LBC's Third Walking Prayer

A small group of members and friends of Lansdowne Baptist Church returned to the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge in Tinicum, PA, on Sunday, September 17, 2017, to practice the spiritual discipline of the walking prayer. We turned all our attention, all our senses, to the natural world--God's creation. In doing so, we walk in the company of God and are refreshed.

For me, the patterns among the trees first draw me in ...

Bridge spanning the wetlands.

For me, the patterns found in the trees are what draw me in to the natural world around me, opening my senses and calming my mind. The view from the bridge out in the wetlands is a valuable lesson in what happens when we really stop and pay attention to the world around us. At first, we see only the most obvious things: trees, water plants, water, and clouds. That's about it. But, as the mind stills, attention is first drawn to the larger water birds like the snowy egrets and great egrets. Then the smaller water birds, like ducks, are noticed among the water lilies. In time, the fish and the dragon flies and the bees capture our attention. Then we find ourselves standing beside God and taking it all in. For those who have the temperament for it, the walking prayer can be deeply moving.

Amazing what we see when we stop and look. Many egrets out on the water that day.

Consider yourself invited to join us next time ... and there will always be a next time.

Siblings

Sermon based on Genesis 37:1-4, 18-38, showing us the dysfunctional, grudge poisoned, hateful relationship between Joseph and his brothers. We explore how to equip ourselves against dysfunction and hate in our own day and age, like the hate so prominently on display at the race riot and terrorism in Charlottesville, Virginia, August 11-12, 2017. Being so equipped, we must work all our lives against letting hatred consume us.

If you doubt your small efforts or talents can be any use in fighting against human hatred, intolerance, racism, etc., take a look at the following sermon and rethink: https://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2017/08/against-all-expectations.html

For specific reactions from our denomination to the race riot and terrorism in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017, which I heartily agree with and endorse, see the following posts: https://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2017/08/american-baptist-home-mission-societies.html and https://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2017/08/abcusa-general-secretary-speaks-to.html

LBC Participating in National Night Out 2017

Lansdowne Baptist Church will be represented again at the Lansdowne, PA, National Night Out on Tuesday evening, August 1, 2017. Come and meet us, get to know who we are, and let us get to know you too. For any congregants interested in participating, the pastor and his wife will be setting up at 5 p.m. in the Highland Avenue parking lot. If you want to join us representing the church, please bring a chair and water. We will have a portable shelter as we have in the past. We'll bring information, invitations, some coloring pages to give away, and a good, old fashioned American Baptist Christian welcome! This year, the police department will be providing a "Critter Connection," allowing the community to meet Officer McGowan and his K-9 partner Chapek. There will be a K-9 demonstration at 7 p.m. As always there will be a community cookout and The Taste of Lansdowne. It is a good time and a great opportunity to meeting more of our community and share our joy in Jesus.

Whenever we gather together as a congregation as ambassadors for Jesus,
we have a good time.

LBC Marched Again on July 4, 2017

Some of us assembled

Parade assembles ...

We had a wonderful morning at the parade in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, on July 4th. We gathered at the church parking lot at 8 a.m., gathered at our starting point at 8:30 a.m., and were on the move at 9:00 a.m. We paraded with a bunch of our neighbors and for many more neighbors. Members of our church handed out nearly 200 invitations to come and worship with us. We blew giant bubbles again this years (always a crowd pleaser). We met a great many of the members of our community, had more congregants march than in previous years, and had a wonderful day. God blessed us in many ways.

On the move ...

Our veterans represented

Classic bus for veterans to parade in

Yep, still making the giant bubbles while we march!

To see photos from previous parades LBC has been involved in, see: https://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2017/06/lbc-pastor-congregants-marching-in-2017.html

LBC Beginning Conversations on Diversity

Beginning Thursday evening, May 25, 2017, Lansdowne Baptist Church will be holding a series of conversations exploring diversity in our church and our community to see how better we may bridge the gaps that divide us and our community. All in our church and community are invited to join us. Tonight we will be exploring answering God's call. Consider yourselves called.

For a recent event in Philadelphia that explored this issue courageously, see: https://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2017/05/courageous-conversations-in.html

Scripture Reading for Sunday, May 21, 2017

Today's Scripture reading is Acts 17:22-31. In the sermon we will explore what we can learn about communicating with others from Paul's short sermon to the philosophers of Athens. There's a lot of ground to cover there, especially in a divisive age.

Acts 17:22-31: Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. ²³For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, ²⁵nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. ²⁶From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, ²⁷so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ²⁹Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. ³⁰While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” 

Intrigued? Join us at 11 this morning to discover the secrets in plain sight here. 

Continuing to Invite the Lansdowne Community

Neighborhood Watch cat
kept watch on me.

Thursday, May 4, 2017, was such a beautiful day, I spent some time out in the community, delivering invitations to worship with us Sunday morning to roughly one hundred homes and apartments. If I haven't gotten to your neighborhood yet, I'll get there. Everyone who does not already have a church home is more than welcome to join us for Sunday worship. 

Lansdowne Baptist Church is part of the American Baptist denomination, which is currently one of the most diverse denominations in the United States. 

This Sunday, May 7, 2017, we have a special guest minister: 

On Sunday, May 7, 2017, Reverend Doctor Harold Dean “Doc” Trulear will provide the sermon for the 11 a.m. service at LBC. He is an American Baptist minister who is the Director at the Healing Communities Prison Ministry and Reentry Initiative. Rev. Dr. Trulear will introduce us to how communities of faith may become Stations of Hope, assist families of individuals affected by the criminal justice system, and the individuals themselves. Please come and invite anyone you know whose family has a member incarcerated or returning from incarceration.

Rev. Dr. Trulear explains how faith communities may be trained to provide family support and reintegration and how faith communities may walk with the returning citizens (connect returning citizens to resources that will help set attainable goals), helping them connect with their faith (provide spiritual support), open their hearts to these returning citizens (foster positive relationships), embrace them (extend open and affirming fellowship), provide understanding (collaboration with family and friends to rebuild relationships), and advocate for political change on a local, state, and federal level.

Please join us for this special guest speaker and invite anyone you know whose family has been affected and could benefit from the information provided.

For more on Healing Communities, see: http://www.healingcommunitiesusa.com/

Stewardship Challenges

Sermon based on 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 and Malachi 3:10, dealing with stewardship in its broadest sense. Dealing with issues of justice in our community through our faithful stewardship of our God-given talents and gifts. The broad reach of stewardship performed faithfully might surprise you.

Thrive Where We Are

Sermon, based on Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, delivered on October 9, 2016. This scripture reading and sermon have much to say about making the new communities where we find ourselves home and helping newcomers to feel welcome in their new homes.

Introducing a New Constitution in 2016

The Constitution and Bylaws committee has completed their multi-year project, working faithfully to present the congregation with a proposed new Constitution and Bylaws. The changes in structure of leadership presented will allow for greater participation, the encouragement of many small group missions, and will far better reflect the congregation as we are today.

The findings and proposed changes will be presented on Thursday night, September 29, 2016, with dinner at 6 p.m. and presentation at 7 p.m. Members and friends of Lansdowne Baptist are encouraged to attend.

This is an exciting time for our church. Let's all enjoy it together. 

Walking Prayer Saturday, August 20, 2016, You're Invited

On Saturday, August 20, 2016, members and friends of Lansdowne Baptist Church are invited to join the pastor and his wife in experiencing a walking prayer at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is located at Tinicum, 8601 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

We will meet the pastor at the main entrance to the Refuge, at 86th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard in Southwest Philadelphia provides access to the Visitor Center, foot trails, fishing, and wildlife observation platform, at 10:00 a.m., weather permitting.

There are three parking lots at that entrance. Some may choose to carpool together from the church. The walk will last for one hour.

The walking prayer is a discipline designed to get participants in touch with God through the natural world. As Job 12:7-10 tells us: “But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being." It is a way to reconnect with God, feed our spirits, let the troubles of the day drop away, and soften our hearts as we take time to revel in God's handiwork. This location is perfect for the purpose as being still rewards the observer with an increasingly large array of wildlife as one watches.

The paths through the park are mostly level. Some are paved and others dirt, but none are truly difficult for hiking. There are plenty of places to sit along the way and observe the world around us.

Join us and encounter God in the natural world.

To see how the walking prayer went, see the follow up post at: https://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2016/09/walking-prayer-held-at-john-heinz.html

Pastor Walking Neighborhoods with Invitations

The green shows where invitations have been delivered so far

In an effort to get to know the neighborhoods around Lansdowne Baptist Church better, and provide personal invitations to come worship with us, our pastor has taken to the streets. He is walking the neighborhoods when time and weather permits, leaving personal invitations on doorknobs everywhere he goes. Of course, he never leaves an invitation at a house where a "No Solicitation" sign is present as irritating folks is not his intent.

So far over 640 personal invites have been delivered with more on the way. An additional 80 were handed out along the parade route during the 4th of July parade. He intends to keep this up, wearing down shoe leather in order to extend the invitation to come worship God with us, meet Jesus Christ, and be transformed by God's Holy Spirit. At this point, Lansdowne Baptist has been having an increase in visitors and our pastor is being discussed by folks around town. As a confirmed extrovert, he is also having a wonderful time meeting great people everywhere he goes.

Inside Out Map to Artwork

Lansdowne Baptist Church is one of twelve locations featuring art from the Philadelphia Museum of Art from April to July of 2016. On the post supporting our beautiful reproduction of The Annunciation is a holder with a map to all the rest of the locations where you can find other compelling works of art. Get yourself a map and find them all.

Once you've done that, stop by Sunday morning and admire the artwork of our beautiful stained glass windows. Stay to worship with us and discover the joy that comes from knowing Christ better.

For more on the artwork on our property, see: http://lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2016/04/lbcs-inside-out-artwork-revealed.html

They Follow Me

Sermon based on John 10:22-30, in which religious leaders in Jerusalem demand Jesus end their uncertainty and tell them once and for all if he is the Messiah. That demand and Jesus' response have ramifications for us today.

Wisdom Concerning Arguing

The book of Proverbs in the Bible is the accumulated wisdom of the elders and experiences of life over generations that is gathered together to make the lives of those who read and abide by them easier. Such is the case when the topic is argument, which is so common in our society today. 

I'm sure we've all gotten into heated debates with an individual (or two or a dozen), knowing full well we had little to no chance of changing minds during the debate. Everybody in that sorry situation is left extremely frustrated at the whole pointless exercise. 

Before entering into another argumentative exercise in futility, remember the words of wisdom from Proverbs 20:3:

"It is honorable to refrain from strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel." 

If we're wise, that single verse will save us many hours and much aggravation.

Have a blessed day ... and drop by on Sunday for an hour's worship and more inspiration. We'll keep a pew open for you.

LBC's Inside Out Artwork Revealed

Lansdowne Baptist Church is pleased to reveal the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Inside Out artwork on our lawn. It is The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner, painted in 1898. In this compelling painting Mary discovers from the angel Gabriel that she has been chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. Come on by and see this beautiful work personally.

This image faces Lansdowne Avenue. Lansdowne Baptist is at the corner of Lansdowne Avenue and East LaCrosse Avenue. Everyone is also invited to come worship with us on Sunday and see the artwork found in our sanctuary ... and to enjoy our welcoming people, some of God's living works of art.

For more information, please see: lansdownebaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2016/04/participating-in-inside-out-program.html

Join Us For Easter Sunday

Lansdowne Baptist Church will be celebrating Jesus' triumph over death and the very worst humanity could throw at him. He triumphed for all of us, past, present, and future. If you do not have a church home and will be in the area, we encourage you to join us in our celebration. Favorite hymns will be sung, Scripture will be read, and a rousing sermon will be given. You will be met by a warm and welcoming congregation.

Be careful though, the joy of Easter is highly contagious.

See you Sunday.

~Rev. Jeff Snyder

Join Us for Palm Sunday

You are invited to join us here at Lansdowne Baptist Church this Palm Sunday, March 20th, to celebrate Jesus' triumphal arrival in Jerusalem at 11:00 am. We hope to see you here ... snow or no snow! All are welcome!

Here's a prayer for a little Palm Sunday uplift (you might want to say this one out loud ... or in a group out loud ... come on, it's fun): 

Sovereign God, brighten our spirits and open our mouths so that we may sing your praises throughout this day of joy. All who know of your healing power shout, Hosanna! All who know of your passion for justice shout, Hosanna! All who know of your patient mercy shout, Hosanna! All who know of your wondrous love shout, Hosanna! Let everything that breathes shout, Hosanna! Let even the stones shout, Hosanna! Blessed be the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Amen! 

I Will Be With You

Sermon based on Isaiah 43:1-7, in which the prophet assures the people
of Israel that, despite their exile among the fearsome Babylonians, God
remains with them and will lead them forward. The same applies to the
church today. God is calling us forward into new fields of ministry. To
survive, we must move forward, following God's call, assured that God
loves us and goes with us.

Old Fashioned Invitations

Over the past few months, the pastor has been experimenting with an old-fashioned form of invitation. He has been leaving small fliers on people's door knobs, inviting them to attend our church service. Pastor Snyder takes one street at a time (or part of it) with about 40 flies printed on a thin but sturdy card stock (3 to an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet), punches a hole in each near the upper left corner and affixes a rubber band there to hand the flier from door knobs (one does not leave such invitations in mail boxes as the US Postal Service is not in favor of that). He also does not leave these fliers at any home where "No Soliciting" signs are present. We at LBC respect the feelings of others. While we want to invite as many people as possible to worship with us each Sunday and experience the love of God we feel when we worship together, we don't want to intrude where we are decidedly unwelcome.

For our Christmas Candlelight Service, one side of the flier was dedicated to that service, while the other contained the general invitation. While far from conclusive as yet, our pastor says he likes the process and enjoys getting to know our neighborhoods and neighbors around the church better. Over 300 fliers have been handed out in our immediate vicinity, with many more to come.

If you live anywhere near Lansdowne Baptist Church, have yet to receive an invitation, but are reading this post, consider yourself invited to join us any Sunday morning.