April 2011 newsletter

House-to-House
 Family of Hope House Church                                          April 2012

Bread for the Journey        - Harvey Yoder

At our March 11 church gathering Skip and Carol Tobin shared their vision for the church being less about trying to attract others to come to us, and more about preparing and sending us out to minister to others.

At the close of our service, as we prepared for our usual evening meal together, we shared the bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper as a living sign of the poured out and broken life of Jesus. Since one of our members has a gluten allergy, we used rice crackers as our bread. It was brittle fare, nothing like the bland texture of leavened bread, and a fitting sign of a life broken for others.

As we poured grape juice into cups for everyone around the table, we invited members to share what they needed from God for the week ahead. Blood is a sign of life, we reminded ourselves, not just of death, so we expressed, by turn, our need for renewed life from a God who offers it abundance for all.

It was a moment of clarity for me, that in the partaking of this life-giving meal we were not only celebrating our coming together, broken and in need of renewal, but that in communion we were preparing for going out, ready and able to share with others what we received in the Eucharist.

In order to live in the world in the imitation of Christ, we need all the spiritual energy we can get--life giving bread, life enhancing drink.

...As this food gives up its life for us,
may we follow that pattern of
self surrender for each other.
May we be life for one another.

from “Prayers for the Domestic Church” by Edward Hays

Notes, prayers and praises

PRAY FOR RACHEL STOLTZFUS, who is recovering from gall stones and a heart condition, for JAMES STAUFFER, who has had a cancerous growth removed from the top of his right ear lobe, and for Gail Blackburn’s brother ALLEN, recovering from surgery for mouth cancer.

APRIL BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Bertha Swarr 4/13, Jack (Hong
Yan) Zhou 4/14, Cathy Atwell 4/19, Bo Hu 4/20 and Randy May 4/21!   

OUR PRAYERS AND SYMPATHIES to Hong Yan Zhou on the death of his mother in China. Contact him at 5615 W. Wren Avenue, Visalia, CA 93291, or JACKHONGYAN@GMAIL.COM. His phone number is 559-713-6258.

ALMA JEAN AND HARVEY YODER are planning to be with their daughter Joanna and family April 21-29.

April lectionary readings

1   Psalm 31:9-16 Isaiah 50:4-9a Philippians 2:5-11 Mark 14:1-15:47 
8   Psalm 16 Isaiah 25:6-9   1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Mark 16:1-8 Acts 10:34-43
15  Psalm 13 Acts 4:32-35 1John 1:1-2:2 John 20:19-31
22  Psalm 4 Acts 3:12-19  1John 3:1-7 Luke 24:36b-48
29 Psalm 23 Acts 4:5-12  1John 3:16-24 John 10:11-18

April services    worship at 4 pm, meal at 6 (except April 8 and 15)            

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

8 Easter Sunrise Service: 8 am at 3448 Caverns Dr., K’town   908-0391
Easter meditation by Elly Nelson, followed by Easter singing and a breakfast provided by our own Margie Vlasits!

15 Easter Sunset Service: EMU Discipleship Center   (5 pm!)             432-0531
(This is the day Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter)
Carry-in Picnic Meal 
Worship, Sharing and Bible Study led by Harvey Yoder, followed by an anointing service for Rachel Stotzfus.

22 Location: Rachel Stoltzfus 1359 TwoPenny Drive 22802         433-3983
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer
Bible Study: Dick Dumas  Carry-in Meal (Rachel is not to prepare food)

29 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr 22802        564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study:: James Stauffer                                          Carry-in Meal