July 2016 Newsletter

House-to-House

Family of Hope House Church                                  July 2016

Talk with them all                                                                    - Harvey Yoder

In light of the growing polarization I see everywhere I’ve been pondering some words spoken by the late Lee Eshleman almost a decade ago, as a part of an interview with fellow humorist Ted Swartz and WVPT’s Jenni Howard (for a documentary on area Mennonites):

     Lee: “Take whatever stereotype you have about Mennonites, and assume it may be true for a fraction of us, and not true for another fraction of us. Then talk to us one on one. And do that with everybody, everyone in the whole world.”

     Ted (incredulously): “You mean everyone?”

      Lee: “Yes, everyone. Talk with them all.”

     Of course we know that’s impossible, but the wisdom in Lee’s wit is that any generalization we make about any group--Mennonite, Catholic, Mormon, Muslim, Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, you name it--needs to be tempered and tentative until we have “talked with them all.”

     What if we took time for personal conversations with our recent immigrant neighbors, inviting them into our homes and learning to know them as real people? Or what if we took time to meet with any number of others in our community holding a wide range of views--varying from militant to peace-loving and everything in between--or with members of any race, religion, nationality or sexual orientation with whom we have few personal connections?

     I’m not suggesting we should agree with everyone who differs from us, or to compromise our own convictions to accommodate theirs. But we can at least learn to respect others and to show appreciation for the complexity and diversity within each person--and within each group of persons--on God’s good earth.

     So that's my new goal. Before making any hasty judgments about people with a given label, I’d like to first talk with them all.

Notes, prayers and praises 

• JULY BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Lois Rivera-Wenger 7/30!
• VIRGINIA CONFERENCE ANNUAL ASSEMBLY will be at the Park View Mennonite Church July 21-23. Evening speakers are Drew Hart, author of Troubles I’ve Seen (7/21) and Patricia Shelly, moderator of MCUSA 7/22).  For more details see http://virginiaconference.org/assembly/.
• WE WILL MEET WITH THE TABLE at the Dean House for their 4:30 service and carry-in meal July 17.

July Lectionary readings

3   2 Kings 5:1-14  Psalm 30  Isaiah 66:10-14  Galatians 6:1-16 

            Luke 10:1-20

10 Amos 7:7-17  Psalm 82  Deuteronomy 30:9-14  Colossians 1:1-14 Luke 10:25-37

17 Amos 8:1-12  Psalm 15  Genesis 18:1-10a  Colossians 1:15-28  

            Luke 10:38-42

24 Hosea 1:2-10  Psalm 138  Genesis 18:20-32  Colossians 2:6-19  Luke 11:1-13

31 Hosea 11:1-11  Ecclesiastes 1:2-14  Psalm 49  Colossians 3:1-11

             Luke 12:13-21

July services worship at 4, meal at 6 

3 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802   574-6141

Worship and Sharing: Lois Wenger   

Bible Study: Paul Swarr                                                      Carry-in Meal 

10 Location: Family Life Resource Center

Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder                                       

Bible Study: Clyde Kratz  Conference Minister          Finger Foods Meal 

17 Location: The Dean House (with the Table)

24 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Drive 22802 564-1524 

Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell                                            

Bible Study: Elly Nelson                                                     Carry-in Meal

31 Location: Family Life Resource Center 

Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer                                           

Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                                  Carry-in Meal