New Members Classes Offered: November 2015

A series of four new membership classes will be offered to all who have become members of Lansdowne Baptist Church within the last year to year and all those who are considering joining. The classes will be taught by the pastor. Each class will be an hour long. These classes will be offered in the month of November. Classes will cover the basics of the Baptist faith and provide both history and current structure of Lansdowne Baptist Church operations. Class time is set for the Sunday school hour, from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and will be held in Westphall Hall. 

What Must I Do

Sermon based on Mark 10:17-31, in which the "rich young ruler" as he has so often been called asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus' response is a call to us all to a new way of living in the here and now. Jesus also messes with the social order, as you will see.

Meditation on Joy

I recently ran across an article stating that the Yale Center for Faith and Culture has been studying joy since 2014. This gave me joy. It is one of my favorite topics related to my faith. The scholars say that knowledge of God’s Word produces joy, and I believe it. All through seminary, I discovered that the more I learned about my faith and the more deeply I explored the spiritual disciplines, the greater my joy grew. Did you know that joy is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible? Yet it so rarely comes up in modern discussions. As Nehemiah wrote (8:10): “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy comes from life with God. We do not seek it ourselves but are given joy as a gift by God, a gift of salvation. Joy fills us, makes the heart leap (Psalm 28:7) and fills the tongue with “songs of joy” (Psalm 126:2). Joy comes when we repent from wrongdoing and return home to God from guilty, wayward paths. In fact, turning away from wrongdoing, calling out for forgiveness from God, brings rejoicing in heaven, as Jesus tells us in Luke 15:10. Paul calls on all us Christians to “Rejoice in hope” (Romans 12:12). Good works done for humanity out of love of God and all God has done for us produces joy. Numerous Bible verses declare that the “deep power of joy” is that joy is more powerful, more constant, and more enduring than the adverse circumstances of life. So, live with joy. Stand out as a joyful presence in a society so often dour and afraid. Let your joy be a light to others, bringing them out of darkness and into the joyful presence of God.

~ Pastor Jeff Snyder

Experiencing the Pope's Weekend in Philadelphia

The Pope’s visit to Philadelphia was a joyous event that was long anticipated by everyone in the city. Part of what it meant for the many employees in the Food and Nutrition Department at Philadelphia Hospital was a long weekend away from home. We were requested to sleep over in the building from Thursday, September 24^th, until Monday, September 28^th. There were many concerns with the situation, including sleeping accommodations, showering, meals, work hours, laundry and the like. Weekly “Papal Visit” employee meetings took place regularly starting in August, and the closer we came to the event, the more at ease everyone seemed.

The Hospital did a great job organizing our workforce and taking care of those concerns. Clean linen, brand new air mattresses and pillows, and gift bags were among the items given out. Free meals, bingo and other games, movie nights, theater-screen-sized television with feeds for all the events, and even NFL football broadcasts, helped everyone adjust to the sacrifices made to ensure a smooth operation during the minor Center City shutdown that took place. I have to commend our “PA Hospital Papal Visit Committee” for their efforts. It was amazing to see the teamwork from all departments during the long weekend.

Between working ten hours a day, providing ‘round the clock meals for all of our “stay-over staff,” I actually had the opportunity to attend the Saturday’s Pope Ceremonial events, around the Ben Franklin Parkway area. There were so many people of different faiths in attendance, including Jews, Baptists, Muslims, and Buddhists, along with the Catholics, and that’s just naming a few, in attendance to experience this global event. I could hear people having conversations about the Pope, Catholicism, religious beliefs, gay marriage, and many other issues. Some very deep and important discussions were taking place, sometimes between complete strangers. There was a spirit of love, unity, and respect that seemed to be present in the air and once the Pope arrived, there was tremendous excitement in actually seeing him in person as he passed by the crowds lining the streets. For me, it was a highlight of my long weekend.

I finally got to go home on Monday afternoon. I was tired, and my feet were sore, but I felt good. I was very proud of my co-workers, and also proud of a few thousand random people on the Ben Franklin Parkway, that happened to share a once-in-a-lifetime experience with me.

~Will Thompson

Do Not Be Afraid

Learning from Moses in Exodus 14:10-18 how best to deal with our fears.