Spaghetti Pie! (Afterhours “Reflection” & Recipe for June 21st)

After Uprising (where Randy taught on Jesus the Dreamgiver!), we feasted on delicious Spaghetti Pie, salad, and the best garlic bread ever. As requested, here is the Spaghetti Pie recipe:

 

Spaghetti Pie
as prepared by Sheri Elmont

 

4 oz. spaghetti
2 eggs beaten
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 T butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 cup sour cream
1 lb. Italian sausage (or ½ Italian ½ Plain or I use hamburger or ground turkey with Italian seasoning)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
Salt to taste
1 cup water
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced

Break spaghetti in half. Cook in boiling salted water until done. Drain. While still warm, combine spaghetti with eggs and parmesan cheese. Pour into a well- greased 10” pie plate and pat mixture up around sides with a spoon. Melt butter, add onion and sauté until limp. Stir in sour cream and spoon over spaghetti. Remove sausage from casing, crumbling and cook in skillet until done. Drain. Add tomato paste, salt and water. Simmer 10 minutes. Spoon sausage on top of sour cream mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Arrange Mozzarella on top and return to oven until cheese melts. NOTE: This freezes well before baking so make 2 at a time.

June 7th AfterHours Reflection (Jesus the Life Giver, Luke 7:36-50)

The following post was first published on my personal blog as Part Two: After Uprising – Go in Peace. It was recommended to me to post it here as well… as it is a response to last Saturday’s Uprising message and thats what this blog is for! Enjoy! -Cori

Pastor Randy began our summer series “Life of Christ” last Saturday at Uprising by talking about Jesus as the Life Giver. He re-introduced us all to the sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50) who ‘went to where Jesus was’ (at the home of the Pharisee man) and washed his feet with perfume oil, her tears and her hair.

Her hair.

“Why is this significant?” He asked us. “What does this say about her hair?”  Someone suggested it meant her hair was really, really long. (I admit, thats what I was thinking too.) Randy began to explain that by using her hair (yes, long, undoubtedly beautiful hair), she was sacrificing her “glory” and giving of herself to her bridegroom. In Jesus’ day, a woman’s hair was not often see by others like it is now, but rather it was tied back and hidden. It was her private glory. Only in the privacy of one’s own quarters were a woman’s long locks displayed… and for her husband only. (Certainly explains a little of why Dad always said guys liked long hair, haha!)

The sinful woman’s hair was a sign of her glory. Randy added that the perfumed oil she used to wash Jesus feet, although costly, probably wasn’t a great sacrifice to her. She probably had plenty of money (hello, look at her profession!)… But her hair was hers, and hers alone… her private beauty. Her treasure.

(This makes me think of the movie Pretty Woman, and how Vivian (Julia Roberts) wouldn’t kiss her clients or even Edward (Richard Gere) (except she eventually does. of course). Kisses were special and reserved for her. They were her “glory.” Okay, an interesting cultural analogy, I admit!)

Now, the question Randy asked:

What is your glory? What “something” in your life do you hold dear, hold precious and special? What gift do you have to share with Jesus? What is “that something” God may ask of you to sacrifice for Him, your bridegroom?

Maybe for some of you, it’s your time. In my young women’s small group, we are reading the book Completely His by Shannon Ethridge, and in the chapter we are discussing Monday night (tonight!): ”Becoming Fluent in the Language of Love,” Ethridge suggests “seven secrets to bask in God’s presence.” All of the secrets are fantastic, but I want to share just one of them with you now. Her second secret was to “establish a certain place where you will have regular devotional times with the Lord. Whether it’s in the living room, backyard, or your closet floor, make it your special place to rendezvous with Jesus. As your inevitably wrestle with the ‘Am I going to have a devotional time today?’ question, envision Jesus sitting in that regular spot, awaiting your arrival. Remember He gets as much out of your time together as you do, don’t keep Him waiting there too long before you join Him in sweet fellowship (pg90-91).”

Go to where God is. The sinful woman did and her worship and humility towards Jesus led to Him saying to her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Go in peace. *chuckle* If you haven’t already read Part One: After Uprising – Road Rage, then read it now.

Kinda ironic that “going in peace” was exactly what I was NOT doing. And look how that made me feel and act.

What’s Up Uprising?

Need something to do? Hahaha. We know you’re busy people.

Check out this week’s Booyah announcements to get some ideas! Included this week: small groups, opportunity to support Uprisers going to Uganda, a women’s hike at Angel’s Rest, awesome chance to get involved with the worship band and more!

See you this Saturday at the Abundant Life Parkrose Campus at 6pm! Google map: 4536 NE 116th Ave, Portland, OR 97220.

Randy’s baaaack and starting a new series on the Life of Christ! Don’t miss part one!

Also, we are going to be annoucing dates for our summer Unplugged pool & food nights very, very soon. Woo-hoo.

Link here for the latest Booyah!

Uprising and Sudan

Many of you had the privilege of hearing Rosemary speak about her ministry in Boma, Sudan. Check out her organization’s website, SEA Partners, and click the “Boma Project” to find out more. There are a few pictures for those of you who missed it. Randy is looking at heading up a trip to Boma in August ‘09, so check it out!

Coming soon: My Father & I… special dinner for young women

My father and I… fight.

My father and I… can’t talk about deep things.

My father and I… love each other.

My father and I… compromise

My father and I…

We want to invite the young women of our church (from high school through mid-twenties) to attend My Father and I… A fun & fabulous family-style dinner for young women with guest speakers Greg Strannigan & his daughters sharing about dads (how we should talk to them without fighting, crying, and avoiding), being women, uncovering what the bible says about unrealistic expectations and God as our Father.

Our hope is that these young women will learn the importance of the relationship with their fathers (both God and their earthly dad), even if it is broken or absolutely amazing. This will also be a great opportunity for them to form relationships with other strong women, ask questions, and seek wisdom in their relationships.

The dinner is Tuesday, May 20^th at 7 p.m. at the Happy Valley Campus, and the cost is $10. Students can sign up during Unseen, Uprising, or at Guest Services. Space is limited; so don’t delay. Email cori@coolchurch.com with any questions or to have your name added to the list.

 

Serving those we love. And loving those we serve.

Well, if you weren’t one of the 11 uprisers that ventured downtown this last weekend, we definitely missed you and we would all cheer in joyous jubilation if you decided to join us on the next adventure.

So, as you know, once a month, we make pb&j sandwhiches. Once every month we bag those lovingly made sandwiches in with other nutritious (and non-nutritious) goodies. Once a month we pull together donated clothing, soaps, shampoos, lotions. We fill large containers with coffee and hot chocolate (soon to be water). And we jam-pack everything (including ourselves) in the Long Van and head downtown. We do this once a month, every month. And we’re getting quite good at this routine, if you ask me.

So, I my question is how can we take what we’re already doing a step further? How can we really show those we meet that we genuinely care for them and love them? and what would it mean to do that more than once a month?

On Saturday after our trek, Steve Long did a wonderful job of challenging us to engage in prayer with others. He talked to us about people’s hearts: How we are crippled in the fact that we cannot know the state of another’s heart. But the great thing is that God does. God knew the heart of His people Israel. Despite their actions of idolatry, despite their circumstance, He knew their hearts and He heard their cries for change. When we engage in prayer with others, we have the priveledge to ask God to hear the cry of His people. And we have the opportunity to tell that person, who truly wants change, to cry out to their God and if their heart is genuine, He will hear them.

If any of you eleven uprisers have stories to tell from Saturday, we would love to hear them. And if any of you have any thoughts at all on this post, we would love to hear them too.

Uprising Moves to Parkrose on April 19th!

Same Uprising community, same Uprising day (Saturday), same Uprising time (6:00)… new Uprising location! Here’s a map.

March 15th AfterHours Reflection (Galatians 1:6-10)

On Saturday night, Jamil led us through a conversation about having being approved of and pleasing to God/men based on a passage from Galatians 1:6-10. Jamil started by discussing the circumstances of Paul’s letter to Galatians, when the Judaizers were leading the gentile believers to struggle with a works-based perspective of their faith. He also talked about the wounds we bear. He focused upon how God uses them to grow us and bear fruit, while our tendency is to instead dwell on the pain.

We then went on disuss:

1. Is it easier to please God or men?
2. What’s the difference between being approved of and being pleasing to someone? Is there a difference?
3.  Is got ever displeased with His children or his creation?
4. Does God look at the same things we look at?
   (Peterbeing afraid while walking on water. We often focus on symptoms instead of the disease.)

If you could like to continue that conversation, leave a comment here.

March 8th AfterHours Reflection (Acts 19)

On Saturday night, Randy took us through a difficult passage in Acts 19. He talked about how many Christians have incomplete “spiritual armor” (Ephesians 6:10-20) and reminded us that the Holy Spirit completes us. Some of the supporting scripture we read together included:

• Ephesians 1:3 – God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
• 1 Corinthians 14 – We are to desire spiritual gifts like prophesy.
• Colossians 2:6-10 – We are to stay rooted in Christ, since we have fullness in Him.

When the power of God’s spirit was revealed and the wicked repented… “the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power” (Acts 19:20).

If you have thoughts about this. Leave a comment.

March 1st AfterHours Reflection (Leah and Rachel)

On Saturday night, Devin shared his heart about the story of Leah and Rachel’s childbearing in Genesis 29:31-30:1. He pointed out that Leah was initially looking to be validated by her fertility and by Jacob’s affection, instead of God’s love. Finally, we see that after the third child, she chooses to focus on praising the Lord (29:35) and not on her circumstances.  We see that Jacob’s other (preferred) wife, Rachel, immediately becomes jealous and desperate to have a child (30:1).

Devin pointed to Matthew 5:6 (NASB), which says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” His point was that once Leah got her priorities in order, she became satisfied. Later in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:33), Jesus teaches something similar: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

If you have any response to Devin’s talk or anything you’d like to discuss, leave a comment here.