May 2012 Newsletter

House-to-House
 Family of Hope House Church                                          May 2012
 
My Lord, What a Morning  - Harvey Yoder

On Easter Sunday morning this year, those of us who gathered to celebrate our annual sunrise service met as usual at the entrance of what was once known as Massanutten Caverns, next to the home of Guy and Margie Vlasits. We assembled around the locked steel door of the cave at our usual 8 am time, and since this is right on the west side of Masssanutten Peak, the sun actually just comes up over the ridge at about that time.

That morning, in fact, the sun made its appearance right at the very time our speaker Elly Nelson spoke the words “He is risen!” as a part of her Easter homily. Elly inspired us to reflect on what the resurrection story means to all of us, that light is replacing darkness, life is replacing death. That’s what we celebrate. That’s what the Easter story is all about.

It seemed fitting that we had a woman bear this witness, since it was Mary, the mother of Jesus, and other women, not our Lord’s male followers, according to the gospel texts, who first arrived on the scene. It was women who exercised the courage to bring spices to apply to the body of their recently buried loved one. No one knows how they expected to enter a guarded cave with a large stone rolled in front of it, not unlike the barred steel door of our cave, marked with the words, “This Cave is Protected by Virginia Law.” Perhaps they simply trusted God to take care of that detail. Sabbath being over, love must find a way.

In the words of the 17th century poet George Herbert:

Can there be any day but this, 
Though many suns to shine endeavor?  
We count three hundred, but we miss:  
There is but one, and that one ever.

Notes, prayers and praises
WE THANK GOD FOR IMPROVED HEALTH  FOR RACHEL STOLTZFUS, who had been hospitalized for gall stones and a heart condition, for JAMES STAUFFER, doing well after having a cancerous growth removed from his ear lobe, and for Gail Blackburn’s brother ALLEN, recovering from surgery for mouth cancer.
MICHAEL RIVIERA WENGER, who is also showing good signs of recovery, will be at an assisted living facility near Charlottesville through May.
MAY BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Margie Vlastis 5/1, and Alma Jean Yoder 5/15!   
CONGRATULATIONS TO GUY VLASITS on his official retirement after working the past 15 years at the Community Services Board. He and Margie will be traveling across the country during much of May and June.
ALMA JEAN AND HARVEY YODER are planning to be with their daughter Joanna and family April 22-29, and Jim and Ruth Stauffer will be out of town the first three Sundays in May.
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May lectionary readings
6    Psalm 22:25-31 Acts 8:26-40 1John 4:7-21 John 15:1-8
13  Psalm 98 Acts 10:44-48 1John 5:1-6 John 15:9-17
20  Psalm 1 Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 1John 5:9-13 John 17:6-19
27  Psalm 104 Ezekiel 37:1-14 Acts 2:1-21 John 15:26-16:15

May services    worship at 4 pm, meal at 6 (except May 20)           
6 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave.  432-0531
Worship and Sharing:
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                    Carry-in Finger Foods Meal                                                      
13 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr K’town   908-0391
Worship and Sharing: Guy & Margie Vlasits
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                                                     Carry-in Meal
20 Area House Church gathering at New Market Community Center at 9:30 am, followed by a noon fellowship meal.
27 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr 22802        564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study:: James Stauffer                                                    Carry-in Meal