We are finally starting to enter autumn. There have been whispers of it for a while: nights have been getting cooler, the slow change of leaf color, the shift of every food and beverage company to apple- or pumpkin-flavored everything. And if you live in the Northeast as we do, the seasons are just another fact of life. While there are some crazy people who enjoy winter, most of us are excited to see the new life spring up every late March/early April, especially as it heralds the warm days and nights of summer.
Stop for a moment and read Ecclesiastes 3. King Solomon writes that there’s “a season and a time for every matter under heaven,” and then he lists off several things to which God has ordained a specific time. (If you’re familiar with the 1959 song by Pete Seeger called “Turn, Turn, Turn,” later popularized by the Byrds in 1965, this should be a familiar set of verses.) There’s a time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, a time to reap. A time to laugh, a time to weep. And so on. I feel like a lot of people don’t like the book of Ecclesiastes because in it, Solomon ponders the meaning of life and often he concludes about the apparent meaningless futility of everything. But I think that’s a misread; there’s a richness there that we need to dive into further.
Let’s look at verse 11: “He [God] has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” Three points to note: The reality of the vicissitudes of life a fascinating contrast, is it not? To borrow a phrase from the Oxford mathematician John Lennox, we find a mixed picture of “beauty and barbed wire” in our world. There are seasons not just outside involving the weather, but there’s a beauty in the other seasons of life that we face. There is a link between the pain we experience in the cycles of loss, but the joy when the cycle comes back around to the gain. We can recognize that God created a time for these, and we can appreciate the symmetry to God’s design.
It’s an acknowledgement that each of us understands the passing of time (eternity). Ever lie awake wondering about what’s going to happen in the future, or reflecting on that embarrassing thing that happened many years ago? Why do we do that to ourselves? Say what you will, but it’s one of many things that separates us from the animals. We all understand that for many years before us, humanity has existed and God-willing, it will continue to do so even when we’re gone.
It’s also a reminder that while we are created in the image of God, we are not God Himself. God has given us tremendous faculties of reason and understanding. Perception of time isn’t the only thing that God has written on our hearts; we know that God has hard-wired us with a sense of morality (Romans 2:14-16). God has given us these capacities so we can better understand the universe in which we live, as He created us in His image. But like a reflection in the mirror is not the thing itself, we aren’t God. We can’t and probably will never know all the works that God has done from the beginning even to the end, but someday we can hopefully ask and find out.
The conclusion of the entire book of Ecclesiastes can be found in chapter 12, right at the end: Fear God and keep His commands. While there is an element of fear that we should have before the holy God that created the universe, the word can also be interchanged with deep reverence and respect, and even an element of love. By keeping God’s commands, we demonstrate the fear and love for the Lord. And God does bless us for this; after all, God works all things together for good for those that love Him (Romans 8:28). As we enter this fall and winter season, remember that the works of God may not be something that we can fully understand. But as we see both the good and the bad, remember that there is a plan and design behind it, and that we should trust that He knows what’s best.
Tim Leidy
On Thanksgiving Eve Leidy’s Church will be hosting a service of worship, where we can collectively give thanks to God for the many blessings in our lives. We all have a variety of reasons to give thanks as we reflect on the life God has given to us and all the provisions of life we enjoy, such as our families, our jobs, and our health and freedom to be sure. But the greatest thing God has blessed us with is salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ and the gift of eternal life in Him.
You are invited to come and join us at this special service that will focus on honoring and giving thanks to our God! The worship service will begin at 7:00 PM with elements of Scripture readings, prayer, testimonies, and of course corporate singing as we lift our hearts to God with thanksgiving and joyous praise.
So, on this solemn occasion whereby we as a nation celebrate Thanksgiving Day, may we as the people of God come together with gratefulness in our hearts to worship the Lord God, the Giver of every good and perfect gift.
Please join us for our monthly LOL meeting on Tuesday, November 5th at 7pm in Room 123. Come see the Advent Workshop samples and sign up to assist or lead your favorite. We will also be nailing down plans for our annual Christmas Craft & Gift Sale. Join us to see how you can be plugged into all the fun and these worthwhile ministries. Questions? Fee free to contact Alice Kraus.
A fellowship ministry for widows to connect and be encouraged. We meet in one another’s homes on the third Tuesday evening of the month at 6:30 pm. If you would like to join us, please contact Donna at weissdonna42@gmail.com or Verna at gvbowman@comcast.net.
GRATEFUL ~ a new Women’s Sunday School class has begun and will go through the month of November. We’ll be focusing on the biblical basis of living with a grateful heart so that we are motivated to thank God in all things, regardless of life circumstances.
Immediately following this study we will begin Advent - The Weary World Rejoices on November 24 through December 22. Join us as we encourage one another in the celebration of Advent and the worship of our Savior, the fulfillment of the promise.
All ladies are invited to come each week or to just drop in - we meet downstairs in room Rm. 118 at 8:45 am.
Come out and join us on Saturday, November 2nd beginning at 8:00AM, for an all Church Workday to clear out the parsonage and barn grounds, including cutting down trees and grinding stumps. If we get lots of help, we'll also be working on the church grounds. Bring any landscape/gardening tools (such as rakes, wheelbarrows, chainsaws, shovels and gloves, etc.) that you may need.
Please signup on church center, or contact Brian Radcliff for any questions. 215-740-4714
Zion Choral Society will be presenting one of their musical concerts in our sanctuary. The date is Sunday, November 17th. Starting time is 3pm, but you may want to get here a good bit earlier to get a seat. In fact, prelude music featuring organ and piano will begin at 2:30.
Zion Choral Society is a choir made up of men and women, young and old, from a variety of denominations, but all of whom delight in singing praises to God. Their concerts are intended to be worship experiences and will include some congregational singing.
There is no charge to attend the concert, but a free will offering will be taken. Invite someone to come with you and come to delight in the greatness of God and the salvation He’s provided through the Lord Jesus.
The Spring Musical “The Bumble BEEatitudes” will be here before we know it so it’s time for the Kick Off Party!
We’re looking for kindergarteners on up to help make this year’s musical a success! In addition to sweet kids singing in the choir, we need some older kids to be skateboarders and a group of teenage girls…(Gen Z speak is a plus!) No singing or performance experience necessary, just a willing “BEEattitude”.
The Bumble BEEatitudes is full of truth, teaching us the importance of receiving and showing mercy, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, and loving our enemies. Your kids will learn what it means to be poor in spirit and the importance of walking with God through difficult situations in life.
We’ll have games, snacks, and watch the performance at The Kick Off Party on Saturday, December 14th at 10am in room 123. Please invite friends, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to join us in this year’s Sonshine Players Spring Musical coming April 5th and 6th. It's an amazing way to share the gospel with hundreds of people!
David Freed, Drew Weiss, Tom Kraus, Karl Ernst, Usher Coordinator, Tony Wilwert.
On Sunday, December 1st, all members and friends of Leidy's Church are invited to our annual Advent Workshop, which is sponsored by the Ladies of Leidy's group. This event is all-inclusive, meaning that all ages are encouraged to participate in assembling different holiday crafts, while enjoying the fellowship around the craft tables. A display table of 'sample' crafts will be set up in the narthex near the main entrance of the Fellowship Hall, where people can choose a craft, and then sign-up on the sheets conveniently placed alongside each of the craft items. We do ask that parents assist their young child(ren) in selecting the craft.
Even if you think you are not crafty, do not let that stop you from joining in this fun-filled family-oriented holiday event. In addition to the craft-making there will be food provided for all in attendance. A delicious selection of pizza, beverages, and homemade desserts will be available for everyone to enjoy. So, if you do not want to do a craft, you are welcome to come for the meal and the fellowship time. Who knows, you might event get a chance to help one of the children with their craft as well!
On Saturday, November 23, Fellowship Hall will be transformed into an early winter wonderland (sans snow!), featuring exceptional treasures, many local handcrafted items suitable for your family and friends Christmas gift giving... AND delicious breakfast and lunch items created by none other than Wendy Radcliff (SHHHH! her bacon jam, the secret ingredient to her breakfast sandwiches, is also available for purchase, however is in very limited supply)! A great way to start your Christmas shopping with gifts created with care...Absolutely a fun and worthwhile event, so be sure to mark the date on your calendars!
Happy shopping!
Keeping track of time is important! Remember, that on November 3rd, Daylight Savings time ends and our clocks will fall back one hour. Enjoy the extra snooze time!
Present: Brian Shoemaker, Jim Foote, Kendall Musselman, Shaun Permar, Tony Kapusta, Pastor Darren DePaul, Brian Radcliff, Jerry Kulp, Ken Merritt, Bob Ott, and Francis Weiss. Absent: Josh Heebner
Devotions: Ken Merritt led a devotion based on Luke 11:33-37. He shared that we are to show light to the world and to our communities by opening and sharing the scriptures, not hiding them from those who have not heard them. He emphasized that Leidy’s Church needs to be a lighthouse in the community as we share the gospel to those in the Souderton and other local areas.
Financial Report: General Fund giving totaled $66,498, while budgeted expenses totaled $73,154 resulting in a Total Fund Balance of $143,153. Note, there are $9,000 in credit card expenses that still needs to be categorized and booked and therefore isn’t reflected in the report (Mary Beth was away). The average weekly giving was $14,749 a week, which is above our "budgeted" weekly income of $14,261. Renovation Fund contributions were $4,844 with disbursements of $7,448, resulting in an ending balance of $145,972.
Teams Reports: The AV & Tech Management Team set new passwords & reprogramed the fobs for the exterior doors of the church. The Building Automation system has been inspected and is in proper working order. The team plans to train more people on how to operate it and will explore the possibility of controlling it remotely via an APP. The Christian Ed Team reported that Sunday School classes (all ages groups, including adults) and Kid’s Quest are both fully staffed and running smoothly. The implementation of the new sign-in system is considered complete (thanks to the CAST Team), although some aspects of it are still being refined. The Community Outreach Team shared that the Beanbag Food Drive has been extended and they are currently working on the logistics of participating in the Souderton Christmas Parade. The Food & Fellowship Team will be doing a “deep clean” of the kitchen, including grease traps. They have also been working on the Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner event and are working on a progressive dinner for younger families. The Missions Committee is currently working on their budget for 2025. The Property Team reported that mulching will continue through the fall. The new church signage is still progressing & the work at the parsonage (new windows, siding, tree/shrub removal) are in progress, but not complete yet. The barn has also been cleaned out. Once phase one of the work at the parsonage is complete, the congregation will be updated with a photo presentation. The Welcoming Team plans to meet soon & are working to staff the Welcome Desk again. The Praise & Worship Team will soon be planning Thanksgiving and Christmas Worship Services. The Care & Outreach Team is planning the Pastor Appreciation Luncheon, OASIS potluck on October 24th, & OASIS Christmas luncheon on December 12th.
Business Items: A Congregational Meeting, for the purpose of electing elders to serve on Spiritual Council and deacons to serve on Consistory, will occur after worship services on October 13th. Separate motions will be made to elect Jim Kinney, Jack Parry, & Byron Rimmer to serve as elders on Spiritual Council. Consistory has two vacant seats that need to be filled as Bob Ott’s term is over at the end of the year & Aaron Vogelzang resigned due to his family relocating for the year. To fulfill those seats, motions will be made to elect Dave Doran and Jim Kinney to serve on Consistory beginning in 2025. Note: Josh Heebner (deacon), Jerry Kulp (elder), and Brian Shoemaker (elder) have all agreed to serve their second terms. It was reported that the cost of replacing the carpet in the sanctuary at the HUB (approved at the last meeting) is between $13,000 and $16,000. If St. Peters opts to polish the concrete in the sanctuary instead, we will credit them this amount towards those costs. Other items at the HUB that will need to be addressed in the near future are the emergency lighting system, the deteriorating exterior deck/boardwalk, and repairing the handles on the urinals. A discussion was had regarding liability and the future of the building. The date for the Annual Congregational Meeting & Dinner will be Saturday, January 11th, and the alternate “rain” date is Saturday, January 18th. It was noted that at the November Consistory Meeting, officers for 2025 (president, vice president, and secretary) will be voted on. Men were asked to begin praying and thinking about who they think will serve best in those roles. The team that has been meeting with Auxano, the consultant we hired, has met twice, with a third meeting planned on October 23rd. The meetings have been encouraging & progress is being made. The carpet installation company that we have been in contact with regarding installing carpet in the youth room has not been returning our calls in a timely fashion. If progress isn’t made, another company will be hired.
Ken Merritt led a time of intercessory prayer for spoken concerns. The meeting adjourned with a unison praying of the Lord’s Prayer.
Question 46: What is the Lord’s Supper?
Christ commanded all Christians to eat bread and to drink from the cup in thankful remembrance of him and his death. The Lord’s Supper is a celebration of the presence of God in our midst; bringing us into communion with God and with one another; feeding and nourishing our souls. It also anticipates the day when we will eat and drink with Christ in his Father’s kingdom.
1 Corinthians 11:23–26: For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Commentary - Richard Baxter
O what unspeakable mysteries and treasures of mercy are here presented to us in a sacrament! Here we have communion with a reconciled God, and are brought into his presence by the great Reconciler. Here we have communion with our blessed Redeemer, as crucified and glorified, and offered to us, as our quickening, preserving, strengthening Head. Here we have communion with the Holy Ghost, applying to our souls the benefits of redemption, drawing us to the Son, and communicating light, and life, and strength from him unto us; increasing and actuating his graces in us. Here we have communion with the body of Christ, his sanctified people, the heirs of life. When the minister of Christ by his commission representeth a crucified Christ to our eyes, by the bread and wine appointed to this use, we see Christ crucified as it were before us, and our faith layeth hold on him, and we perceive the truth of the remedy; and build our souls upon this rock. When the same minister by Christ’s commission, doth offer us his body, and blood, and benefits, it is as firm and valid to us, as if the mouth of Christ himself had offered them. And when our souls receive him, by that faith which the Holy Ghost exciteth in us, the participation is as true as that of our bodies receiving the bread and wine which represent him.
Ligon Duncan
The Lord’s Supper is a covenant sign and seal. That means that it both represents and confirms to us the precious promise of God that, through Jesus Christ, he will be our God, and we are his people. In the Lord’s Supper we have a remembrance, a celebration of God’s presence, and an experience of communion. We also have something that nourishes us, and in the Lord’s Supper, we anticipate the glory to come.
First, we have a remembrance in the Lord’s Supper. In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus told his disciples that they were going to proclaim his death until he comes. The bread and the wine, the body and the blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, is a representation of a covenant sacrifice. The two constituent parts indicate that Jesus’s death was a deliberate act on his part. He gave himself as a sacrifice in our place for the forgiveness of our sins. And so every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we are to remember the meaning and significance of the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf. We are to remember him. “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). We celebrate the glorious work of atonement that Jesus Christ accomplished for us.
Second, the Lord’s Supper is also a celebration of God’s presence. Isn’t it amazing that we’re invited to slide our knees up under the table of God? That is especially amazing in light of our rebellion. In Genesis 3, Satan said to Eve and to Adam, “Take and eat this fruit.” They ate the fruit against God’s command, and what was the result? Did it result in their satisfaction and fulfillment? No. It resulted in their being driven away from the presence of God. But at the Lord’s Table the Lord himself invites us back into his presence. When Jesus says to his disciples, “Take and eat,” he reverses the words of the Serpent in the garden. Derek Kidner has this wonderful line: “God will taste poverty and death before ‘take and eat’ become verbs of salvation.” We experience that every time we come to the Lord’s Table, every time we hear the minister say, “Take and eat, all of you.” It’s a celebration of our reunion with God, his presence with us, and our enjoyment of his near fellowship.
Third, the Lord’s Supper is a communion. It’s a communion with God and with his people. We not only commune with the living God by grace, we not only commune with the living God by what Jesus has done for us on the cross, but we commune with one another. When we’re united to the Lord Jesus Christ, we’re united to everyone who is united to the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s why Paul says to the Corinthians, “You must discern the body” (1 Cor. 11:29). He’s not telling them that they need to understand some mystical thing about the elements in the Lord’s Supper. What’s the body that he’s talking about? The body of Christ, the church, the fellowship of believers.
Finally, the Lord’s Supper is spiritual nourishment. It’s a means Spirit, Restoration, Growing in Grace of grace. It’s one of God’s appointed ways by which he builds us up and nourishes us, confirms our faith, and strengthens us for growth. And the Lord’s Supper is an anticipation of the glory to come. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet on the night that he was betrayed, and he served them the elements of the Lord’s Supper. Interestingly, when Jesus speaks of the marriage supper of the Lamb in consummation (Luke 12:37), in glory, when the great end has come and all have acknowledged him to be King, he says that on that day he will bid us all to recline, just like the disciples reclined on the night of the Lord’s Supper, and he will gird himself and serve us. Yes, in the Lord’s Supper, we anticipate the marriage supper of the Lamb, where we will sit down with one another in glory, and our Savior will serve us again everything that we need. What a joy it is to come to the Lord’s Table.
3 Darren DePaul, Jaedyn Rittenhouse
4 Allison Walbrandt
6 Levi Kulp, Farrah McClaskey, Wanda Ritter
7 Vicki Freed
8 Lenora Leidy
9 Lorraine Kroesser, Drew Weiss
10 Dave Kirkpatrick, Ken Merritt, Diane Miller
11 Karen Focht, Nathan Kulp
15 Donna Moyer
19 Elli DePaul
22 Sam Shafer
23 Beth Guntz, BJ Kulp
25 Ethel Greenawalt
26 Janice Peterman
27 Dorothy Kehs, Martha Wolgemuth
30 Bill Teate
3 John & Mary Leidy
7 Doug & Sue Lindner
8 Frank & Margaret Bivighouse
9 Bob & Jacqui Shafer
13 Justin & Emma Coale,
Steve & Iryna Yagilnicky
14 Nick & Cassy Olsyzk
19 Herb & Martha Wolgemuth
20 Ed & Cheryl Hall
