Another Special Easter Service

Gathering for breakfast at the Vlasists' Lodge after Sunday's sunrise service

Our Family of Hope House Church celebrated its annual Easter sunrise service yesterday at the securely locked entrance of the once public Massanutten Caverns.

This was followed by celebrative singing together and an Easter brunch in the former Caverns Lodge, with the meal prepared by hosts Guy and Margie Vlasits, members of our church who operate the Old Massanutten Lodge Bed and Breakfast. 

A great time! 

(photo by Margie Vlasits)

April 2013 Newsletter

House-to-House
Family of Hope House Church                                      April 2013
 
Notes, prayers and praises

APRIL BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Bertha Swarr 4/13, Jack (Hong
Yan) Zhou 4/14, Cathy Atwell 4/19, Bo Hu 4/20 and Randy May 4/21!  
WE THANK GOD FOR MARGIE VALSITS’s great doctor’s report!
ALMA JEAN YODER is recovering from her March 22 knee surgery and was moved to the Shenandoah unit atVMRC for rehab.
RACHEL STOLTZFUS has sold her place and remains at 6516 Lone Oak Ct., Bethesda, MD 20817,  301-493-4470.
GET FOH UPDATES at http:/familyofhopehousechurch.blogpost.com.

April lectionary readings

7   Acts 5:27-32 Psalm 118:14-29 Revelation 1:4-8 John 20:19-31
14 Acts 9:1-20  Psalm 30 Revelation 5:11-14 John 21:1-19

21 Acts 9:36-43 Psalm 23 Revelation 7:9-17 John 10:22-30
28 Acts 11:1-18 Psalm 148 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35

April services (worship at 4, meal at 6)

7 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr., K’town 908-0391
Worship and Sharing: Guy and Margie Vasits
Bible Study: Lois Rivera-Wenger                            Carry-in Meal  
14 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802   574-6141
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer
Bible Study: Paul Swarr                                  Carry-in Meal  
21 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave   432-0531
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                               Carry-in Finger Food Meal     
28 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr 22802       564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                          Carry-in Meal

Family of Hope Directory (birthdays and addresses not included here)

Atwell, Cathy
Blackburn, Gail
Campbell, Susan
Campbell, Karen
Dumas, Dick
Levesque, Trish     
May, Karla
Morlan, Becky
Nelson, Neal & Elly 
Rivera-Wenger, Lois
Soich, Karen  
Stauffer, James & Ruth
Stoltzfus, Rachel
Swarr, Paul & Bertha
Vlasits, Guy & Margie          
Weaver, David  
Wonshe 10/27
Yoder, Alma Jean & Harvey
(covenanted members names in bold)

March 2013 Newsletter

House-to-House
 Family of Hope House Church                                        March 2013

A Hymn for Lent - Samuel Crossman 1664 (WH 235)

My song is love unknown,

My Saviour’s love to me;

Love to the loveless shown,

That they might lovely be.

O who am I, that for my sake

My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

Sometimes they strew His way,

And His sweet praises sing;

Resounding all the day

Hosannas to their King:

Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,

And for His death they thirst and cry.

Why, what hath my Lord done?

What makes this rage and spite?

He made the lame to run,

He gave the blind their sight,

Sweet injuries! Yet they at these

Themselves displease, and ’gainst Him rise.

They rise and needs will have

My dear Lord made away;

A murderer they save,

The Prince of life they slay,

Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,

That He His foes from thence might free.

In life, no house, no home

My Lord on earth might have;

In death no friendly tomb

But what a stranger gave.

What may I say?
Heav’n was His home;

But mine the tomb wherein.

Here's the link to hear this sung by the St. Martin in the Fields Church Choir


Notes, prayers and praises

MARCH BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Ruth Stauffer 3/28, and Elianah Zhou 3/25, c/o Jack Zhou, 5615 W. Wren Avenue, Visalia, CA 93291.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO GOD  for the good report from Margie Vlasits about her being able to discontinue her cancer treatment!
ALMA JEAN’S KNEE SURGERY has been rescheduled for March 22.
CONTACT RACHEL STOLTZFUS at 6516 Lone Oak Ct., Bethesda, MD 20817,  301-493-4470, or accameds@gmail.com.
OUR EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE and breakfast will be at the Vlasits March 31!
WE WELCOME LOIS WENGER home after helping with her grandchildren in Tennessee.
GET FOH UPDATES at http:/familyofhopehousechurch.blogpost.com.

March lectionary readings

3   Isaiah 55:1-9 Psalm 63:1-8 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Luke 13:1-9
10 Joshua 5:9-12 Psalm 32 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
17 Isaiah 43:16-21 Psalm 126 Philippians 3:4b-14 John 12:1-8
24 Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 22:14-23:56
31 Isaiah 65:17-25 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 1 Corinthians 15:19-26
John 20:1-18

March services (worship at 4, meal at 6)

3 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802   574-6141
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer
Bible Study: Paul Swarr                           Carry-in Meal  

10 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr., K’town 908-0391
Worship and Sharing: Guy and Margie Vasits
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                          Carry-in Meal  

17 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave   432-0531
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Elly Nelson                              Carry-in Finger Food Meal  
  
24 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr 22802       564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                                          Carry-in Meal

31 Location: Easter Sunrise Service Guy & Margie Vlasits       908-0391
8 am Easter meditation by Harvey Yoder, followed by Easter singing and with a breakfast at 9:30 am.

Jesus Did Not Come to Establish a Temple-Based Religion

The following is an excerpt from Garry Wills’ book, WHAT JESUS MEANT, (Viking Press 2006)

    When Jesus drives the merchants from the Temple, onlookers challenge him, “What authorization can you produce for doing this?” He responds: Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it again.” The Jews scoff at the mere idea of rebuilding the Temple in three days: “Construction of the Temple has taken forty-six years.” But the gospel adds: “The Temple he referred to was his body” John 2:21
    The Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E., and it never rose again. But Jesus had already loosened it from its moorings...
    Jesus did not come to replace the Temple with other buildings, whether huts or cathedrals, but to instill a religion of the heart, with only himself as the place where we encounter the Father. At first one might think Jesus would not recognize most of what calls itself religion today. But, on second thought, it would probably look all too familiar, perpetuating the very things he criticized in the cleanliness code, the Sabbath rules, the sacrifices, and the Temple. It was natural, therefore, for religion to kill him, since he was its foe.
    His followers would be killed for the same reason. Stephan, the first martyr, is stoned for predicting the destruction of the Temple Acts 6:14). Stephan tells his executioners what Jesus told the Samaritan woman: “The Most High does not live in houses constructed by human hand. Rather, as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and earth my footstool’ ” (Acts 7:48-49).
    What is the kind of religion Jesus opposed? Any religion that is proud of its virtue, like the boastful Pharisee. Any that is self-righteous, quick to judge and condemn, ready to impose burdens rather than share or lift them. Any that exalts its own officers, proud of its trappings, building expensive monuments to itself. Any that neglects the poor and cultivates the rich, any that scorns outcasts and flatters the rulers of this world. If that sounds like just about every form of religion that we know, then we can see how far off from religion Jesus stood.

Family of Hope--Who Are We?

      We are a small group of Christians who live in and around Harrisonburg, Virginia. We meet in one of our homes each Sunday at 4 pm for our regular time of worship (we like to sing!), and for prayer, Bible study and a carry-in meal.

       As far as beliefs are concerned, we affirm the ancient creeds of the church and the core beliefs of the sixteenth century Anabaptist wing of  Reformation. Like them, we stress voluntary believers baptism as a pledge of our covenant to follow the teachings of Christ to the best of our ability. Each member renews the following covenant each year on Pentecost Sunday, as follows:

     "I support the goals, vision and faith of Family of Hope, will attend weekly services as regularly as I am able, and will use my gifts and offer my encouragement to this church family to the best of my ability. I invite other members to support me--and to confront me as needed--in being faithful to this commitment."

       While we see ourselves first of all as members of God's worldwide family, we are linked with the Mennonite family of churches in seeking to follow Christ's example of living a life of simplicity, generosity and nonviolence. Our giving helps support that denomination's mission, relief, education and publishing efforts.

       Since we have no paid staff, have few operating expenses, and do not own or rent any real estate, we are able to use almost all of our $18,000 congregational budget each year for charity and for mission outreach as decided on by our members. A four member leadership team meets monthly to plan for our services, but most major church decisions are made by the whole group. We have no other committees or boards.

      Since 1987, our aim has been to experience church in its simplest, most basic form, as a group of people gathering each week to worship and scattering each week to serve.

Harvey Yoder, pastor
harvyoder@gmail.com

February 2013 Newsletter

House-to-House
 Family of Hope House Church                         February 2013

Worship Services Should Never Be Boring

As a child I well remember being bored stiff in the insufferably long church services we attended every Sunday morning. My young mind traversed the globe thinking of ways to make the time go faster.
    As an adult I still experience an occasional lack of joyful and rapt attention in a service, with my mind wandering to the carry-in meal that’s always a part of our weekly gatherings!
     Yet I sincerely believe that all worship gatherings can be times we truly look forward to if we regularly experience the following:

1. Everyone is greeted with a warm, embracing welcome. This may or may not include the Biblical “holy kiss”, but certainly a greeting that is a genuine and loving equivalent.
2. We are free to “share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear.” None of us needs to ever leave our gatherings with the same weight of troubles we brought with us. We are extravagantly loved and fervently prayed for as needed.
3. We recognize that every scriptural passage, every Bible story, every hymn text, every responsive reading we use has had some kind of powerful impact on an individual or group at some point in time, so much so that it merited inclusion as worship and learning material to be preserved and passed on. So we savor each as having the power to truly inspire and bless. If we feel bored instead, it may be because we have not imaginatively immersed ourselves in the text.
4. Each of us regularly contributes encouragements, hymns, readings, and/or teachings to our weekly “carry-in” service, rather than just being passive consumers of professionally prepared services. 
5. We have good love feasts together on a regular basis, with every meal celebrated as a form of Eucharist.       
                                                                                    - Harvey Yoder

Notes, prayers and praises
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Trish Levesque 2/23, at17600 14th Avenue North, Apt. 127, Plymouth, MN 55447-2951.
THE CHRISTMAS HEIFER PROJECT OFFERING was $1000! Last year’s offering was $491.25.
CONTACT RACHEL STOLTZFUS at 6516 Lone Oak Ct., Bethesda, MD 20817,  301-493-4470, or accameds@gmail.com.
AT OUR FOH BUSINESS MEETING the congregation approved a 2013 budget of $18,000 for 2013.
HARVEY AND ALMA JEAN will be with daughter Joanna and family in Rochester, NY, February1-7.
PRAY FOR ALMA JEAN YODER, who is scheduled for a knee replacement February 25.
GET FOH UPDATES at http:/familyofhopehousechurch.blogpost.com.

February lectionary readings

3   Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm 71:1-6 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Luke 4:21-30
10 Exodus 34:29-35 Psalm 99  2 Corinthians 3:12–4:2 Luke 9:28-43
17 Deut 26:1-11 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 Romans 10:8b-13 Luke 4:1-13
24 Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Psalm 27 Philippians 3:17–4:1 Luke 13:31-35

February services (worship at 4, meal at 6)

3 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802   574-6141
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer
Bible Study: Paul Swarr                                   Carry-in Meal  

10 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr., K’town 908-0391
Worship and Sharing: Guy and Margie Vasits
Bible Study: James Stauffer                               Carry-in Meal  

17 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802   574-6141
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                               Carry-in Finger Food Meal     

24 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr 22802       564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: Ellie Nelson                                          Carry-in Meal

January 2013 newsletter

House-to-House
Family of Hope House Church                                     January 2013

Living by the Values of the Future

Since  the recent rash of mass killings in this country, we’ve been hearing a lot of voices advocating for more people being armed to prevent such tragedies. But to me that represents a huge step backwards to a less civilized and more barbaric era of human history.

I once heard George Brunk III, former dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, say, “Our faith is not so much about preserving values from the past as it is about living by the values of the future.”

In other words, we’re not just about resisting change and holding on to our good heritage, but are called to radically demonstrate a way of life now that has never yet really been, except maybe in the Garden of Eden. Thus as a people of God we are to be an advertisement about what the future will be like, when the Prince of Peace is fully sovereign, when God’s will will be done on earth as it already is in heaven.

That’s what it means to become a people who are already living by the rules of the future, when people everywhere will model the prophet Isaiah’s vision of  “beating swords into plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks,” and will “study war no more.” Like Jesus, we will already live as though the wolf were lying down with the lamb, the leopard with the kid,  and with a little child leading them. It will be said of us, “(T)hey will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea.”

That’s the future we’re being enlisted now to join and prepare for, to truly become an Exhibit A, a showcase, a demonstration site, of what God’s forever world will inevitably be like.                      - Harvey Yoder

Notes, prayers and praises

JANUARY BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to James Stauffer 1/8, Susan Campbell 1/17,  Becky Morlan 1/28, Dick Dumas 1/30!
PRAY FOR RACHEL STOLTZFUS, gradually regaining her health and strength after having had another mild stroke last month.
DAVID WEAVER’S address is 1032 Smith Avenue, Harrisonburg 22802 and his phone number is 421-4504.
FOH BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA includes approving a 2013 budget and electing two members to the Leadership Team.
GET FOH UPDATES at http:/familyofhopehousechurch.blogpost.com.
HARVSPOT, Harvey’s blog, is at http://harvyoder.blogspot.com.

January lectionary readings

6    Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12
13  Psalm 29 Isaiah 43:1-7 Acts 8:14-17 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
20 Psalm 36:5-10 Isaiah 62:1-5 1Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11
27 Psalm 19 Nehemiah 8:1-10 1Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4:14-21

January services (worship at 4, meal at 6)

6 Location: James & Ruth Stauffer 1250 Parkway Dr 22802   574-6141
Worship and Sharing: James Stauffer
Bible Study: Paul Swarr                           Carry-in Meal  

13 Location: Guy & Margie Vlasits 3448 Caverns Dr., K’town 908-0391
Church business meeting and Communion Meal c/o Harvey Yoder                  

20 Location: Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Ave   432-0531
Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Dick Dumas                    

          Carry-in Finger Food Meal     

27 Location: Susan Campbell 1361 Lincolnshire Dr 22802       564-1524
Worship and Sharing: Susan Campbell
Bible Study: James Stauffer                                                Carry-in Meal