December 2019 newsletter

House-to-House

 Family of Hope House Church                   December 2019

A CHRISTMAS PRAYER

O holy Child of Bethlehem

Descend on us, we pray

This season we celebrate the advent of that One and Only Child in whom God descends to earth naked and disarmed--a defenseless Lover and Lamb unwelcomed in the town of his ancestry. "He came to his own, and his own received him not."

Cast out our sin and enter in

Be born in us today

In a world of great evil, need and hunger, we celebrate the baby who comes to us holy and innocent, needy and hungry, so dependent on the care of his parents, young and poor. This is the wonder of Christmas, the focus of our songs and of our celebration.

We hear the Christmas angels

The great glad tidings tell 

We celebrate this time when God tugs hard at our hearts and calls us to care deeply and provide generously for all the newborn of the world, red, brown, yellow, black and white, for all of the Afghans, Hondurans, Haitians, Congolese, Palestinians, Syrians and others for whom there is no room except in stable-like shelters, tents and tenements. "As you have done to the least of these, you have done it unto me."

O come to us, abide with us

Our Lord, Immanuel

As you are born in us, help us all to love as God loved, live as Christ lived, so Christmas will not have come in vain, so all will be blessed, and there may yet be "peace on earth, goodwill to all." 

Notes, Prayers and Praises

• WE WILL HAVE A THANKSGIVING CARRY-IN MEAL at Susan Campbell’s Sunday, December 1, following our worship service.
• “SINCERE THANKS for all of your kindnesses, prayers and many expressions of support during my recent surgery and recovery.”                                                                                   - Harvey Yoder
• HARVEY YODER’s surgery revealed a tumor in his parotid gland that proved to be cancerous, but was removed and his prognosis is good. 
• JOSIAH DUMAS’s hernia surgery is now set for December 17.
• DECEMBER BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Karen Campbell 12/26/69!
• A WALKING ROOTS BAND Christmas MCC Benefit Concert will be held December 8, 7 pm in the theater at Eastern Mennonite School.

December Lectionary Texts

1 Isaiah 2:1-5 Psalm 122 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:36-44

8 Isaiah 11:1-10   Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19  Romans 15:4-13  Matthew 3:1-12

15 Isaiah 35:1-10      Luke 1:46b-55 James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11

22 Isaiah 7:10-16  Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19  Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25

29 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

1  Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr, 22802       564-1524 

Worship and Sharing: Elly Nelson                                  

Bible Study: Dick Dumas  Carry-in Thanksgiving meal (turkey provided)            

8  Location: Lewis and Mary Ellen Overholt                             432-7277

Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger                                    

Bible Study: Kent Palmer                                                  Brown bag meal                                         
15 Location: FLRC 173 Newman Avenue (lower level)             432-0531

Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder                                     

Bible Study: Lewis Overholt                               Simple finger foods meal

22 Location: Guy & Margie Vlastis 3399 Caverns Dr. K’own   908-0391                     

Worship and sharing: James Stauffer

Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                                  Carry-in Meal

29 Location: FLRC 173 Newman Avenue (lower level)            432-0531

Worship and sharing: Lewis Overholt

Bible Study: Elly Nelson                                                  Brown bag meal

November 2019 newsletter

House-to-House

 Family of Hope House Church                            November 2019

Giving as an Expression of Joy-filled Gratitude

- Harvey Yoder

Iit's easy to see a contrast between the celebrative way God's people were to financially support their new nation (a kingdom governed by priests rather than by monarchs), and the way we tend to fulfill our financial obligations to our congregations, community and governments today.

     The annual offering of fresh produce from their newly gifted land involved a liturgy in which each Israelite household prepared a basket of the best and first of their harvest. Upon bringing this cornucopia of plenty to the priest, they were to announce the following (paraphrased):

"I hereby acknowledge that I have inherited the gracious and undeserved gift of a land that God promised our ancestors."

     The priest then received the basket of fresh produce and placed it on the altar, after which grateful and blessed Israelites were to recite:  

Our ancestor Jacob was a wandering and landless Aramean

who went down to Egypt and lived there,

he and his small family,

but there they multiplied and we became many.

The Egyptians abused us and subjected us to cruel slavery.

We cried out to the God of our ancestors

who listened to our desperate prayers,

who took pity on us in our terrible plight,

and brought us out of Egypt

by great and miraculous means,

and brought us to this grace-filled place,

a land of abundant milk and honey.

So here we are with the best of the firstfruits 

of what the land God has given us has produced.

(paraphrase of Deuteronomy 26:5-10)

Notes, Prayers and Praises

• KENT PALMER was given a good report at his most recent checkup!
• “SINCERE THANKS for your prayers and many expressions of sympathy for the death of my sister Fannie Mae Yoder, who died at age 88 on October 26.”                          - Harvey Yoder
• HARVEY YODER’s surgery to remove a growth on his left parotid gland was rescheduled to November 21 due to his sister’s recent death. 
• JOSIAH DUMAS’s hernia surgery has been postponed.
• NOVEMBER BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Neal Nelson 11/2, Paul Swarr 11/10 and Guy Vlasits 11/21. Neal and Elly Nelson’s 25th anniversary is November 26! 
• WE WILL HAVE A THANKSGIVING CARRY-IN MEAL at Susan Campbell’s Sunday, December 1, following our worship service.

November Lectionary Texts

3 Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4  Psalm 119:137-144  2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 Luke 19:1-1

10 Haggai 1:15b-2:9  Job 19:23-27a  Psalm 17:1-9 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Luke 20:27-38

17 Isaiah 65:17-25  Malachi 4:1-2a  Psalm 98   2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Luke 21:5-19

30 Jeremiah 23:1-6  Psalm 46   Colossians 1:11-20 Luke 23:33-43

November services, worship at 4, meal at 6 pm

3  No service this week because of the annual Festival of Praise at 4 pm held at the Park View Mennonite Church (Note change of location).                                                         
10 Location: Lewis and Mary Ellen Overholt                    432-7277

Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder                                    

Bible Study: Elly Nelson                                                 Brown bag meal                                    
17 Location: FLRC 173 Newman Avenue (lower level)   432-0531

Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger                                     

Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                Simple finger foods meal

24 Location: Park Place meeting room, 2nd floor                       432-0531

Worship and sharing: Lewis Overholt

Bible Study: Paul Swarr                                                   Brown bag meal