Wednesday, June 29, 2016

July 2016 Newsletter

House-to-House
Family of Hope House Church                                  July 2016

Talk with them all                                                                    - Harvey Yoder

In light of the growing polarization I see everywhere I’ve been pondering some words spoken by the late Lee Eshleman almost a decade ago, as a part of an interview with fellow humorist Ted Swartz and WVPT’s Jenni Howard (for a documentary on area Mennonites):
     Lee: “Take whatever stereotype you have about Mennonites, and assume it may be true for a fraction of us, and not true for another fraction of us. Then talk to us one on one. And do that with everybody, everyone in the whole world.”
     Ted (incredulously): “You mean everyone?”
      Lee: “Yes, everyone. Talk with them all.”
     Of course we know that’s impossible, but the wisdom in Lee’s wit is that any generalization we make about any group--Mennonite, Catholic, Mormon, Muslim, Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, you name it--needs to be tempered and tentative until we have “talked with them all.”
     What if we took time for personal conversations with our recent immigrant neighbors, inviting them into our homes and learning to know them as real people? Or what if we took time to meet with any number of others in our community holding a wide range of views--varying from militant to peace-loving and everything in between--or with members of any race, religion, nationality or sexual orientation with whom we have few personal connections?
     I’m not suggesting we should agree with everyone who differs from us, or to compromise our own convictions to accommodate theirs. But we can at least learn to respect others and to show appreciation for the complexity and diversity within each person--and within each group of persons--on God’s good earth.
     So that's my new goal. Before making any hasty judgments about people with a given label, I’d like to first talk with them all.

Notes, prayers and praises 
  • JULY BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Lois Rivera-Wenger 7/30!
  • VIRGINIA CONFERENCE ANNUAL ASSEMBLY will be at the Park View Mennonite Church July 21-23. Evening speakers are Drew Hart, author of Troubles I’ve Seen (7/21) and Patricia Shelly, moderator of MCUSA 7/22).  For more details see http://virginiaconference.org/assembly/.
  • WE WILL MEET WITH THE TABLE at the Dean House for their 4:30 service and carry-in meal July 17.
July Lectionary readings

3   2 Kings 5:1-14  Psalm 30  Isaiah 66:10-14  Galatians 6:1-16 
            Luke 10:1-20
10 Amos 7:7-17  Psalm 82  Deuteronomy 30:9-14  Colossians 1:1-14 Luke 10:25-37
17 Amos 8:1-12  Psalm 15  Genesis 18:1-10a  Colossians 1:15-28  
            Luke 10:38-42
24 Hosea 1:2-10  Psalm 138  Genesis 18:20-32  Colossians 2:6-19  Luke 11:1-13
31 Hosea 11:1-11  Ecclesiastes 1:2-14  Psalm 49  Colossians 3:1-11
             Luke 12:13-21

July services worship at 4, meal at 6 

3 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802   574-6141
Worship and Sharing: Lois Wenger   
Bible Study: Paul Swarr                                                      Carry-in Meal 

10 Location: Family Life Resource Center
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder                                       
Bible Study: Clyde Kratz  Conference Minister          Finger Foods Meal 

17 Location: The Dean House (with the Table)

24 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Drive 22802 564-1524 
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell                                            
Bible Study: Elly Nelson                                                     Carry-in Meal

31 Location: Family Life Resource Center 
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer                                           
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                                  Carry-in Meal

Saturday, June 4, 2016

June 2016 newsletter

House-to-House
Family of Hope House Church                              June 2016

Psalm 146 and the politics of God

Campaign Rally Rallying Cry
Praise God!
All of us with united voice shout praise to God!

The Pledged Delegate Pledge
We pledge our allegiance to God as long as we live.
    We will proclaim God’s praises with every breath.
We will never place our confidence in other nation heads;
    We will never trust in them for help.
We know that when their brief time is over,
    that all their vain promises will evaporate with them.
But our full confidence is in God our commander-in-chief,
    our hope is in the Creator and Lord of all,
Lord of heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them,
    who keeps every promise forever.

The Global God-Party Platform
Our God brings about justice for the oppressed,
    offers food for the hungry.
Our God frees prisoners
     opens the eyes of the blind.
Our God lifts up those who are downtrodden
    loves the godly and upright.
The Lord protects refugees and immigrants,
    cares for orphans and the homeless,
    but frustrates the plans of the wicked.

The Lord will reign forever
    and will remain faithful throughout all generations.
Praise God!

Notes, prayers and praises 
  • JUNE BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Sophie May, 6/2, Josiah Dumas 6/9, Karla May 6/16, Isaiah May, 6/27 and Harvey Yoder 6/30!
  • PRAY FOR BERTHA SWARR, who has returned home after a month of hospital and nursing home care. 
  • WE’RE GLAD TO HAVE LOIS WENGER back from Nashville! Her address is 204 Homes Lane, Staunton 24401.
  • WE’LL MISS KAREN SOICH, who has moved to 1383 Circle Hill Drive SE, North Canton, OH 44720. Her phone is 330-209-7916. 

June Lectionary readings

5   1 Kings 17:8-24  Psalm 146  Galatians 1:11-24  Luke 7:11-17
12 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10-15  Psalm 32  Galatians 2:15-21  Luke 7:36-8:3
19 1 Kings 19:1-15a  Psalm 42-43  Isaiah 65:1-9   Galatians 3:23-29 Luke 8:26-39
26  1 Kings 19:15-21  Psalm 16   Galatians 5:1, 13-25   Luke 9:51-62

June services worship at 4, meal at 6 

5 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802   574-6141
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Paul Swarr                                                       Carry-in Meal 

12 Location: Lois Rivera-Wenger 204 Homes Lane, Staunton 24401                                       
Worship and Sharing: Elly Nelson                                       502-663-3195
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                                  Carry-in Meal
               
19 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave.  432-0531 
Worship and Sharing: Lois Wenger                                           
Bible Study: James Stauffer                                              Finger Foods Meal

26 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Drive, 22802 564-1524 
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell                                            
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                                                   Carry-in Meal