Walking Prayer to be Resumed This Fall, 2017

The pastor will be holding two walking prayers after the church service on Sundays September 17 and October 22 at 2 in the afternoon. This spiritual discipline will take place at the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge (roughly 15 minutes away from the church in Tinicum, Pennsylvania: John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, 8601 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19153, 215-365-3118 office). Anyone interested can meet in the church parking lot at 1:30 p.m. to car pool over to the refuge together. 

The walking prayer is an old spiritual discipline in which you slowly walk through the natural landscape and open all of your senses to creation. It is a way to move closer to God, walking with God and reveling in God's handiwork. This is one of my favorite disciplines. I have to warn you though. Practice the walking prayer a few times and you may find yourself much more observant of nature, of the play of light and form across the landscape, than you have ever been before. That is what has happened to me, and I am grateful to God for that. Join us.

We hope on our walk to catch various migratory birds in their travels through our area, which will be an added blessing to the walks. 

Alternate days will be chosen if the weather will not cooperate on the planned dates. The paths through the park are largely level and the main paths have a number of benches regularly located for those who need to pause and rest.

Lenten Devotions 2017 Available

The Reverend Dr. Richard Rusbuldt's Lenten Journey, a meditation for the walk from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday, is currently available. 

This is a meaningful approach to a personal devotion, small group discussion, or adult Sunday school study, readily available and written to be accessible to each reader. 

Let's journey together this Lenten season, walking to the cross and discovering, as Rev. Dr. Rusbuldt states, "God loves us--and God came!!!" 

See: http://www.abcopad.com/Downloadable_Forms/2017_Lenten_Devotions_by_Richard_Rusbuldt_sm.pdf

Saturday October 29, 2016, Walking Prayer

The congregation and friends of Lansdowne Baptist Church will be practicing the spiritual discipline once again at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, beginning at the main gate of the refuge at 10 a.m. Come walk with us, get close to nature and to God. The reserve is located at 8601 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19153, roughly 15 minutes from Lansdowne Baptist Church. We have picked the height of southeastern Pennsylvania's leaf season for our second walking prayer at the refuge.

See you at the main gate

Our previous walking prayer experience in the summer was quite moving. If a person is still, it is amazing how abundant and diverse is the life in God's creation. It starts with a few of the most obvious birds and plants observed. But, in stillness, you are rewarded as the natural world comes into view in ever greater detail. It is easy, when the time is taken and stillness is achieved, to feel yourself being drawn closer to nature and to nature's Creator.

Consider yourself invited.

For information on our previous walk, see: https://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2016/09/walking-prayer-held-at-john-heinz.html

To see images from this walk, see: https://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2016/12/walking-prayer-october-29-2016.html

A Blessing for Your Day

Go forth in peace, but not in complacency; be strong, but not arrogant; have conviction, but be understanding of the beliefs of others; be eager to love, but not meddlesome; be proud enough not to have contempt for yourselves, but sufficiently humble not to be jealous of your neighbors. Go forth in peace. 

From A Manual of Worship. John E. Skoglund & Nancy E. Hall

Lenten Devotions Available Online

The season of Lent is fast approaching once again. It all begins this year on February 18, Ash Wednesday. Lent is a season of self-examination, spiritual reflection, repentance, sacrifice, and focused prayer. Lent is a time to examine our hearts and lives, to acknowledge our sins, to look for the ways we are not choosing the gospel or welcoming those whom Jesus calls us to embrace. In the process, we turn away from the sins (all those behaviors, habits, etc. that draw us away from God's purposes) and self-centeredness and toward our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In this way, we prepare to meet Christ in his resurrected glory on Easter (April 5 this year). We pray for a change of heart toward greater love of God and neighbor, and all that accompanies that growing love.

To help us on our way, the Rev. Dr. Richard E. Rusbuldt has prepared a Lenten Devotions 2015 e-book with Scripture readings, reflections, and questions. These will help us on our journey of discovery and the deepening of our faith.

To obtain a free copy of this devotional guide for Lent, see: http://www.abcopad.com/Downloadable_Forms/2015_Lenten_Devotions_by_Dr_Richard_Rusbuldt_sm.pdf

Lenten Journey: A Daily Devotional Reader for Lent in 2014

Reverend Dr. Richard Rusbuldt has been writing a series of Lenten Journey devotions each year for many years. You may walk with Jesus this year right up to Easter with his series of thought provoking daily readings and questions, each day using a different Bible reading to continue us on our journey with Jesus to Jerusalem, the cross, and the glory of resurrection and our hope for new life. 

Reverend Rusbuldt states,

Some of our journey will find us listening to Jesus’ teachings to his followers as he prepares to die. And some of the journey will deal with preparations for his death. Stories from long ago as well as “today” will be shared to illustrate truths about Jesus, or experiences of his followers of all ages.

You probably won’t agree with everything that’s contained herein – and that’s quite alright. We’re friends of Jesus, traveling together! You may not like some of the suggestions or questions – if not, skip them! Perhaps you will miss a day or two here and there; that’s O.K., too. Each day’s journey stands pretty much by itself, and can be missed, or picked up at a later date. We will meet both good and evil people, consider wisdom from “above”, ponder the humanity and divinity of Jesus, shudder at the suffering and brutality he endured, confront the “why” questions again and again, pray daily, and even more. 

Rest assured that as we journey with Jesus, God will be with us every step of the way. Over-riding our whole journey will be one universal truth:

GOD LOVES US – AND GOD CAME!!!

You may download a free PDF copy of Rev. Rusbuldt's reader at: http://demo.abcopad.org/Publications/Lenten_Journal_by_Dr_Richard_Rusbuldt.aspx