December 2018 newsletter

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