July 2012 Newsletter

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

Church: Back to Basics      - Harvey Yoder

“Growing up, I was forced to go to a church I never liked,” wrote blogger Lissa Rankin, on the November 7, 2011 Care2 site. “The scripture felt foreign. The people didn’t speak my language.... The sermons caused me to tune out.  I got bored. ...And as soon as I went to college and had a say over what happened on Sundays, I stopped going to church.”

Lissa does however, support the idea of observing “Soulful Sundays,” an idea shared by of her fellow bloggers, Melanie Bates, who describes such sabbaths as times to “Reflect. Go to your chapel inside. Work on the temple that is you. You don’t need to eat bread to forgive yourself and others. Fill your own cup.”

I don’t want to criticize anyone’s spiritual journey, but a major part of what I would find missing in the above is regular, accountable and supportive relationships with a group of fellow humans who form a forgiven and loved community of faith.

Since 1988, our house church congregation has met each Sunday in the living room of one of our members for a time of singing, sharing of prayer needs and a scripture study together, always followed by a carry-in meal. We have no real estate to maintain, no paid clergy, no elaborate liturgy. We have been blessed by church stripped to its bare essentials, just a group of people seeking to love God and serve each other--and others--in the best way we know.

Maybe spirituality isn’t meant to be be so much about something “out of this world” as it is about simply coming together in the round, celebrating and thanking God, loving and caring about each other, caring about others in need and discovering that God is present right here in our midst. 


Notes, prayers and praises
* WE WELCOME KAREN SOICH to our FOH family. She is living with Guy and Margie Vlasits and helping with the Bed & Breakfast. Her phone number is 330 209 7916.
CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR LOIS  RIVERA-WENGER as she goes through her radiation therapy, and for BILLY MAY as he recovers from his recent surgery.
BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Lois Rivera-Wenger 7/30 and A HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Guy and Margie Vlasits 7/27!
* GET FOH UPDATES at http://familyofhopehousechurch.blogpost.com.

July lectionary readings
1   2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 Psalm 130  2 Corinthians 8:7-15 Mark 5:21-43
8   2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 Psalm 48  2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Mark 6:1-13
15 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 Psalm 24 Ephesians 1:3-14  Mark 6:14-29
22 2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalm 89:20-37 Eph 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
29 2 Samuel 11:1-15 Psalm 14 Ephesians 3:14-21  John 6:1-21

 July services  worship at 4 pm, meal at 6 (except July 29)           

1 Location: Rachel Stoltzfus 1359 Two Penny Drive                433-3983
Worship and Sharing: Karla May
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                                                   Carry-in Meal

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

15 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr K’town   908-0391
Worship and Sharing: Guy & Margie Vlasits
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                                   Carry-in Meal

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

29 Location: We will join the 7 pm Vesper Service at the Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center this evening. The youth group from the Mt. Pleasant Old Order Mennonite Church will sing and one of their ministers, Tim Showalter, will speak. Bring lawn chairs.      No meal this evening