House-to-House
Family of Hope House Church August 2015
Gaining Altitude - Harvey Yoder
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.
Isaiah 40:31 (the Message)
I still remember this as the text used by a local pastor at my "graduation" from the Weekday Religious Education program at Stuarts Draft Elementary back in 1951. As a seventh grader it made an indelible impression, not because I often felt emotionally exhausted or drained, but because of the beauty and power of the words. It has been one of my favorite Bible passages ever since.
As an adult I know very well what its like to experience stress to the point of feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes all we can see or think about is the elephant problem in the room.
One of the benefits of "waiting upon God" is getting outside the room, gaining a new perspective, seeing the bigger picture. This kind of prayer is not meant to give us a means of escape as much as to help us gain the elevation we need to get a God's eye view of whatever is bothering us.
When we see problems as a part of our larger and ongoing life picture, they don't magically disappear, but more of the rest of our God-blessed life appears and we are able to see things in a different light. Through the eyes of faith we can better see what an experience may look like and feel like in the overall scheme of things, in the context of a month, a year or even a lifetime from now.
To me, that is a vital means of gaining strength, of being able to run without becoming weary, to walk without lagging behind or dropping out.
Sometimes it's all about gaining some altitude.
Notes, prayers and praises
AUGUST BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Gail Blackburn 8/30! And Alma Jean and Harvey’s anniversary is 8/8 and James and Ruth Stauffer’s is 8/30.
ROBERTA McCROWELL’s address is 1491 Virginia Ave #502 Harrisonburg, VA 22802. Her phone number is 540-564-6536.
CHECK THE FAMILY OF HOPE BLOG for any updates on the church schedule. http://familyofhope.blogspot.com
August Lectionary readings
2 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a Psalm 51:1-12 Ephesians 4:1-16 John 6:24-35
9 2 Samuel 18:5-33 Psalm 130 Psalm 34:1-8 Ephesians 4:25-5:2
John 6:35, 41-51
16 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 Psalm 111 Proverbs 9:1-6 Ephesians 5:15-20 John 6:51-58
23 1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43 Psalm 84 Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 Ephesians 6:10-20 John 6:56-69
30 Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 Psalm 15 James 1:17-27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-23
August services worship at 4, meal at 6
2 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802 574-6141
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Paul Swarr Carry-in Meal
9 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave. 432-0531
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer
Bible Study: Elly Nelson Finger Food Meal
16 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr., K’town 908-0391
Worship and Sharing: Guy and Margie Vlasits
Bible Study: Dick Dumas Carry-in Meal
23 Location: Joyce Ulrich
Worship and Sharing: Lois Wenger
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder Carry-in Meal
30 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr, 22802 564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: James Stauffer Carry-in Meal
Monday, July 27, 2015
Monday, July 6, 2015
July 2015 newsletter
House-to-House
Family of Hope House Church July 2015
Choosing and Cherishing - Harvey Yoder
I remember talking with someone once who was debating whether to include a grown step child in his will. He wanted to make sure everything associated with the “home place” would “stay in the family”, and didn’t feel good about the idea of having an unrelated person get part of the family inheritance.
I couldn't resist pointing out that every family starts as a union of two biologically unrelated people who have bonded together by choice. They do this in fulfillment of the Biblical text, “For this reason shall a person leave father and mother (with whom they are biologically related), and shall cleave to their spouse (with whom they are not biologically related), and the two shall become united, as one.”
Then, of course, this union of two people can produce offspring who in turn will later leave them to form other unions. And so life gets passed on, from generation to generation.
Paul Peachy writes that typically our strongest ties are not our biological ones (those that are unwilled) but the covenanted ones that are willed, or chosen.
Two kinds of “blessed ties that bind our hearts ” are our marriages and baptisms. In each case we form covenant bonds that have the potential of blessing us forever.
“Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.”
Ephesians 2:9 (Living Bible)
Notes, prayers and praises
JULY BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Lois Rivera-Wenger 7/30 and a Happy Anniversary to Guy and Margie Vlasits 7/27!
JOSIAH DUMAS’s current address is 40990 Waxwing Drive, Leesburg, VA 20175.
MENNONITE WORLD CONFERENCE convenes in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, July 21-26.
WE WELCOME LOIS RIVERA-WENGER home at 1135 Hamlet Drive.
July Lectionary readings
5 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 Psalm 123 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Mark 6:1-13
12 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 Amos 7:7-15 Psalm 85:8-13 Ephesians 1:3-14 Mark 6:14-29
19 2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalm 89:20-37 Jeremiah 23:1-6 Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
26 2 Samuel 11:1-15 Psalm 14 Ephesians 3:14-21 John 6:1-21
July services worship at 4, meal at 6
5 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave. 432-0531
Ken and Laura Litwiller, MCC East Africa Area Representatives, will speak to us about MCC’s work in that region, and Rachel Sommer, MCC East Coast Communication Director, will lead our Bible study.
12 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802 574-6141
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Paul Swarr Carry-in Meal
19 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr., K’town 908-0391
Worship and Sharing: Guy and Margie Vlasits
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder Finger Foods Meal
26 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr, 22802 564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: Dick Dumas Carry-in Meal
Family of Hope House Church July 2015
Choosing and Cherishing - Harvey Yoder
I remember talking with someone once who was debating whether to include a grown step child in his will. He wanted to make sure everything associated with the “home place” would “stay in the family”, and didn’t feel good about the idea of having an unrelated person get part of the family inheritance.
I couldn't resist pointing out that every family starts as a union of two biologically unrelated people who have bonded together by choice. They do this in fulfillment of the Biblical text, “For this reason shall a person leave father and mother (with whom they are biologically related), and shall cleave to their spouse (with whom they are not biologically related), and the two shall become united, as one.”
Then, of course, this union of two people can produce offspring who in turn will later leave them to form other unions. And so life gets passed on, from generation to generation.
Paul Peachy writes that typically our strongest ties are not our biological ones (those that are unwilled) but the covenanted ones that are willed, or chosen.
Two kinds of “blessed ties that bind our hearts ” are our marriages and baptisms. In each case we form covenant bonds that have the potential of blessing us forever.
“Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.”
Ephesians 2:9 (Living Bible)
Notes, prayers and praises
JULY BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Lois Rivera-Wenger 7/30 and a Happy Anniversary to Guy and Margie Vlasits 7/27!
JOSIAH DUMAS’s current address is 40990 Waxwing Drive, Leesburg, VA 20175.
MENNONITE WORLD CONFERENCE convenes in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, July 21-26.
WE WELCOME LOIS RIVERA-WENGER home at 1135 Hamlet Drive.
July Lectionary readings
5 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 Psalm 123 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Mark 6:1-13
12 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 Amos 7:7-15 Psalm 85:8-13 Ephesians 1:3-14 Mark 6:14-29
19 2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalm 89:20-37 Jeremiah 23:1-6 Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
26 2 Samuel 11:1-15 Psalm 14 Ephesians 3:14-21 John 6:1-21
July services worship at 4, meal at 6
5 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave. 432-0531
Ken and Laura Litwiller, MCC East Africa Area Representatives, will speak to us about MCC’s work in that region, and Rachel Sommer, MCC East Coast Communication Director, will lead our Bible study.
12 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802 574-6141
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Paul Swarr Carry-in Meal
19 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr., K’town 908-0391
Worship and Sharing: Guy and Margie Vlasits
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder Finger Foods Meal
26 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr, 22802 564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: Dick Dumas Carry-in Meal
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