House-to-House
 Family of Hope House Church              __                April 2023

My Lord, What a Morning! (a reprint from our May 2012 newsletter)

On Easter Sunday morning (2012), those of us who gathered to celebrate our annual sunrise service met as usual at the entrance of what was once known as Massanutten Caverns, next to the home of Guy and Margie Vlasits. We assembled around the locked steel door of the cave at our usual 8 am time. Since this is right against the west side of Masssanutten Peak, the sun actually just comes up over the ridge at about that time.

In fact, the sun made its appearance right at the moment our speaker Elly Nelson spoke the words “He is risen!” as a part of her Easter homily. Elly inspired us to reflect on what the resurrection story means to all of us, that light is replacing darkness, life is replacing death. That’s what we celebrate. That’s what the Easter story is all about.

It seemed fitting that we had a woman bear this witness, since it was Mary, the mother of Jesus, and other women, not our Lord’s male followers, according to the gospel texts, who first arrived on the scene. It was women who exercised the courage to bring spices to apply to the body of their recently buried loved one. No one knows how they expected to enter a guarded cave with a large stone rolled in front of it, not unlike the barred steel door of our cave, marked with the words, “This Cave is Protected by Virginia Law.” Perhaps they simply trusted God to take care of that detail. Sabbath being over, love must find a way.

In the words of the 17th century poet George Herbert:

Can there be any day but this, 
Though many suns to shine endeavor?  
We count three hundred, but we miss:  
There is but one, and that one ever.        - Harvey Yoder             

Notes, Prayers and Praises

LEWIS AND MARY ELLEN attended the funeral of a beloved cousin and brother-in-law in South Carolina set for April 2. We continue to offer prayers for those grieving losses and experiencing difficult life challenges.
BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS TO to Mary Ellen Overholt 4/5 and Cathy Atwell 4/19!
OUR NEXT IN-PERSON SERVICE is planned for April 16 at Heritage Haven.

April Study Themes

2   Triumphal Entry Palm Sunday Matthew 21:1-17 cleansing the temple crucifixion, Good Friday Matthew 27:27-61 (Psalm 118:25-29)
9   Easter Matthew 28:1-10 Resurrection, empty tomb, women encounter the risen Jesus (Psalm 118:19-24)
16 Second Sunday of Easter Matthew 28:16-20 Great commission (Psalm 40:9-10)
23 Third Sunday of Easter Acts 10:1-48 Peter’s vision (Matt 9:36-37)
30 Fourth Sunday of Easter Acts 13:1-3; 14:8-18 Beginning of Paul’s mission. Healing at Lystra, gospel to the Gentile world (Matt 10:40-42)

April Services, 3:30-5:00 pm 

2  Location: online
Sharing and prayer: Elly Nelson
Scriptures and songs for Holy Week: c/o Harvey Yoder
9 Location: online
Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger
Bible Study: Dick Dumas
16 Location: Heritage Haven Conference Room
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Kent Palmer
23 Location: online
Worship and Sharing: Kent Palmer
Bible Study: Lois Rivera-Wenger
30 Location: online
Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger
Bible Study: Elly Nelson