Columbus Elementary Worship

We had around 170 men, women and children (and a dog?) at our first regular service at Columbus Elementary yesterday! What a great morning to celebrate the message of the cross and the foundation of truth we have in God's Word.

I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the pictures I took--they're not the best quality, but it's still neat to see our community worshiping together!

Now that we're in our new location, there's plenty of space for new visitors, so invite a friend to come see what God is doing!

The "foolishness" of the cross

During the sermon this morning I was reminded of a great song by Michael Card. As Dewey taught about 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, he described how the "perishing" look at us and believe we are "foolish", even "morons", for believing the incredible message of the cross. If I had my other guitar case with me, I might have tried to sing this song on the fly after the sermon, but the music was here at home (alas)!

Anyway, here are the lyrics to "God's Own Fool" by Michael Card. Maybe I'll sing it sometime in the near future...

Seems I've imagined Him all of my life
As the wisest of all of mankind
But if God's Holy wisdom is foolish to men
He must have seemed out of His mind

For even His family said He was mad
And the priest said a demon's to blame
But, God in the form of this angry young man
Could not have seemed perfectly sane

Chorus
We in our foolishness thought we were wise
He played the fool and He opened our eyes
We in our weakness believed we were strong
He became helpless to show we were wrong
So we follow God's own Fool
For only the foolish can tell
Believe the unbelievable,
Come be a fool as well

So come lose your life for a carpenter's son
For a madman who died for a dream
And You'll have the faith His first followers had
And you'll feel the weight of the beam

So surrender the hunger to say you must know
Have the courage to say I believe
For the power of paradox opens your eyes
And blinds those who say they can see

Words and Music by Michael Card

(c) 1985 Mole End Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) / Birdwing Music (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing), CCLI #2803065

New Hope camping trip idea?

"Okay, kids, time to get your jammies and parachutes on..."

A Healthy Church

I just read an interesting blog article by Dr. Ray Pritchard on Crosswalk.com. Pritchard, who preaches in churches all over the country, says he can quickly tell if a church is healthy by observing just two things. I was a little surprised what they were, but I think if he visited New Hope he would be encouraged. See what you think: How to Spot a Healthy Church - Quickly.

Live from McMinnville: Lindsey Jorgensen!

Our own Lindsey Jorgensen is putting on a recital at Linfield College this Sunday. Lindsey will be singing with fellow Music Education major Erica Jossi, and she says the program will include "some German Lied, French Melodie, English Art Song, a few Gershwin pieces, a duet from a Mozart opera, and a duet from the musical 'Wicked'".

Admission is free, and I know Lindsey would love to have plenty of folks there! So if you have a hankerin' for some classical vocal music, the recital is Sunday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. in Ice Auditorium (Melrose Hall) at Linfield College.

"And then I introduce them to Harvey..."

As you may know, I'm a bit of a movie buff, and last night I watched "Harvey" for the first time. The 1950 film stars James Stewart as a gentle, friendly guy who walks and talks with a 6-foot rabbit. Of course, no one else sees Harvey the Rabbit, so most people think Elwood P. Dowd is crazy.

About two thirds the way through the movie, Dowd is talking to two employees of a sanitorium who originally want to bring this insane man to their asylum, but they are won over by his sweet nature. When Nurse Kelly asks him what he does with his time, he gives an answer that was so beautiful I listened to it three times. (It was vintage Jimmy Stewart, so I'm hoping you can catch the flavor of it as you read...)

Elwood P. Dowd: Harvey and I sit in the bars... have a drink or two... play the juke box. And soon the faces of all the other people they turn toward mine and they smile. And they're saying, "We don't know your name, mister, but you're a very nice fella." Harvey and I warm ourselves in all these golden moments. We've entered as strangers - soon we have friends. And they come over... and they sit with us... and they drink with us... and they talk to us. They tell about the big terrible things they've done and the big wonderful things they'll do. Their hopes, and their regrets, and their loves, and their hates. All very large, because nobody ever brings anything small into a bar. And then I introduce them to Harvey... and he's bigger and grander than anything they offer me. And when they leave, they leave impressed. The same people seldom come back; but that's envy, my dear. There's a little bit of envy in the best of us.

I just love the part where he says that the things they hear are "All very large, because nobody ever brings anything small into a bar." And it made me think again about how almost everyone I see, even in our fellowship gatherings, is carrying something heavy--pains, stresses, guilt, questions, decisions, regrets--and chances are there are few others (if any) in their lives who know anything about these burdens. As a worship leader I'm reminded again that I need to regularly lead our people in songs of hope and encouragement.

But that's not the only line that strikes me as a worship leader. Elwood goes on to say, "And then I introduce them to Harvey... and he's bigger and grander than anything they offer me. And when they leave, they leave impressed." Why is there hope and encouragement in any of our worship songs? Because we serve a God who is "bigger and grander" than any of our problems and burdens! As I lead people in worship, it's my job to focus our community on the One who is more wonderful and awesome and inspiring and glorious than any person or any thing! And I pray to God that when people leave one of our worship gatherings, "they leave impressed"--not by the music or the experience, but by the greatness and goodness of God Himself!

May that be true of all of us...and not just on Sunday mornings, but every day of the week.

Acts 4:1-13


p.s. Here's another great Elwood P. Dowd quote I'll throw in for free!

"Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, 'In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.' Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. And you may quote me."

Baptism Photo Gallery online now

I got some really nice pictures at the baptism service this morning, and I've loaded 18 of them onto a gallery on our website (www.newhopeconnection.com). You can find the galleries by clicking on the Photo button on the menu bar, or by clicking here.

I saw lots of cameras there besides mine...if you got good pictures, please share them with me! Maybe I can put up a second gallery!