On-Line Church: "Death Is No Match For God's Life-Generating Spirit," Lectionary Reflections For March 29

Since our house church will not be able to meet physically this week, here are some reflections on the scriptures we will be discussing in our on-line session at 4 pm this Sunday: 

Ezekiel 37:1-14 Can A Valley Of Decaying Bones See Life Again?

In Genesis 1, God's Spirit storming over a dark and lifeless planet impregnates it with life. In today's text the prophet Ezekiel envisions a massive collection of dried up bones being brought to life by that same life-giving Spirit.

In the prophet's dramatic vision, as bone reconnects with bone, and as all of the other body parts of God's people are reassembled, one thing remains for them to experience life. As with the original forming of Adam from clay, it is when God breathes into divinely formed flesh that Adam becomes a living soul, a full-fledged person. Here Ezekiel says, with divine authority, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live!"

So as God's people today, we urgently pray, "Breathe on us breath of God, fill us with life anew." When God's breath ('ruach'/wind/spirit) becomes a part of our every breath, when we exhale flaw after flaw and regularly inhale all of the life-giving traits of God's Spirit, our lives become dramatically transformed. We become truly alive in the way God intended!

John 11:1-45 Can The Victim Of A Fatal Illness Live Again?

As the death angel is taking its toll all around us, we are sobered by the realization of how fragile and uncertain life can become. We don't know what illness Jesus's good friend Lazarus had, but we do know Jesus was deeply moved when he learned that he had unexpectedly died.

Mary, Martha and Lazarus were like beloved siblings to Jesus, and their house was like his second home. "Jesus wept," while known as the shortest verse in the Bible, speaks volumes about the bond that existed between Jesus and his adopted family in Bethany.

According to the gospel record, Jesus rarely exercised his Abba's power to raise people from the dead, but chose to do so here for God's glory, "so that God's Son  might be glorified through it."

God's glory is what all of life is to be about, and what every death is about, a demonstration of the life-giving, death-crushing power of God's Spirit.

Romans 8:6-11 How Can God's Mind-Blowing 'Breath' Power Our Spirits?

While we often speak of God's Spirit being, metaphorically,  in our "hearts," it is God's work in the very heart of our "minds" that empowers us to live transformed lives that are no longer conformed to the mindset and lifestyle of the rest of the world. 

Our brains are like the computer "hardware" God has given us. But our renewed minds represent the "software" with which God's Spirit has programmed us, in this case minds and spirits that have been made alive with Christ, enabled to think and behave like our Master.

Jesus Christ alive in the control room of our minds. New life for old!

Psalm 130 For Abundant Life Like That, How Can I Keep From Praying?

Let's read, reread and immerse ourselves in this prayer of intercession from the Message: 
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+130&version=MSG

On-Line Church: "Heaven-Sent Light For Spiritual Sight," Lectionary Reflections For March 22, 2020

Are we not all "born blind "?

Whether we meet as a church this weekend in person, on line or simply in spirit, our scripture texts for this Sunday provide us with eye-openers we need for times like these.

Jesus brings sight to one blind from birth. (John 9)

Close your eyes. Picture yourself alone in your community, unable to see all of the people passing by on whom you depend for your survival. 

Some are saying you are the sole cause of your blindness. Others are sure it's your parents' fault. Nevertheless, you have been unable to see from birth.

In fact, each of us has been unable to see what only God can reveal, that it is only in losing our life that we can save it, that it is only what we give away that we can truly keep, and that our trust in financial institutions and political systems for our future security will all be in vain.

Along comes Jesus, heaven-sent Light of the World, who touches our eyes with an ointment made of ordinary dust mixed with ordinary human saliva, offering us the ability to see clearly what we have never seen or realized before. We are finally able to see the world through the lens of God as revealed in Jesus the Anointed one, the Messiah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

Everything around us is new, illuminated with blazing light. 

"Once blind, now we see!"

Through valleys of dark shadows, we experience safe passage. (Psalm 23)

Picture yourself as a part of God's people, led to places of peace and spiritual plenty, where all of your deepest needs are satisfied. Visualize being led in safe paths, anointed with healing oil, fed and nourished with spiritual abundance. Imagine being reconciled with all your enemies and celebrating with all of your friends and fellow members of God's great household of faith forever.

"Our Shepherd leads us on the right path for the sake of God's name."

We're given the ability to see others as God sees them. (I Samuel 16:1-13)

David was the youngest in his family, lacked the stature and life experience of his older brothers. But when the prophet Samuel, one of God's "seers" (those who "see" what others cannot), comes to Jesse's household to anoint Israel's next king, he sees the youngest, the one out shepherding the family's sheep, as the one God has chosen.

Picture everyday people in your life whose worth you may have discounted, as those with less to contribute to the life of the community than others. Many of them have far greater untapped potential for life and leadership than we have ever realized.

"We look at the outer appearance, but God looks on the heart."

We were once among those who sat in complete darkness, but are now a people bathed in light. (Ephesians 5:8-14)

Picture yourself as those to whom this pastoral letter was first addressed nearly 2000 years ago. Reflect on what it means to receive inner spiritual light to illuminate all of our attitudes and to inform all of our actions. This truly makes a difference as great as night from day, as our being sound asleep to becoming wide awake.

I remember being on a tour of a local caverns once in which our guide turned off all the lights and we experienced a darkness so total we could see absolutely nothing. Nothing. But it wasn't that someone turned on that darkness. Darkness cannot be turned on or off. Only light has physical properties like wavelength, frequency, energy and speed. Darkness has no such power or properties. It is simply the absence of light.

"It is LIGHT that makes everything visible."

On-Line Church: "Wedding Bells At Jacob's Well"--Lectionary Reflections For Sunday, March 15, 2020

There may be more to this story than meets the eye.

Since our house church may not meet Sunday due to concerns about a local case of corona virus, here are some reflections on our scripture texts for this week: 

John 4:5-42 A Wondrous Wedding at a Well
Readers of John's gospel would have certainly associated Jesus's encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well with the familiar story of the visit of Abraham's servant to a well at which he was seeking a bride for his master's son Isaac. In answer to his prayer in the Genesis story, beautiful Rachel comes to the scene and offers the weary traveler and his entourage refreshing water to drink, and the story continues with Rachel returning to become Isaac's beloved bride.
     Here in this Gospel account Jesus, as God's Servant, is seeking a beloved "bride" in the form of a redeemed community of God-followers, in this case among former outsider Samaritans. The unlikely woman appearing at the well at midday (who was currently without a husband) offers Jesus water, engages in conversation with him and eagerly runs to her village to invite others to hear about the living water the visiting Bridegroom has to offer. 
     The church as Bride represents one of the most intimate metaphors for the relationship between God and God's people. We are invited into a covenant relationship that is based on a union that is joyful, enduring, and celebrative beyond words. 

Romans 5:1-11 A Marriage Proposal And Invitation
In this well known passage the terms of this relationship between God and God's bride are outlined in joyful detail. Through the gracious provision of the Bridegroom, we enter into a relationship of peace with God that assures us of a truly "happily ever after" future. Not that there won't be hardships along the way, but these will all result in even greater experiences of God's love and healing presence.

Matthew 5:21-37 A Wedding Meditation
In this text from Jesus's inaugural "Sermon on the Mount, " we are urged to avoid harboring anger, keep short accounts when there are differences, avoid all forms of marital unfaithfulness, and always speak the truth to one another.

Psalm 95 Wonderful Wedding Music
The joy we feel is infectious and never ending. What a great union between God and God's beloved, to be forever celebrated and to never, ever be severed!

Exodus 17:1-7 A Reception With Abundant Refreshment
Here God's people, weary and thirsty, come together to enjoy a plentiful supply of refreshing, living water from a Rock which is a symbol for the spiritual source of our "water of life," Christ. In the first of his miracles, at a wedding, no less, Jesus turns ordinary water into exotic wine for the enjoyment of everyone at the reception.
     Let the celebration begin!

Here's a beautiful poem one of our members wrote for our on-line church service this Sunday:

Water!

In desert I have wandered long

And chased mirage of sacred pool.

Another day and I shall die

Unless I find that water cool.

Behold!  A Rock and from it pours

Unending stream, a life supply,

Enough, and more, to drink, be cleansed.

I thirst, I drink and shall not die.

And shall I flee the desert now

That God has shown to me the Way?

No, I must be a desert guide.

River of Life now bids me stay.

M. Lois Rivera-Wenger

March 2020 newsletter

House-to-House

 Family of Hope House Church                              March 2020

Giving Up Indifference For Lent          - Harvey Yoder

If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion--how can God's love be in that person?

- I John 3:17 (NLT)

     I've always found it hard to read this text, and found it equally difficult to read this kind of excerpt in a recent TIME article about Syria:

     “To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, nearly 900,000 people have left their homes since December, most of them heading north toward the Turkish border through the snow in sub-zero temperatures. The vast majority of the displaced residents are women and children, who, if they’re fortunate, find space in makeshift displacement camps with tents that are stretched beyond capacity without basic services. But Turkey has closed off its 550-mile border, leaving thousands to live in the open among the icy hillsides or unfinished buildings, the UN says. Mothers are burning garbage to keep children warm. Babies and small children are freezing to death.”

     All of us who profess to be pro-life need to demonstrate a willingness to make major lifestyle changes to help our fellow human beings in situations like these. Pretending to be helpless in the face of a crisis this overwhelming cannot serve as an acceptable excuse. 

For example:

1) We can and must give extravagantly and joyfully.

2) We can drastically reduce our overconsumption of products and services designed simply for our comfort and convenience. 

3) We can help reduce the use of fossil fuels that contribute to pollution and climate change.

4) We must urge our nation to stop adding billions to a "defense budget" capable of killing ever more people while people are dying from lack of food and shelter.

     What better time than Lent to engage in practices that promote life and well being for all.

Notes, Prayers and Praises

• WE WILL CONTINUE TO STUDY LECTIONARY TEXTS during Lent, likely followed by a series based a book of the Bible. Philippians is a possibility for after Easter, but your suggestions are welcome. 
• YOU CAN FIND CHURCH UPDATES on the Family of Hope blogsite. http://familyofhopehousechurch.blogspot.com/2020/01
• OUR TOTAL GIVING GOAL for 2020 remains at $16,800. Give your generous offerings to Susan Campbell or to James Stauffer.
• HARVEY YODER’s radiation treatments are over! Thanks for your prayers and support.
• PRAY FOR NEAL NELSON, who is experiencing severe memory loss. 

March Lectionary Texts

1  Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7  Psalm 32 Romans 5:12-19  Matthew 4:1-11

8  Genesis 12:1-4a  Psalm 121  Romans 4:1-5, 13-17  John 3:1-17

15 Exodus 17:1-7  Psalm 95  Romans 5:1-11   John 4:5-42  

22 1 Samuel 16:1-13  Psalm 23  Ephesians 5:8-14  John 9:1-4

29 Ezekiel 37:1-14  Psalm 130  Romans 8:6-11  John 11:1-45

March services, worship at 4, meal at 6 pm

1  Today's service canceled due to illnesses and absences. We will be doing the Bible Study based on scriptures highlighted in the book The Rock, the Road and the Rabbi the first Sunday in April.        
8  Location: Today's service canceled
Lewis & Mary Ellen Overholt Heritage Haven G49, VMRC

Worship and sharing: Elly Nelson

Bible Study: Lewis Overholt                                              snack provided                                          
15 Location: Today's service canceled
1st floor meeting room Heritage Haven, VMRC                     

Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger                               

Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                              snack provided

22 Location: Today's service canceled
Guy & Margie Vlastis 3399 Caverns Dr. K’own   908-0391

Worship and sharing: Kent Palmer

Bible Study: Dick Dumas                                                    Carry-in meal 

29 Location: 1st floor meeting room Heritage Haven, VMRC

Worship and sharing: James Stauffer

Bible Study: Elly Nelson                                                  snack provided

February 2020 newsletter

House-to-House

 Family of Hope House Church                                February 2020

Summary of Business Meeting Conversation    

In spite of our total giving being under $10,000 this past year, we were able to meet all of our designated giving for the causes in our church giving plan, due to money left over from last year and our spending below budget for our local mutual aid and other needs. We agreed to follow the same budget plan for 2020 subject to modification in the fall if we see will not have enough to cover those amounts.

We also discussed the following:

--Should we adjust how often we meet (perhaps twice a month)?

--Should we become a cell group in another local church?

--Should we have a consistent meeting location, one without physical barriers?

Members expressed themselves about Family of Hope’s future (some since the meeting), with a majority preferring to continue regular services, with various suggestions for simplifying or changing things, such as:

• Meeting at 2-4, and having only a snack, provided by individual members by turn. 
• Meeting at the same handicap-accessible location each Sunday, preferably at VMRC, except for a possible once a month gathering at the Vlasits with a carry in meal.
• Having someone help with doing the monthly newsletter.
• Experimenting meeting at 3 pm and shortening our meeting time to 45 minutes for worship and sharing and 45 minutes for Bible study, with flexibility to extend either time whenever needed.
• Having an occasional study series based on a book in the Bible instead of studying the lectionary texts.
• Have members by turn share their faith stories, either as a part of the sharing time or the Bible Study.

Notes, Prayers and Praises

• MINUTES OF OUR ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING January 12 can be found on our Family of Hope blog site.                                        http://familyofhopehousechurch.blogspot.com/2020/01
• OUR TOTAL GIVING GOAL for 2020 is $16,800. Give your offerings to Susan Campbell or to James Stauffer.
• PRAY FOR PAUL SWARR who has been moved to Crestwood, Room 213, since his recent stroke.
• HARVEY YODER’s radiation treatments began January 6 and continue five days a week through February 19. Your prayers are appreciated.
• LEWIS AND MARY ELLEN OVERHOLT celebrated their 60th       wedding anniversary January 13. Congratulations!
• LET’S HAVE A DISCUSSION Sunday, March 1, on the book The Rock, The Road And The Rabbi that each of us has been given. 

February Lectionary Texts

2   Micah 6:1-8   Psalm 15   1 Corinthians 1:18-31   Matthew 5:1-12

9  Isaiah 58:1-12  Psalm 112:1-10  1 Corinthians 2:1-16 Matthew 5:13-20

16 Deuteronomy 30:15-20   Psalm 119:1-8   1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Matthew 5:21-37

23 Exodus 24:12-18 Psalm 2   2 Peter 1:16-21   Matthew 17:1-9

February services, worship at 4, meal at 6 pm

2  Location: 1st floor meeting room Heritage Haven, VMRC                              

Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger                             

Bible Study: Harvey Yoder                                               Brown bag meal

9  Location: Lewis & Mary Ellen Overholt Heritage Haven G49, VMRC

Worship and sharing: Lewis Overholt

Bible Study: Kent Palmer         no meal, snack provided by the Overholts                                              

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

Worship and Sharing: Harvey Yoder                                  

Bible Study: Elly Nelson                                                      Carry-in meal

23 Location: 1st floor meeting room Heritage Haven, VMRC?

Worship and sharing: James Stauffer

Bible Study: Dick Dumas                                    no meal, snack provided

January 12, 2020, Business Meeting Minutes

Family of Hope Business Meeting Jan 12, 2020, at Family Life Resource Center

Present: Dick Dumas, Guy Vlasits, Harvey Yoder, Alma Jean Yoder, James Stauffer, Ruth Stauffer, Ellyn Marshall-Nelson, Lois Rivera-Wenger, Kent Palmer

Business meeting began with Lois leading a reflection on hymn 371 (Let There Be Light, Lord God of Hosts). This was followed by a time of prayer.

Susan presented a summary of 2019 Income and Expenses.  Giving this year ($9591.71) was lower than the proposed budgeted amount ($16,800) and prior years. Expenditures were met with 2019 income and surplus in the checking account from the previous year. We again had lowered congregational expenses, which helped to meet the budget.  

Concerns were raised that giving may be lower again in the upcoming year due to various reasons. We processed options to revise the budget now or to maintain the current one with the knowledge we may have to adjust after seeing how strong 2020 giving will be in the first three quarters. We proposed to continue the current budget with a plan to examine again in the fall, especially since most expenditures are not paid out until the latter part of the year. 

Harvey initiated a discussion on the future of Family of Hope:

--Should we adjust how often we meet (perhaps twice a month)?

--Should we become a cell group in another local church?

--Should we have a consistent meeting location without physical barriers?

Note: Other suggestions made by members, below, are underlined:

Susan prefers to meet every week.  If people miss a Sunday when meeting only once or twice a month then they become isolated and over time they will identify with the house church less and less. Expressed a concern that four people had fallen on her steps and felt that we needed to meet in a location with less risk of injury.

Lois indicated that she needed to minimize night time driving.  She is only going to be able to attend one or two evenings a month.  Other times of day would be better for her.  Lois noted that the game room that we eat in is used by other residents of Park Place and at least one of them had expressed a concern that our meals displace them from being able to use the room for its intended purpose.

Elly offered to assist in whatever ways possible. She is willing to create and distribute the monthly newsletter. She favored a meeting time that was convenient for all but was not supportive of meeting less frequently.

Dick indicated he would hate to see the church disband. He did not like the concept of reducing the frequency of meeting or becoming a cell group in another church.

Kent was open to meeting once or twice a month.  Suggested we might want to consider meeting earlier in the day (2-4 PM).  Also suggested we might want to have a snack instead of a meal.  If we had a snack instead of a full meal, we could designate a single person/couple to bring the snack for a particular week. 

Kent also raised concern that the leadership of the church may be placing undue stress on Harvey and Alma Jean at a time when they have more than enough other stress in their life.  He was not confident that we could eliminate all stress without disbanding.  Thinks that we should work towards reducing stress if that is possible. 

Guy – Earlier time might be a problem (also might not be--needs to consider it).  Willing to continue hosting once a month. They will be doing more traveling, so they might need to shift dates in some months for hosting at their house. Margie is comfortable with hosting a monthly meal.

Jim – The early New Testament church met in homes. He finds the style of worship at Family of Hope attractive.  He is not finding it difficult to get to other locations but did not object if we wanted to meet at VMRC more often.

Ruth – Enjoys fellowship.  Comfortable with exploring VMRC meeting options, but also comfortable with traveling to other locations.

Alma Jean – Would like to do whatever the group wants.  Says that she is not feeling undue pressure/stress. Lois has taken a lot of the responsibility for food so that she does not have to.

Harvey – He says that in any situation in life, there are positive and negative aspects. One needs to determine which are more predominant.  For him, the plusses of the house church outweigh any stress he feels. He also proposed experimenting meeting at 3 pm and shortening our meeting time to 45 minutes for worship and sharing and 45 minutes for Bible study, with flexibility to extend the time whenever needed. 

January 2020 newsletter

House-to-House

 Family of Hope House Church                      January 2020

An Epiphany In the Bronx     

Jonathan Kozol, author of a book called Amazing Grace, wrote about his experiences with children in the worst areas of the Bronx in New York City, and records their stories and their dreams. Thirteen-year-old Anthony Green wrote him this description of a future heaven as he envisioned it:

     God will be there. He’ll be happy that we have arrived. People shall  comes in hand in hand. It will be bright, not dim and glooming like here on earth. All friendly animals will be there, but no mean ones. 

     As for television, forget it! If you want vision, you can use your eyes to see the people that you love. No one will look at you from the outside. People will see you from the inside. 

     All the people from the street will be there. My uncle will be there and he will be healed. You won’t see him buying drugs, because there won’t be money. 

     Mr. Mongo will be there too. You might see him happy for a change. The prophets will be there, and Adam and Eve, and all the disciples except Judas 

     No violence will there be in heaven. There will be no guns or drugs or IRS. You won’t have to pay taxes. 

     You’ll recognize all the children who have died when they were little. Jesus will be good to them and play with them. At night he’ll come and visit at your house. God will be fond of you.

     How will you know that you are there? Something will tell you, ‘This is it! Eureka!’ If you still feel lonely in your heart, or bitterness, you’ll know that you’re not there.

     Anthony Green was shot and killed three years later on Beekman Avenue, in the worst part of the Bronx. 

     There’s got to be a city with safe streets of solid gold for people like him. 

Notes, Prayers and Praises

• WE WILL HAVE OUR ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING Sunday, January 12, followed by a communion meal. Bring your concerns and dreams for the future of our house church. 
• OUR GIVING GOAL for the past years has been $18,000. Give your offerings to Susan Campbell or to James Stauffer.
• HARVEY YODER’s radiation treatments begin January 9 and are to continue five days a week through most of February. 
• JOSIAH DUMAS is recovering well from his hernia surgery!
• JANUARY BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to James Stauffer 1/8, Susan Campbell 1/17,  Becky Morlan 1/28, and Dick Dumas 1/30!

January Lectionary Texts

5   Jeremiah 31:7-14   Psalm 147:12-20   Ephesians 1:3-14     John 1:1-18

12 Isaiah 42:1-9 Psalm 29 Acts 10:34-43       Matthew 3:13-17

19 Isaiah 49:1-7     Psalm 40:1-11 1 Corinthians 1:1-9     John 1:29-42

26 Isaiah 9:1-4  Psalm 27:1, 4-9  1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23

January services, worship at 4, meal at 6 pm

5  Location: 2nd floor meeting room Park Place, VMRC           432-0531 
Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger                             

Bible Study: Paul Swarr                                                     Brown bag meal

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

Worship, sharing, business meeting c/o Harvey Yoder & Susan Campbell  
Communion service                Meal of bread, cheese, fruit and grape juice    
19 Location: Guy & Margie Vlastis 3399 Caverns Dr. K’own   908-0391                     

Worship and sharing: Harvey Yoder 

Bible Study: Dick Dumas                                                    Carry-in Meal

26 Location: Lewis & Mary Ellen Overholt G49 H’tage Haven 432-7277                

Worship and Sharing: Lewis Overholt                                 

Bible Study: Elly Nelson                                                  Brown bag meal