HMC Weekly Newsletter

May 17, 2023

As the Jesus story moves out of the post-Easter season and turns toward Pentecost, I find myself reflecting on the growth of the first century church as followers of the way of Jesus formed Christian communities and seeded the empire with gatherings of people who were learning and practicing a subversive way of being the human community, a movement that has endured through millennia. When we gather weekly in worship, fellowship, and prayer, I am encouraged and inspired to stick with this community and do my part to keep the vision alive. When together we sing, pray, study the scriptures, and offer each other counsel, love, and support, I pray that God’s Spirit will work within us to help us become the beloved community of God. This prayer by Rabbi Harold Kushner describes the Spirit’s work among us.

A prayer for the world

 - rabbi harold kushner - 2003

Let the rain come and wash away
the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds
held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory
of the hurt, the neglect.
Then let the sun come out and
fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us
wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog so that
we can see each other clearly.
So that we can see beyond labels,
beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness
of the sun melt our selfishness.
So that we can share the joys and
feel the sorrows of our neighbors.
And let the light of the sun
be so strong that we will see all
people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain,
bring forth flowers
to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts
to reach upward to heaven. Amen.

Lee Lever, Transitional Pastor
Houston Mennonite Church

Care & Community

Volunteer Opportunities at HMC

• Produce the weekly HMC podcast: contact Michael Whalen 

• Manage the HMC Website

Volunteer Schedule

• May-June 2023 (rev. 05/10/23)

• Need to make any changes?  

  • Please try to find your own replacements first, then contact Lynda V. with updates.

• Want to volunteer, but aren’t on the schedule?  Contact Lynda V. to let her know how you would like to help and your availability!

Asylum Seeker Update

Our two asylum families continue working on the many, difficult tasks related to establishing themselves in a new country with very little funding: paperwork, medical care, connecting to a food bank, finding employment, etc. They have not been able to connect with a food bank yet. Monetary donations are the most helpful. Thank you for your generosity.  

For more information, contact Esther Harder (412-330-7418).

HMC Directory and Calendar 📅

• Create your account on our ChurchTrac Connect page

• Directory information is kept confidential by requiring HMC Admin approval of account before access is granted

• Once you have full access, update your directory profile, including choosing what details to share in the HMC directory

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT MEMORIAL ASSISTANCE MINISTRIES 

• Literacy Advance Department: New Student Registration - Summer 2023. Volunteer here.

• Work the Quarterly Half-Price Sale:  Help with the sales, Friday, May 19 & Saturday, 20, at the Blalock Campus. Volunteer here

• MAM in Action: Volunteers for MAM Resale Store -Working the Quarterly Sale

• Restock the Resale Store: following the Half-Off Sales held quarterly. The first opportunity is Sunday, May 21.

• Questions? Contact Kathie Hartzog khartzog@mamhouston.org

Spiritual Formation & News

Menno Snapshots Blog Opportunities

Mennonite Church USA is seeking Menno Snapshots blogs on the topic, “I choose to be Mennonite because...” Bloggers are encouraged to reflect on how they came to Anabaptism, what attracted them to our Mennonite theology and practices, and how this has impacted their lives. This is an ideal opportunity for the recently baptized and/or those who may have joined from other faith traditions. Suggested word count is 500-900 words. Youth are also encouraged to participate (no word count requirements). Read the blog guidelines and submit your blog here by May 22: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/menno-snapshots/blog-guidelines/

Racial Justice/Queer Justice: Fractures and Intersections in the Mennonite Church

Join BMC and Raleigh Mennonite Church for a panel on Queer Justice and Racial Justice in the church. For the last decade we’ve seen queerness and race pitted against one another in many parts of our denomination. So we’re going to talk about it with leaders who live at various intersections of race, sexuality, and gender. We hope this will open up space for complex conversations in our church and help faith communities build practices oriented around collective liberation. Details and registration here.

Mennonite Disaster Services (MDS) Volunteering

Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is an organization that helps people rebuild after a disaster. The strength of MDS is its volunteer base which includes a range of Anabaptist/Mennonite constituencies, and the generosity of those who support the good work of MDS. When MDS enters a disaster situation they intentionally partner with other agencies and they typically focus on households with fewer resources than others. Learn more…

MennoCon23 Registration is Open

Online registration is open for MennoCon23, Mennonite Church USA’s (MC USA) leading faith formation event. Registration is also open for all (infants-adults).  

“MennoCon provides a way for our MC USA family to connect with God and each other for inspiration and refreshment, away from life’s many distractions,” said Glen Guyton, executive director of MC USA. “It is a time to learn about and engage with the resources offered by our program agencies, ministry partners and affiliated colleges. It is also a time for us to connect with our overall vision and to celebrate the rich diversity that is Mennonite Church USA.”  Learn more here.

Kroger Community Rewards 🪙

Did you know that you can help HMC raise funds through your regular grocery shopping at Kroger at no cost to you?  Add HMC to your shopping rewards card and use it each purchase.  Easy.  Learn more:  kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards

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