House-to-House
Family of Hope House Church December 2018
A Bright Hanukah Light
The December 2003 Readers Digest carried a true story by Joe Fitzgerald called “A New Light.” It was about the Markovitz’s, a Jewish family who lived in a Pennsylvania suburb where one Christmas season they were awakened at around five one morning by the sound of glass shattering.
They ran down to find the window broken where they had their illuminated menorah, a Jewish candelabra, now damaged and lying on the floor. There’s was one of the few homes in their neighborhood that didn’t have traditional Christmas decorations, and some person or group apparently felt a need to express their intolerance by destroying this symbol of their faith used in a celebration of Hanukah.
This Hebrew holiday marks the event when, as tradition has it, Jews returned to their temple in Jerusalem after their exile and found it desecrated, and went about reconsecrating it as a place of worship. To do so they needed, among other things, to keep a lamp lit day and night in the temple. Unfortunately, they had enough oil for only one night, but decided to go ahead and light the lamp anyway, and according to Hanukah tradition, it kept burning for eight nights, a miracle the Markowitz’s celebrated each year.
Some of their neighbors were outraged by the crime committed against the Merkowitz’s, and got their heads together to decide how to show their support.
So the next evening when the Markowitz's turned on to their street they saw an extraordinary sight, something like another miracle. Nearly every home in the neighborhood had an illuminated menorah in their window, as if to say, “If you want to bring harm to any one of us, you will have to attack us all.” - Harvey Yoder
Notes, Prayers and Praises
- DECEMBER BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Karen Campbell 12/26/69!
- GEMEINSCHAFT CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE from 2-4 pm Sunday, December 2.
- All ARE INVITED to a Christmas Lessons and Carols service featuring EMU choir ensembles and readers Monday, December 10 at 7 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium. A free-will offering will be taken for the compassion fund.
December Lectionary Texts
2 Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:1-10 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36
9 Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 1:68-79 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6
16 Zephaniah 3:14-20 Isaiah 12:2-6 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18
23 Micah 5:2-5a Luke 1:46b-55 Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-55
30 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Psalm 148 Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52
December services, worship at 4, meal at 6 pm
2 Location: Park Place meeting room, 2nd floor 432-0531
Advent worship and sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Paul Swarr No evening meal
9 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave. 432-0531
Menorah Candle and Advent Communion Service c/o Harvey Yoder
Meal: communion bread, grape juice, cheese and raw vegetable and fruit
16 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3399 Caverns Dr, K-town 908-0391
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer
Bible Study: Dick Dumas Carry-in meal
23 Location: Lewis & Mary Ellen Overholt Heritage Haven G49
Worship and sharing: Kent Palmer 432-7277 Bible Study: Lewis Overholt Brown bag meal
30 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr 22802 564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: Elly Nelson Carry-in meal
