French Onion Soup

Yummy goodness!

2 Tablespoons oil
3 Tablespoons butter
6 cups thinly sliced onions
½ teaspoon sugar
2 ½ quarts broth
½ cup dry white wine
salt & pepper

8 slices French bread
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

~ Heat oil in a heavy 5-6 quart pan.
~ Add the butter and melt.
~ Add the onions and cook slowly, covered for 10 minutes.
~ Add the sugar and salt.
~ Continue to cook slowly until the onions caramelize and turn a rich brown color
→ Do NOT burn!
→ This will take 45 – 60 minutes.
~ Add wine and cook 5 minutes, still over a low heat.
~ Add stock and check for seasoning.
~ Simmer for 30 minutes.

~ Toast the bread and put one slice in the bottom of each bowl.
~ Fill bowls with soup.
~ Cover with cheese.
~ Broil until cheese is bubbly and slightly browed.
→ Be sure you are using oven proof bowls!

Psalm 23

Tonight we looked at the 23rd Psalm. As Christians today, we look to Jesus as our shepherd (check out John 10:11-21) David however was not referring to Jesus! If you take a look at Ezekiel chapter 34 you will find God the Father referring to Himself as the shepherd of His people. In the NT Jesus is always talking about how he follows the footsteps of His Father, the shepherd reference is another of these examples. God has always felt Himself to be our shepherd, the Biblical references mentioned above give us a good idea of what it means to God to be our shepherd. Next week is a teaching week and we will also be praying for Josh and Zena as they prepare to help start another small group. Have a great week everyone, we love you and are praying for you.

Back in the Swing of Things

We started the year with a week of prayer.  Please consider continuing to pray for the requests that were shared at group.

• Julia’s dreams
• Laurie’s family and jobs
• Allie’s family
• Rebecca’s foot
• Lauri’s knee
• Andre’s safe return from Israel
• Bethany and Jon’s health
• Alex and Christina’s move

Christmas Party Pictures

Shannyn & Liam

Jenni takes home the gnome.

Does your alarm clock fly around YOUR room in the morning?

Breakfast anyone?

Christmas Party – Next Week

The tree is trimmed!

We will be having a Christmas party next week, December 17th. Here are the details…

We’ll meet at our usual time, starting at 6:30.

Bring an appetizer and a white elephant gift.

Candy Canes and a Christmas Movie

We had a surprisingly small homegroup tonight.  Andre decided to save his teaching for next month.  We spent some time praying for one another.  Then had some group bonding in the form of watching “Little Women” and having a candy cane licking contest.  Major highlights included, debating whether or not Beth has a personality and poking our lips with candy canes points as sharp as daggers.  Julia, though off to  a slow start came through with the pointiest cane.

Praying that all of you sickies are feeling better soon!

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

As promised, I’m posting the recipe for the soup that we had at group today.

¼ cup butter                                             ½ teaspoon curry powder
1 medium onion, finally chopped        ½ teaspoon dry mustard
2 ½ cup sliced mushrooms                   ½ teaspoon paprika
½ cup thinly sliced celery                    ½ teaspoon chervil
½ cup thinly sliced carrots                 ¼ teaspoon white pepper
½ cup flour                                               2 cups half and half
6 cups chicken (or turkey)  broth      2/3 cup cream sherry
4 cups cooked wild rice                        3 – 4 cups cubed turkey

Melt butter over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until golden.  Add mushrooms and celery.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  mix in flour thoroughly.  Add broth, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 – 8 minutes.  Stir in rice, spices and turkey.  Reduce heat to low and stir in half and half and sherry.  Simmer, stirring occasionally.  Garnish with parsley.

November 26th – Love Feast

Well hello all you lovely human beings out in blogland…

mmmmmhmmmmm…

how you doin’?

I know you like it when the grammar is impeccable. And I know you dig good love. I dig good love too. I’m feelin’ the good love. Why am I feeling the good love?

Lasagna. Of a vegetarian variety.

Nothing gets good love flowing like lasagna. It’s the official food of lovers across the globe. Didn’t you know? It’s no surprise then that Lasagna comes to us from the Italians as they are most certainly bold as love just like Jimi Hendrix. Just ask the Axis. He knows everything…

And so it came to pass that I thought I should ask the Axis, so in passing, I asked rather boldly, “So Axis, how about lasagna?”

I have to say, I was shocked by what the Axis had to say. Turns out lasagna actually comes to us from the Greeks. Who knew?!? The Greek word “lasonon” meaning “trivet or stand for a pot” is our first reference to the great dish we know so well today. And you might be wondering what the lasagna we know today has to do with some ancient pot. Well, how about you just stop asking stupid questions and call it progress.

Moving on, our home group can relate to this I suppose. Once we were a home group in a house on Chesterfield and because we’re just that awesome, we are now the Chesterfield Community House.

How do you like them apples?

Oh what a ripe and succulent time it was indeed at the Chesterfield Community House on November 26th. Great food was consumed. Profound and enveloping conversations were had. Music was played. Songs were sung. Prayers were done right. I have to say, I had an epic time. You should too!

Don’t miss out on the action ever, ever again. Show up. Eat lasagna. Feel the love. Be bold as love. It’s what all the hipsters are doing when they’re not reading Pitchfork. Thank goodness that’s a lie! But hey, we keep it real like this every last Wednesday of the month. Dharma wants you.

Namaste,

Elliot, guest writer

-Elliot is a leading muckraker who wasn’t actually at home group on November 26th due to having to perform at a Guitar Ensemble concert. But he certainly has a vivid imagination, a verbose nature and a knack for conjuring alternate realities out of nowhere from vague factual references. He even wrote this clarification himself in the 3rd person. We are blessed by his brilliance.

Nov 12-19 Gods continued message

For the teaching weeks we focused on the question, ‘Does God change?’. While the answer may appear simple in our own lives, we must admit that it can sometimes be hard to see the same God within the transition from the OT to the NT. The Old testament seems so full of war, law and sacrifice and in the New we find Jesus teaching peace and grace and giving himself as the ultimate sacrifice. So we looked at texts in the OT such as Deut. 10:12-22 and Isaiah 58. What we find in fact is that themes that we thought were specifically NT such as circumcision of the heart and a fasting that focuses on social justice rather than strict law are found within the OT as well. God has always been concerned with our heart posture, towards Him and those around us. We ended with a tough question. Is an encounter with God the same as an encounter with Jesus? Should they be the same? Can they be the same? While we didn’t come up with an answer on Wednesday a good friend of mine did point to what I think may be an answer. John 14:5-10

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not my own. Rather, it is the Father living in me, who is doing His work.

Have a great week guys, we love you and are praying for you and hope that you will join us for the feast next week!

Lord, have mercy.

In peace, let up pray to the Lord, saying, "Lord have mercy."

We take time on the first week of every moth to pray. We start by worshiping, preparing to petition God. Then we enter into corporate prayer using The Prayers of the People, which is a liturgical cycle of intercession. Lastly, we split up and pray for each other. We come to this time expecting to be heard by God and to hear from Him.

Below, I’ve put up the text of Form 5 of the Prayers of the People. This is what we use.

The Prayers of the People
Form V

In peace, let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy”

For the holy Church of God, that it may be filled with truth and love, and be found without fault at the day of your coming, we pray to you, O Lord.

For Jim our pastor, for all ministers of the Gospel and for all the holy people of God, we pray to you, O Lord.

For all who fear God and believe in you, Lord Christ, that our divisions may cease, and that all may be one as you and the Father are one, we pray to you, O Lord.

For the mission of the Church, that in faithful witness it may preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. For Woody and our friends in Ethiopia, we pray to you, O Lord.

For those who do not yet believe, and for those who have lost their faith, we pray that they may receive the light of the Gospel, we pray to you, O Lord.

For the peace of the world, that a spirit of respect and forbearance may grow among nations and peoples, we pray to you, O Lord.

For those in positions of public trust [especially for our President, George Bush, our Governor, Jennifer Granholm, the Mayor of Detroit, and other elected officials in our cities and subburbs], that they may serve justice, and promote the dignity and freedom of every person, we pray to you, O Lord.

For all who live and work in this community [especially __________], we pray to you, O Lord.

For a blessing upon all human labor, and for the right use of the riches of creation, that the world may be freed from poverty, famine, and disaster, we pray to you, O Lord.

For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger; that they may be relieved and protected, we pray to you, O Lord.

For Royal Oak Vineyard and this homegroup, that we may be delivered from hardness of heart, and show forth your glory in all that we do, we pray to you, O Lord.

For our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, O Lord.

For ourselves; for the forgiveness of our sins, and for the grace of the Holy Spirit to amend our lives, we pray to you, O Lord.

For all who have commended themselves to our prayers; for our families, friends, and neighbors; that being freed from anxiety, they may live in joy, peace, and health, we pray to you, O Lord.

For __________, we pray to you, O Lord.

For all who have died in the communion of your Church, and those whose faith is known to you alone, that, with all the saints, they may have rest in that place where there is no pain or grief, but life eternal, we pray to you, O Lord.

Rejoicing in the fellowship of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life to Christ our God.
We pray to you, O Lord.

Silence

For Yours is the majesty, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, now and for ever. Amen.