House-to-House
Family of Hope House Church __ October 2022
In light of ever more desperate world needs, what does it mean to love God with all we have and to love our world neighbors as we love and look after ourselves?
Each year multiple donors make cash, check and credit card contributions for refugee relief at the Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale’s “Sharing Our Surplus” (SOS) Giving Table. Last year that effort raised a gratifying $48,000, around 12% of the total raised at the Sale.
Our love for God and others is most accurately reflected in our actual giving and spending. Whether it's $5 for a donut and coffee, $5000 for a luxury cruise or $500,000 for a new house for our retirement, we are in each case indicating exactly how much we value those assets. In other words, exactly how much we “love” those things.
None of this spending is necessarily wrong if we are equally committed to having our worldwide neighbors enjoy the very same blessings. Isn’t that what “as ourselves” means?
A rich man in one of Jesus’s parables decided the best use of his assets was to upgrade his holdings by replacing his existing barns with new ones. He then said to himself, “You have plenty of wealth laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and enjoy yourself.”
St. Augustine, reflecting on this story, wrote, “This silly fool of a man... was hoarding perishable crops. I repeat, he was hoarding perishable crops, while he was on the point of perishing… How will he know where to look, when at that trial he starts hearing the words "I was hungry and you did not give me to eat" (Matthew 25:42)? He was planning to fill his soul with excessive and unnecessary feasting and was proudly disregarding all those empty bellies of the poor. He did not realize that the bellies of the poor were much safer storerooms than his barns. What he was stowing away in those barns was perhaps even then being stolen away by thieves. But if he stowed it away in the bellies of the poor, it would of course be digested on earth, but in heaven it would be kept all the more safely. 'The redemption of a man's soul is his riches.' ” - Harvey Yoder
Notes, Prayers and Praises
OUR OFFERING FOR “MY COINS COUNT,” was $51.39 this year.
IF YOU WEREN’T ABLE TO ATTEND THE RELIEF SALE you can still make a contribution on the Sale website or write a check made out to Virginia Relief Sale (with SOS on the memo line).
THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR PABLO YODER, Harvey’s nephew, diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and for MARGARET VARNER, Alma Jean’s niece in Pennsylvania, being treated for blood clots in her lung.
OCTOBER BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Joyce Ulrich 10/14 and Elly Nelson 10/28!
October Study Themes
2 Exodus 14:5-29 The sea parts at the exodus Matthew 2:13-15
9 Exodus 19:3-7; 20:1-17 God delivers Israel and gives them Ten Words Matthew 5:17
16 Joshua 24:1-26 “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Matthew 4:8-10
23 1 Kings 3:4-28 Solomon prays for wisdom Matthew 6:9-10
30 II Samuel 11:1-5, 26-27; 12:1-9; Psalm 51:1-9 Nathan’s parable
Luke 17:3-4
October Services, 3:30-5:00 pm
3 Location: online
Worship and sharing: Elly Nelson
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder
9 Location: online
Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger
Bible Study: Kent Palmer
16 Location: online
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study Dick Dumas
23 Location: VMRC's Park Village patio
Worship and Sharing Kent Palmer
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder
30 Location: online
Worship and Sharing Lois Rivera-Wenger
Bible Study: Elly Nelson
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