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Racial Unity Service

Rev. Wendell Griffen and New Millennium Church Little Rock will host the Annual Racial Unity Worship Service THIS Sunday, February 26 at 6:00pm. The preacher for this year's event is our own Dr. Matt Cook. I hope you’ll consider participating in this gathering of 10 central Arkansas churches as we seek ways to better know, understand, and serve one another and those in our surrounding communities.  Arkansas Baptist College President, Dr. Fitz Hill, will bring an update on the college, and an offering will be taken for ABC. This event has raised more than $15,000 for ABC.
New Millennium Church is located at 21 Lakeshore Drive, west off of South University Drive at the UALR Campus. You may reach the church by turning west on Lakeshore Drive or West 32nd street. New Millennium Church and Lakeshore Drive Baptist Church, both CBF partner congregations, share the same campus.

Ash Wednesday Service

Every year, we mark the beginning of Lent (the 40 days leading up to Easter) with a service of ashes. It's a meaningful service, full of symbolism. Ashes are imposed on the forehead or the hand as an act of humility before God and a reminder that life passes away on Earth, "from ashes we came and to ashes we will return."
The ashes are also a reminder that God is gracious and merciful to those who call on Him with repentant hearts. His Divine mercy is of utmost importance during the season of Lent, and we seek that mercy during the entire Lenten season with reflection, prayer and confession of our sins.
We hope you'll join us for this service this Wednesday, February 22 at 6:30pm at Second Baptist on 8th and Cumberland. It will be a beautiful time of reflection on our need for Christ and the love and grace He showers on us.

Best Food of 2011

So the Arkansas Times just come out with their list of top restaurants from last year.  So I thought I'd give a list of some of my favorite spots from last year.  This of course is not an exhaustive list of all the restaurants in the Little Rock area, but I thought I'd give it a try.

Best Burger: Big Orange

Best Indian: Banana Leaf Food Truck & Taj Mahal

Best Mexican: La Hacienda

Best Burrito: Chipotle

Best Bar Food: Town Pump

Best Mediterranean: Istanbul

Best Sushi: Sushi Cafe

Best Brunch: Delicious Temptations

Best Italian: Bravo!

Best Pizza: Vino's (Liberty prefers Papa Murphy's)

Best Chinese: Forbidden Garden & Fantastic China

Best Thai: Lemongrass

Best Steak: Butcher Shop

Best Veggie: Green Cuisine Food Trailer

Best Cupcakes: Brown Sugar

Best Coffee: Java Drive-in

Best Value (cheap): Sam's Club - Hotdog Combo ($2 for a large hotdog and soda.)

Best Pizza Buffet: Larry's Pizza (Liberty refuses to acknowledge this category.)

Here are some of my favorite new places of 2011 that I wasn't sure where to put...

Union Bistro, Lilly's Dim Sum, Bosa Nova, Za Za's, Forty Two, Sufficient Grounds, Mimi's Cafe

Biggest duds (over-hyped)...

Senior Tequila (Jesse's opinion only), The House, US Pizza, Flying Fish, Whole Hog Cafe, Buffalo Grill, Sticky Fingerz, Chick-fil-a, Cantina Loredo

What are your thoughts?  Any places I missed?  Anything you just disagree with?

Super Bowl Commercials

I watched the Super Bowl last night and I must say I was disappointed in the commercials. They just didn't seem a funny this year. There was one that made me laughed out loud. I thought I would share... Enjoy!

OMN Webcast

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!

I'm sure most all of you know what's going down this Saturday Night at 7:30! I hope all of you can make it to Open Mic Night at the City Year LR Headquarters.  We still need food contributions, so please let Claudia Carberry or myself know if you can contribute.  We don't ask for anything fancy, just appetizer type foods and Soft Drinks.  We already have cookies, chips and dip, and veggies and hummus committed. Thanks!

So, enjoy this dreary day with the Bay City Rollers and think about what fun we are going to have on Saturday performing for each other and listening to all that talent!

Got Questions?

I'm a little obsessed with Rachel Held Evans' blog.

She always has thoughtful things things to say about things happening in the Christian world, the Bible, how people read the Bible, good books to read  and interesting things going on.

My favorite thing though is a series she's done called "Ask a..." where she allows the blog readers to offer questions to people from a wide variety of faith backgrounds. Sometimes my world gets a little insular and I realize that most of the people I interact with on a regular basis look/think/act just like me. This series is a nice small step outside of that.

Go check it out and leave your questions!

ReGifting

So, we had a blast at the Epiphany Party last week and exchanged some fabulous gifts- everything from a "Forever Lazy" onesie to some handy office supplies. It got me to thinking about regifting in general, though. I am aware of how much stuff I have, excess that I simply don't need. We had a good time giving silly, rather useless items away at our party, but are there useful things I have collecting dust in my home that would be a real blessing to someone in need?
I came across a cool organization in Relevant Magazine this month. They repurpose the balance on your gift cards for organizations who serve the poor and the marginalized. You can check them out at http://www.giftcardgiver.com/story.php
Think about the stuff you have of value (gift cards, coats, shoes, food) and find a way to give some of it away to bless others this year.

Celebrating Ephiphany

So, in light of the fact that we're celebrating Epiphany tomorrow night at Lani's parents' home, I thought we should brush up on its meaning.

SIGNIFICANCE OF EPIPHANY-
As with most aspects of the Christian liturgical calendar, Epiphany has theological significance as a teaching tool in the church. The Wise Men or Magi who brought gifts to the child Jesus were the first Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King" and so were the first to "show" or "reveal" Jesus to a wider world as the incarnate Christ. This act of worship by the Magi, which corresponded to Simeon’s blessing that this child Jesus would be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32), was one of the first indications that Jesus came for all people, of all nations, of all races, and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to only a few.

The day is now observed as a time of focusing on the mission of the church in reaching others by "showing" Jesus as the Savior of all people. It is also a time of focusing on Christian community and fellowship, especially in healing the divisions of prejudice and bigotry that we all too often create between God’s children.

AN EPIPHANY PRAYER-
Father, we thank you for revealing yourself to us in Jesus the Christ, we who once were not your people but whom you chose to adopt as your people. As ancient Israel confessed long ago, we realize that it was not because of our own righteousness, or our own superior wisdom, or strength, or power, or numbers. It was simply because you loved us, and chose to show us that love in Jesus.

As you have accepted us when we did not deserve your love, will you help us to accept those whom we find it hard to love? Forgive us, O Lord, for any attitude that we harbor that on any level sees ourselves as better or more righteous than others. Will you help us to remove the barriers of prejudice and to tear down the walls of bigotry, religious or social? O Lord, help us realize that the walls that we erect for others only form our own prisons!

Will you fill us so full of your love that there is no more room for intolerance. As you have forgiven us much, will you enable us with your strength to forgive others even more? Will you enable us through your abiding Presence among us, communally and individually, to live our lives in a manner worthy of the Name we bear?

May we, through your guidance and our faithful obedience, find new avenues in ways that we have not imagined of holding the Light of your love so that it may be a Light of revelation for all people.

We thank you for your love, praise you for your Gift, ask for your continued Presence with us, and bring these petitions in the name of your Son, who has truly revealed your heart. Amen.

We hope you'll join us tomorrow night. Here are the details...2nd Annual REstore Epiphany Party on Thursday, January 5th at 602 Beaconsfield Rd, Sherwood, AR 72120.
Bring a less-than-loved gift or an inexpensive gag gift to exchange and join us at 6:30 PM for food and drinks.