Family of Hope House Church August 2013
A Harvest of Over Ripe Fruit
The ancient prophet Amos, a Judean shepherd and vinedresser, marches into neighboring Israel with bad, bad news.
His timing couldn’t be more awkward. The economy of that nation is booming, stock prices are soaring, housing starts are at a record high, and consumer confidence is rising. But so is the gap between rich and poor.
Which is why Amos wades right into the Israeli commodities market and announces that it's all over. God is fed up, he says. All of your bins of freshly harvested grain will mold, and your lush harvest of ripe summer fruit will rot, he declares. Your greedy profit-taking is over.
According to the prophets, whenever the poor aren't getting a fair share and a fair shake, the Almighty is outraged. So God thunders out as if to say, "Enough already! My bounty is meant to be shared, not hoarded.”
Jewish scholar Abraham Heschel describes men like Amos as "some of the most disturbing people who have ever lived," and adds, "Instead of dealing with the timeless issues of being and becoming, of matter and form, of definitions and demonstrations," he (the prophet) is thrown into orations about widows and orphans, about the corruption of judges and the affairs of the market place. The world is a proud place, full of beauty, but the prophets are scandalized, and rave as if the whole world were a slum... What if somewhere in ancient Palestine poor people have not been treated properly by the rich? ...Why such inordinate excitement? Why such indignation?"
Heschel then notes, "The things that horrified the prophets are daily occurrences all over the world."
Notes, prayers and praises
AUGUST BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Gail Blackburn 8/30! Alma Jean and Harvey’s anniversary is 8/8 and James and Ruth Stauffer’s is 8/30.
WONSHE has moved to 1086 Smith Avenue. Her phone number is 303-309-0868.
LOIS RIVERA-WENGER’s address through most of October will be 1317 Lake Access Road, Smithfield, KY 40068, and her new email is loisriverawenger@yahoo.com.
BILLY MAY had been scheduled to have a suspicious growth in his mouth removed, but it completely disappeared, an answer to prayer!
GET FOH UPDATES at http:/familyofhopehousechurch.blogspot.com.
HARVEY’S BLOG is at http://harvyoder.blogspot.com.
August lectionary readings
4 Psalm 49:1-12 Hosea 11:1-11 Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 12:13-21
11 Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23 Isaiah 1:1-20 Hebrews 11:1-16 Luke 12:32-40
18 Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 Isaiah 5:1-7 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56
25 Psalm 71:1-12 Isaiah 58:9b-14 Hebrews 12:18-29 Luke 13:10-17
August services (worship at 4, meal at 6)
4 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave. 432-0531
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Dick Dumas Carry-in Meal
11 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802 574-6141
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer
Bible Study: Paul Swarr Carry-in Meal
18 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr. K’town 908-0391
Worship and Sharing: Guy and Margie Vlasits
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder Carry-in Meal
25 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr 22802 564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: Elly Nelson Carry-in Meal
