Pastor’s Column
Do you remember the first time you got your teeth cleaned? Maybe you don’t. But surely you can tell the difference between how your dental hygienist used to clean your teeth and the way it’s done now.
Each summer I make the trek out to Berne, Indiana, to visit the most affable dentist in the world: Ed Fisher. Not only is he affable, he also is skilled and has a staff of kindly hygienists. His hygienists clean my teeth in such a way that I simply lie back and enjoy it.
They clean my teeth with water. In the old days hygienists used pickaxes and chainsaws and finished up by buffing it all with Brillo Pads. It was an ordeal. It was unpleasant. Not anymore!
A tiny stream of powerfully pressurized water is deftly directed across the surfaces (and crooks and crannies) of my teeth with laser-like precision and – poof – all the bad plaque and nasty tartar and soda pop discoloring are dispatched to the murky depths of the Berne Water Treatment Plant. For the buffing, the hygienists ask what flavor I’d like to have used to get my pearly whites shining. I always choose Cherry.
Why do I mention all these details about dental hygiene? To give us hope. Water rightly directed and applied is a wonderful, powerful source of blessing. Left to the other elements and itself, water becomes a raging force of destruction.
In 2 Thessalonians 3:3-4 we are told: the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. While Paul wrote those words to the Thessalonians, the Lord Jesus applies them to us in our day as well. Both the Thessalonians and we live in turbulent times as the sea of humanity roils in its rebellion against God and His Anointed One.
I chose that image because that is how the Bible depicts rebellious humanity. God, speaking through Isaiah, says this: . . . the uproar of many peoples who roar like the roaring of the seas, and the rumbling of the nations who rush on like the rumbling of mighty waters. [Is. 17:12] The Holy Spirit becomes even more graphic later in Isaiah’s ministry saying wicked humanity is like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” [Is. 57:20-21] We, as well as the Thessalonians, know all too well about that tossed-up refuse and mud.
The NT is more vivid and more alarming. In Revelation 17:1-2 an angel speaks to the apostle John: Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality. So, the great harlot of Revelation sits on many waters. We wonder, what are those waters? In verse 15 of that chapter, the angel answers that question for John: The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
That can be a singularly depressing picture, especially given the times in which we live. We experience the “refuse” and “mud” thrown up from the sea of humanity. We live in a culture drunk with the wine of immorality. We may often feel like we’re about to sink under boisterous waves of this sea. But we don’t. We not only stay afloat, we prevail.
Psalm 96:3-4 describes the scene for us:
The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the sounds of many waters,
mightier than the mighty breakers of the sea,
the Lord on high is mighty.
Paul was right to be confident about the Thessalonians. They proved to be devoted, trustworthy Christian people. Here’s how The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church [second edition, p. 1366] describes them: Paul visited the city, preached on three Sabbaths in the synagogue, and founded the second Christian community in Europe . . . which was renowned for its orthodoxy and steadfastness in the succeeding period.
How did that happen? What was taking place? God used water. Jesus explained what was to happen with His people, those who came to Him and drank from the well of salvation. If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke of the Spirit. [John 7:37-39]
Thus, when we think “water” we need to think “Holy Spirit.” It is the Holy Spirit working in and through the lives of Christian people that God uses to bring transformation to the sea of humanity. If you remember, our original quotation from 2 Thessalonians 3 about the confidence Paul had in the Thessalonians had its origin in the statement The Lord is faithful. And the confidence Paul had in them was confidence in the Lord.
We never have confidence in any human institution [whether political, religious, cultural, etc.] to bring about the necessary transformation of humanity or of any single human person. Nor do we trust in ourselves, for we are incompetent. Our confidence is in the Lord. He will work in us and through us by the power of the Holy Spirit to bring godly transformation to humanity and to individuals. All the years from the Day of Pentecost til now demonstrates such is the case.
Water is what God uses. The water flowing from under the Temple door in Ezekiel 47, that became so deep as to require swimming, those waters go to the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh. [Ezek. 47:8] That’s the transforming power of God. In the last chapter of the Bible the apostle John is shown a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb. [Rev. 22:1] The fruit produced by the river was for the healing of the nations.
The Lord is faithful. He runs His water into us and through us. We are like the instrument in the hand of the dental hygienist. We’re the conduits He uses to send His powerful, cleansing water to transform the plaque, tartar, refuse, and mud so prevalent in the world around us. It’s not us, it’s the water. That’s why we can be confident.
I love my dentist, Ed Fisher. I appreciate his dental hygienists. Through the work they do on my teeth, they direct my heart to consider the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ. May your dentist have the same effect on you!
In the Joy of the Lord,
John H.C. Niederhaus
October Pulpit Schedule
6th – It Begins – Isaiah 44:6-8; Mark 9:2-8; Revelation 1:9-20
The book of Revelation is about the revelation of Jesus Christ. But what is a revelation? Think of the unveiling of a statue. Something preventing the object from being visible to plain view is removed and voilà. now the statue is plainly seen. The removal of that “something” is the act of revelation. Such an unveiling occurred on the Mount of Transfiguration. The apostle John was one of the disciples present then. While on Patmos, though, he received another revelation of Jesus. It is fantastic. It is fearful. It is symbolic. It is accurate. It begins the message of Revelation.
13th – Refiner’s Fire – 1 Kings 3:1-15; Acts 20:25-38; Revelation 2:1-7
Paul spent more time with the church in Ephesus than with any other church. That church served as the base for evangelistic efforts throughout the wider region. Acts 20 records the touching, final farewell of Paul with the Ephesian Elders. It’s not too much to say the Church of Ephesus was top-notch. The letter they receive in Revelation says much the same thing, but with a significant caveat. There is a problem. It must be addressed. If not addressed, it could prove fatal. Jesus’ letter seeks to light the refiner’s fire. Little things can become big things. Just ask Solomon.
20th – The Crown of Life – 1 Kings 21:1-16; Acts 7:54-8:3; Revelation 2:8-11
If God is God and He is good, why do people suffer, and why are injustices not brought to account? These are common questions for all of us. We wonder about these things. Does God not know what’s happening? Can He not change things? The church at Smyrna needs to hear from God on just such questions, so Jesus’ letter to them does just that. They folk of Smyrna follow in a long line of God’s people that include men such as Naboth and Stephen, both killed by religious judicial authority. 100 years after this letter from Jesus the Smyrnans will still experience violent persecution.
27th – Schemes – Psalm 50; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; Revelation 2:12-17
Would you like to move to Pergamum? According to Jesus, the throne of Satan was in Pergamum. Can you imagine incorporating that bit of information into a nifty real estate ad! Well, there was a church in Pergamum too. That meant confrontation, and at least one person from the church was martyred. Jesus commends the church for holding fast to Him in the face of violent opposition. Sometimes such in-your-face opposition is not effective. Hence, the devil has other schemes. He’s also a Liar. Liars seek to deceive. Jesus says deception is happening in Pergamum.
Pastor Appreciation Luncheon
Pastors John, Steve and Michael serve us very humbly all year long: always with wisdom, grounded in God’s Holy Word, patience and always mirroring God’s awesome love! As a way of showing our appreciation the Care Committee will sponsor the Pastor Appreciation Luncheon on October 13.
We’ll gather together after church for a hearty meal with wonderful fellowship and good cheer. Sure do hope to see you there!!
Want to Stand for Life? Take a Knee!
On Wednesday the 25th of September a special 40-day period of prayer began. People in all 50 states along with folk from over two score countries around the world are joined in a concerted time of prayer for an end to abortion. Leidy’s Church is part of that linking of spiritual purpose. Locally, our point of prayer is the Planned Parenthood office located in Warminster at 610 Louis Drive, just off Street Road.
For the past several years the number of surgical abortions performed at the Warminster location has decreased from over 1,000 per year to less than 800 per year. Praise God for that reality! What is unknown, however, are the number of medical abortions facilitated by that office. This would be where a woman receives a pill that will stimulate a miscarriage by creating a deadly environment for the unborn baby in the womb causing the baby to be ejected.
While you may go to pray any day during the 40-day period, the one day when Leidy’s Church has committed to have prayer volunteers present throughout the day is Tuesday, October 22nd. We need prayer personnel from 7am to 7pm. You may go down to pray for as long or short a time as fits your schedule. Some volunteers stay for an hour, some for a couple of hours, some for 15 minutes. But they all unite in calling on God to help deliver moms and babies and grandparents and Planned Parenthood workers and drivers-by from the wicked lie that abortion is OK.
40 Days for Life began in 2007. During the ensuing years of prayer things happened! Participants from over 18,000 churches in over 715 cities in over 40 countries around the world have stood for life by taking a knee. In cases that can be documented (who knows what all has happened that is not documented!), over 16,000 infant lives have been saved from abortion, over 191 abortion workers have renounced their jobs, and over 104 abortion facilities have closed.
As Jesus taught in the parable of the unjust judge, persistent prayer is productive. Take a stand for life; join in the 40 Days for Life campaign. This concerted intercessory prayer effort will continue through November 3rd.
Judgement House is Under Control!
The Somewhat Dramatic Mission Troupe [SDMT] is gearing up for Judgement House. Do not, however, let the title of this article deceive you. It is not under control. There is much work that remains to be done, more personnel needed. We could use a couple more tour guides, some security personnel, and non-speaking actors and actresses. If you have a heart for Jesus and would like to serve in any capacity, please contact Pastor Michael.
Just as a heads-up, be aware there will be some changes in decoration and in-room configuration at various points throughout the building as Judgement House draws nearer.
One element we’re particularly longing for is praying people. We need people to pray for hearts to be open, for the message of the gospel to be acted out, proclaimed, and received, and for lives to be forever changed by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Don’t forget to make your reservation to go through Judgement House in 2019. You can do so by contacting the church office in person or by phone. On-line reservations can be made by going to www.leidyschurch.org/jh. Of course, do tell others about it and invite them to come also.
From the Pastor to Youth & Children
Fall is here and the baseball season is winding down. One of the favorite films of the Nowling household when I was a boy was 1984’s The Natural starring Robert Redford. My brother and I loved the story of the young baseball player whose career was derailed but continued to try to play baseball and be “the best to ever play the game.” While neither of us played baseball beyond neighborhood games, we loved watching as Roy Hobbs hit ball after ball out of the park with the announcer’s voice yelling out, “Good Bye, Mr. Spaulding.”
If anyone is familiar with the movie, they will likely remember that it followed the ups and downs of the fictitious New York Knights in a desperate bid to win the pennant. While the team slumped, a short doctor with a reedy voice was brought in to help them through their difficulty. With each loss he repeated the same speech. He said, “Losing is a disease…” He was trying to demonstrate in his monotone way that losing was a state of the mind that affected all those around. His purpose in sharing this line of thinking was to suggest that if a team could stop its losing state of mind, it could effectively heal itself and go on to win.
As I have grown older, I realize the motivational speaker in The Natural was only partially correct. It is true that negative thinking or a negative state of mind can poorly impact not only our play on the sports field but also our entire lives. However, the problem every person has goes far beyond negative thinking or a losing state of mind.
The apostle Paul gave a slightly different diagnosis for the problems within people. He writes, there is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. [Rom. 3:10-12] Instead of presenting something like losing as a state of the mind, Paul describes the open rebellion against God that is present by nature in every single person apart from the Lord Jesus. If the motivational speaker from the movie wanted to be more correct, he might have said, “You are totally wicked in every thought and deed you have ever done. It is no wonder you lost this game. You will probably lose every other you play.” While true, this would not make for a particularly motivational speech.
With Paul’s rather bleak statement about us in our mind, how can we continue? We must remember that even though we are sinful, God still loves us. Paul continued in his letter to the Romans and said, for while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. [Rom. 5:6] Jesus laid down His life so that we who are not righteous and have turned away from God might live.
As the World Series is being played in the coming weeks, think beyond winning and losing on the baseball field. Remember that the Lord has loved you despite your sin. Remember that your success is not due to your own righteousness. Remember that Jesus has made you righteous by His perfect work. Live and rejoice in the knowledge that you have no disease of losing in Christ.
To the Praise of His Glory,
Pastor Michael
Crescent Project in Issues & Answers
Denny Barger is coming to the Issues & Answers class. Repeatedly! He will be presenting Bridges, a curriculum from The Crescent Project, for six weeks. The first Sunday of the project will be October 13th. The goal of the project is to help Christians understand the Islamic faith with a view to being able to interact faithfully and expectantly with Muslim folk we might work with or have as neighbors or meet in some other setting.
Denny Barger is not unknown to Leidy’s Church, in fact, he is a son of Leidy’s Church. He and wife Sue have been a part of our mission budget for years. He has an extensive background of ministry in the Middle East and is a fount of on-the-job, on-site information. There will be plenty of time each session for interaction with him.
He invites everyone to come and participate in the Issues & Answers class, repeatedly!
Big “R” is Bigger Than Ever!
Considered a classic event for decades now, the Leidy’s Church Rummage Sale will have its Fall 2019 rendition on October 9th and 10th. Those are the dates when it’s open to the public, but a few tons worth of work happens in the days leading up to public opening.
If you want to get involved, the person to see is Mary Beth Musselman. She is walking about with a sheet to sign up workers. There are specific time slots that need to be filled and specific tasks that need to be done.
What might those times and tasks look like in a general way? Glad you asked! Here’s are some answers:
✔ Monday & Tuesday (7th & 8th) from 9am to 8pm items are unpacked, sorted, and arranged. Plenty of work for scads of people.
✔ Wednesday & Thursday (9th & 10th) the days of the sale we need:
∙ Friendly workers to bag items
∙ Competent cashiers to facilitate the purchases
∙ Roving “straightener-uppers” to keep the merchandise in order and presentable
✔ Thursday (10th) beginning at 6pm supple hands and strong backs are needed to pack up all unsold items.
The Big R is a multiple blessing event. Many, many individuals and families are blessed by what they buy at the Big R. Funds raised via the Big R are distributed throughout the year by the Ladies of Leidy’s among individuals or ministries with specific needs. A joyful camaraderie is experienced by the workers at the Big R. Many, many households are blessed by having a place to take their extra goods to a location where they know they will be distributed where they can do the most good.
We want to thank especially all the workers who come by week-by-week to sort all that is brought to the Rummage Room. You are a blessing! Thank you!
Women’s Ministry
Ladies of Leidy’s
All ladies are welcome to attend the October Ladies of Leidy’s meeting on Tuesday evening, October 1st, at 7:00 in the Conference Room. Kelly Wilwert will be our guest speaker and will talk to us about God’s House of Promise.
Precept Appreciation Dinner
For those who have been part of Precept ministry at Leidy’s Church during the past thirty-plus years – please join us for an evening of celebration on November 2, 6 pm in Fellowship Hall. Reservation and $10 per person required for catered buffet dinner due before October 15. Rsvp gvbowman@comcast.net or denise@leidyschurch.org (Also contact us if you have photos!)
Women’s Sunday School
For the weekly Women’s Sunday School class and Monday Bible Study, we will be working through two DVD studies put out as part of the That the World May Know series beginning in October, following Paul on two of his journeys.
In A Clash of Kingdoms we will discover how Paul communicated the Good News of Christ to Philippi, as he encouraged the church to consider itself a colony of heaven, not Rome. Host Ray Vander Laan will take us deeper into the culture of ancient Philippi.
Then we will go through Cultures in Conflict, filmed on location in Israel and Greece. The culture in Corinth conflicted greatly with the lifestyle that the Apostle Paul proclaimed to those who chose to follow Jesus. In the same way, the church today is called to proclaim the gospel in every environment, showing the world what it looks like when we give our lives to Jesus.
Join the ladies on Sunday mornings in Room 118 during the Sunday School hour or Monday evenings from 7 to 8 pm. The class is facilitated by Lorraine Kroesser.
Youth Workdays
Jewish New Year is celebrated on Monday, the 30th of September, while the Yom Kippur observances are on Wednesday, October 9th. On each of those days the area public schools have no classes. That presents some great opportunities.
The Leidy’s Youth Fellowship kids will have a Workday on each of those days. There are a few small tasks around the church facility that need to be done, so the youth will get on task those days!
9 a.m. is the time the young folk will gather and develop their game plan. Convening location will be the Fellowship Hall. Work and activities will continue through lunch, with lunch being provided – and it will be good. Simple, but good.
On these days our youth will, in fact, be co-laborers in church work!
Coming Soon – Don’t Miss It
Right after Judgement House concludes iBLAST will begin. If you’re looking for the official beginning date, it is Wednesday, November 6th.
All students in grades 1 through 5 are invited to attend each Wednesday evening. This semester students will memorize the Lord’s Prayer. Even if students already know the Lord’s Prayer, our semester will help them learn how to speak with their Heavenly Father.
iBLAST is from 6 to 7:30 on Wednesday evenings starting November 6th. For those who want to get really blessed, a family meal will start at 5:15 each evening. iBLAST is great opportunity for kids to experience engaging activities, worship, active learning, and growing friendships.
Hope to see you all soon!
Operation Christmas Child
Over the years we have received many reports of how the Operation Christmas Child boxes have brought help to people directly connected with Leidy’s Church. That help is a reality in material terms – i.e. what is actually in the boxes – and in spiritual terms – i.e. what the boxes convey to the minds and hearts of the recipients. Both are extremely important; both result in real needs receiving real gifts that result in real joy, real help, and real encouragement.
Steve and Iryna Yagilnicky have commented on the excitement in Ukrainian orphanages when the Christmas boxes are distributed. In Romania, Dan and Ana Istrata observed the blessing the Christmas boxes brought to kids and families in remote parts of that country. Colleen Estes speaks with enthusiasm about the impact of the Christmas boxes in Pikangikum and other First Nation communities. We can say with great assurance that Operation Christmas Child works.
Though it’s only October, it is time to get started with filling boxes for the 2019 Operation Christmas Child project. You may pick up a box or two in the church narthex beginning the 13th of October. This year the boxes must be returned to Leidy’s Church by Saturday, November 16th. It takes awhile to get them processed and off to their destinations around the globe.
With each box you pick up you will find a brochure describing how to pack the box, a place to designate if the box is for a boy or a girl, a place to indicate the age range intended, and a list of typically appropriate items to include as well as items that are not to be included. You will want to consult this list before you go shopping to fill the box.
Velva Stevenson is coordinating this project with able help from Ethel Greenawalt, Meghann Permar, and Gary Filson. It all is done under the auspices of the Mission Committee. All these folk, as well as children around the globe, appreciate your generosity, timeliness, and Christian care.
Plan on Unplanned
Did you get a chance to see the movie Unplanned in the theater? If not, don’t worry; you have a second chance. Coming to a Fellowship Hall near you is the Unplanned movie-event.
Unplanned is the movie based on a best-selling book that dramatizes the true story of Abby Johnson, the Planned Parenthood clinic director who became a pro-life advocate in 2009. Produced by the same writers who produced God’s Not Dead.
You should know up front the movie is rated R for its bloody and disturbing content – i.e. for showing what happens in a medical abortion, not a surgical abortion. The real reason for the R-rating is the movie industry didn’t want your teens to see the movie or be influenced by it. We recommend the movie for viewers in 8th grade through adults because of its realistic visual depictions of a gruesome industry.
If you are on the fence about whether your child or teen should watch Unplanned, we have a solution for you: two showings. Our first showing will be Friday, November 8, at 7:30 pm and is intended for adults. Parents are encouraged to view the movie at this showing. Movie admission for the first showing is $10 per person, a bargain compared to a theater. The second showing is Friday, November 15, at 7:30 pm and is only for our youth and their friends, with an admission of $5 per youth.
Why the cost? All donations will go towards the In This Time of Need project that feeds hungry Venezuelan refugees with food and the Word of God. The movie lasts 2 hours and includes an intermission where attendees can purchase soda, popcorn, soft pretzels, and candy. We would like to know how many people will attend so that we can be good stewards of our Luke 21 money in purchasing food, so please RSVP via the instructions in the bulletin. Feel free to invite friends and coworkers. If you have questions, see Rachel Tyson or call 215-453-0346. Don’t forget to plan to attend!
Help! I’ve Got a Spouse!
A new adult Sunday School elective begins on Sunday, the 13th of October. It will meet on the Educational Level in Room 123, which is immediately below the Conference Room.
One of the things that married folk soon come to learn is that they have a spouse! That has a way of changing things. Both husbands and wives can find this reality more than a bit challenging. Of course, part of the issue (we hope) is that spouses hang around. You must learn to live with your spouse. How much better if you really enjoy having a spouse for year after year after year!
Peter and Bambi Martindell will help couples traverse this necessary, but sometimes volatile, subject. Utilizing the popular and effective course Love & Respect by Emerson and Sarah Eggerichs, the class will cover the wide range of issues faced by every husband and wife. Thoroughly biblical, happily understandable, and joyously relational, this class and curriculum will be a stimulus for growth as individuals and as a married couple.
The Martindells would be glad to speak with you if you’d like further details. And, they would be delighted to have you join them in Room 123 for Sunday School beginning October 13th.
What’s Life All About?
The famous and familiar question is: What is the chief end of man? The answer given for the question is: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This is the first question and answer from the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It is a good question and a good answer. Why do so many find it so hard, then, to worship God regularly, joyfully, and rightly? Short answer: our fallen human condition.
On November 8th and 9th the annual Quakertown Conference on Reformed Theology will be held at Grace Bible Fellowship Church in (surprise!) Quakertown. This is a Friday evening though Saturday afternoon conference. Always well attended, and always well received, this year’s theme is Worship: The Chief End of Man.
Sponsored by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, the 2019 conference will be focused on doxology, that is, the giving of glory to God. Each presentation will hone in on the worship of God, answering such questions as “What is divine worship?” “Whom do we worship?” and “How do we worship according to the Word?”
Speakers include Harry Reeder, pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, AL; Jason Heliopoulos, pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, MI; and Iain Duguid, professor of OT at Westminster Seminary.
Registration cost is $45 p/person, though $35 for spouses, students, and groups of 5 or more. Registration may be done online by going to www.alliancenet.org and clicking on the events tab and then clicking on the Quakertown tab. Or, you may get a registration form from the Leidy’s Church office.
Walter Family Update
Clay and Becky Walter and family lived in the Leidy’s Church Mission House from January through mid-August of this year. Their eight-year-old son Brian was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia while they served with Mission Aviation Fellowship [MAF] in Papua New Guinea. They had to relocate back to the US for Brian to receive extensive treatments at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia.
In mid-August Brian completed his initial round of treatments and was declared to be in remission! Praise God! He will have three more years of “maintenance treatments.” Those treatments include daily medications taken at home as well as a monthly visit to a clinic for IV chemotherapy treatments.
The Walter family is now living in Nampa, Idaho, where the headquarters of MAF is located. Clay’s new assignment is Turbine Engine Support Specialist at MAF as well as serving as the Aviation Help Desk Manager. The kids, including Brian, are in school. Becky is still in the midst of sorting through boxes of belongings, juggling bus stop times with medical appointments, and making sure the rest of the family has all they need!
So, how should we pray for the Walter family? First, give praise to God for all He’s brought them through over the past year. Second, pray for Brian as he continues his maintenance program. Third, pray for each family member to settle in with new jobs, a new school, and new surroundings.
Take the Tour!
Wake up and get up.
Eat.
Go to work.
Go home.
Sleep.
Repeat. Interminably.
Accustomed as we are to life with its regular, steady rhythms, what do we do when tragedy strikes? What happens when life is overturned at the unexpected death of someone from your house, or a close relative, or a beloved friend? How could a good God allow such a thing to happen?
The 2019 Judgement House script is titled Under Control. The Henry family will encounter the unanticipated loss of a loved one. It will cause them to wrestle with God. Is God sovereign? Is He in control? Could He have prevented this death? Hard, but real, questions.
The Henry family will also wrestle with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Dealing with the death of a loved one is one thing, but dealing with one’s own soul in the light of what Jesus did is another thing.
You’re invited to come out and take the Judgement House Tour and follow the dramatic presentation as you follow characters from scene to scene. You can see the consequences of decisions they make, good and bad.
Dates for Judgement House are October 18th-20th, 25th-27th, and the 31st. Tours begin at 6pm and take about an hour. A new tour starts every 10 to 15 minutes. The last tour begins at 9pm. Refreshments will be available in case you come early for your tour, or want to hang out afterwards.
You will need to make a tour reservation. To do so, contact the church office. Reservations can be made on-line also. Just go to www.leidyschurch.org/jh. The reservation book is filling up so don’t delay.
Fliers with details have been placed in our church mailboxes to help you help us spread the word. Invite a friend or two to come out.
This is a full-sensory experience designed for guests who are 13 years of age or older. The suggested donation is $3, and the tour is handicap accessible.
Evacuation Plans – and Needed Meetings
The Safety Committee is planning a practice evacuation drill of the sanctuary level of our facility on October 20th. It will take place toward the end of the service of worship. This practice drill will not involve the Christian Education level. More details will be forthcoming in bulletin announcements.
In conjunction with the practice drill evacuation, a meeting will be held at church on Tuesday, October 1st, for all ushers and usher captains and for members of the Hospitality Committee. Meeting time is 7pm.
Consistory Notes
Following a long summer hiatus, the Consistory of Leidy’s Church reconvened on the 4th of September with all members present. Below are some of the items they addressed.
- Acts 1:1-8 was the text Elder Ken Merritt used to reflect on waiting and watching. Just as reserve quarterbacks in the NFL must wait and watch for their time to play [think Nick Foles!], so the Bible has numerous examples of the same: Elisha and Elijah; Jesus and John the Baptist; and the disciples for the Holy Spirit. Ken shared some personal examples from his own live, as he encouraged the men to be ready for the Lord’s call to action, trusting in His timing.
- A review of some notable events during the summer included paying off the church mortgage (Thank You, Lord!), the summer mission trips to the North and to the South, and the fruit of summer VBS among other things.
- Though the mortgage is paid off and the Township has released our property to us, there are some issues that still need to be resolved. 1) Billing for the final repairs to the retention basins and associated extra surveying work. 2) Wicking issues in the lower two floors. 3) Leakage issues with the steeple. Each issue is being addressed with the parties involved.
- Stan Ott was authorized to prepare and circulate the lease renewal for the ministries occupying the HUB. The current lease expires on Sept. 30th.
- Judgement House [yes, the ministry’s copyrighted spelling has an “e” between the “g” and the “m”) is in preparation mode. Roles have been assigned, sets are under construction, and more volunteers are being sought. Publicity onslaught to the wider community to begin soon.
- The All-Church Picnic is slated for September this year, a new thing. It will be held on our grounds, with a significant-sized barbeque pit near the barn being utilized. A full slate of activities is planned.
- The Safety Committee wants to practice an evacuation drill with the congregation. Much discussion revolved around the proposed plan. A variety of options came up for discussion. A number of concerns were raised as well. Nothing was resolved, but a soon-to-be-held meeting of the Safety Committee may set the course of direction.
- Everyone who attended Iron Pigs baseball game enjoyed it – even the lady who took a foul ball on the head. One suggestion that came forward, however, was that next year the tickets obtained should be on the third base side of the stadium rather than the first base side and thus avoid undue exposure to the blazing and then setting sun.
- Received a report that our Zero-Turn mower needs about $1,000 worth of repairs. After discussion, it was decided that now is a good time to buy a new Zero-Turn since it’s the end of the season and the prices are right. Dave Doran was authorized to make such a purchase.
- A series of notes of thanksgiving received from various ministries we support were read and much appreciated.
Following a time of directed intercessory prayer, the meeting was adjourned at 9:50 by the unison praying of the Lord’s Prayer.
The Second Helvetic Confession
This Confession, written initially as a private devotional document by Henry Bullinger on what he thought was his death bed, tackles the difficult questions as well as the easy and obvious questions. We’re right in the middle of a particularly difficult section: how Jesus can be truly God and truly man. We’ll continue where we left off in September.
Chapter 11. Of Jesus Christ, the True God and Man, the Only Savior of the World
6) Two Natures in Christ. We therefore acknowledge two natures or substances, the divine and the human, in one and the same Jesus Christ our Lord. And we say that these are bound and united with one another in such a way that they are not absorbed, or confused, or mixed, but are united or joined together in one person – the properties of the natures being unimpaired and permanent.
Not Two but One Christ. Thus we worship not two but one Christ the Lord. We repeat: one true god and man. With respect to his divine nature he is consubstantial with the Father, and with respect to the human nature he is consubstantial with us men, and like us in all things, sin excepted.
7) The Sects. And indeed we detest the dogma of the Nestorians, who make two of the one Christ and dissolve the unity of the person. Likewise we thoroughly execrate the madness of Eutyches and the Monothelites or Monophysites, who destroy the property of the human nature.
8) The Divine Nature of Christ is Not Passible, and the Human Nature Is Not Everywhere. Therefore, we do not in any way teach that the divine nature in Christ has suffered or that Christ according to his human nature is still in the world and thus everywhere. For neither do we think or teach that the body of Christ ceased to be a true body after his glorification, or was deified, and deified in such a way that it laid aside its properties as regards body and soul, and changed entirely into a divine nature and began to be merely one substance.
9) The Sects. Hence we by no means approve or accept the strained, confused, and obscure subtleties of Schwenkfeld and of similar sophists with their self-contradictory arguments; neither are we Schwenckfeldians.
10) Our Lord Truly Suffered. We believe, moreover, that our Lord Jesus Christ truly suffered and died for us in the flesh, as Peter says. We abhor the most impious madness of the Jacobites and all the Turks, who execrate the sufferings of the Lord. At the same time we do not deny that the Lord of glory was crucified for us, according to Paul’s words.
Interchange of Properties. We piously and reverently accept and use the interchange of properties, which is derived from Scripture and which has been used by all antiquity in explaining and reconciling apparently contradictory passages.
11) Christ is Truly Risen from the Dead. We believe and teach that the same Jesus Christ our Lord, in his true flesh in which he was crucified and died, rose again from the dead, and that not another flesh was raised other than the one buried, or that a spirit was taken up instead of the flesh, but that he retained his true body. Therefore, while his disciples thought they saw the spirit of the Lord, he showed them his hands and feet, which were marked by the prints of the nails and wounds, and added: “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have.
Within the Fellowship
Our sincere Christian sympathy to Velva Stevenson and family at the death of her husband Ken. May God be with them at this time.
Congratulations to Brett and Jennifer Keeble at the birth of a son, Nicholas John. May God be with them as they grow in Him.
Looking Ahead
The Leidy’s Church Lunch Bunch Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, November 12th at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The luncheon is open to everyone 65 +. Friends are invited also. Look for a poster and a sign-up sheet soon. An RSVP is needed by November 3rd.
A free-will offering will be taken, and after expenses are taken care of the remainder will be given to the Keystone Opportunity Food Bank. Nelda Metzler will be the piano player for our hymn sing. Come out and enjoy some fellowship with us!