May 2015 Newsletter

House-to-House 
Family of Hope House Church                          May 2015

“What Wicked Abomination And Traffic!”

Dutch Anabaptist Leader Menno Simons (1496-1561) minced no words in his opposition to military violence.

In Menno's day, warfare mostly involved bloody hand-to-hand carnage carried out with lance and spear, in which men clubbed, stabbed and lacerated one another to death in unimaginably horrific ways. With the later invention of gunpowder and ever more efficient and brutal means of killing, now including drone strikes, engaging in war would be even more unthinkable for a follower of Jesus like Simons, while it has become ever more acceptable to some Mennonite followers.

Here are some quotes from The Complete Writings of Menno Simons:

Captains, knights, foot soldiers, and similar bloody men risk body and soul for the sake of gain, and swear with uplifted fingers that they are ready to destroy cities and countries, to take citizens and inhabitants, to kill them and take their possessions, although these have never harmed them nor given them so much as an evil word.
Since we are to be conformed to the image of Christ, how can we then fight our enemies with the sword? Spears and swords of iron we leave to those who, alas, consider human blood and swine's blood of well-nigh equal value. 
O God, what cursed, wicked abomination and traffic! And they call that protecting the country and the people, and assisting in justice!

Notes, prayers and praises

SPECIAL MAY BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Margie Vlastis 5/1, Alma Jean Yoder 5/15 and Karen Soich 5/20!
OUR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP COVENANTING  SERVICE (with communion) is the Sunday after Pentecost (May 24).
LOIS RIVERA-WENGER's May address is 1317 Lake Access Road, Smithfield, KY 40068.
MEMBERS OF THE TABLE will be joining us for our service May 17.
BILLY MAY is recovering well from his May 30 shoulder surgery.

May Lectionary readings

3    Acts 8:26-40  Psalm 22:25-31  1 John 4:7-21  John 15:1-8
10  Acts 10:44-48  Psalm 98  1 John 5:1-6  John 15:9-17
17  Acts 1:15-17, 21-26  Psalm 1  1 John 5:9-13  John 17:6-19
24  Acts 2:1-21  Psalm 104:24-35b  Romans 8:22-27  John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
31 Isaiah 6:1-8  Psalm 29  Romans 8:12-17  John 3:1-17

May services worship at 4, meal at 6

3 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802     574-6141
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Paul Swarr                                                      Carry-in Meal
10 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave.  432-0531
Worship and Sharing
Bible Study: Elly Nelson                                              Finger Foods Meal                                        
17 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr., K’town 908-0391    
Worship and Sharing: Margie and Guy Vlasits
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder     
24 Location: Guy and Margie Vlasits' picnic area
Informal Worship and Sharing:
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                                                    Carry-in Meal
31 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr, 22802           564-1524
Communion and membership covenanting
Bible Study: James Stauffer                                                  Carry-in Meal