to see if I could find a video of Shea singing How Great Thou Art, but to no avail. Here's one of Carrie Underwood at the Grand Ole Opry in case you'd like to hear it...