St. John's Reformed Church

And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. – Luke 15:21-24

 

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a heartwarming parable of the mercy of God to a repentant sinner. One can almost hear the old hymn, Just As I Am playing in the background as the wayward son returns to his father.

 

It is worth noting that the son returns as a "work in progress." His primary motivation is he is hungry and destitute. Remembering how well his father's servants are treated, with food to spare, while he was starving in a pig sty, motivated him ask his father to hire him as a servant, recognizing he was no longer worthy to be called his son. 

 

His father is so overjoyed to see his son return that he doesn't allow his son to finish his prepared speech. He runs to embrace him, clothes him and throws a feast to celebrate his return. The son is accepted just as he is.

 

We celebrate the mercy of God that accepts me just as I am. However we must not assume that means I can remain just as I was. We must not confuse God's embrace with God's endorsement.

 

In the parable we see that the father immediately begins to transform his son. He has his servants replace his tattered pig-farmer clothes with a fine robe, puts a ring on his finger and puts shoes on his bare feet. The son's humiliating identity as a poor pig farmer is being removed and his dignity as a nobleman's son is being restored. We see here the father's acceptance, but also our transformation. 

 

We find it challenging to hold in tension these two ideas. Some see God's acceptance to mean there is no need to change. Since I'm forgiven, I now have a license to sin. Dietrich Bonhoeffer called this "cheap grace." At the other extreme are the self-appointed gatekeepers who determine who is sufficiently repentant, holy, sanctified or otherwise worthy to enter the church.

 

God's Word in Scripture is more thoughtful – and beautiful. As Skye Jethani writes, "We find a message that diagnoses our human condition correctly and offers a remedy that both affirms our value without minimizing our evil. There we see a loving Father who embraces us exactly as we are, and a holy Father who transforms us into exactly what He created us to be."

 

C. S. Lewis put it this way, "The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” God willing, I will address this issue more thoroughly in my message on August 4.

 

Growing with you in Christ,

Dave Meckley, Pastor

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4-Cs Women’s Retreat Sept. 27 & 28 at Sequanota

 

The Ladies Fellowship of the 4 C’s Allegheny Fellowship will hold its annu al fall retreat on Sept. 27 and 28, 2024, at Sequanota Conference Center, Boswell, Pa. (1 mile west of Jennerstown).

 

Barb Thomas, Kendra Bertoti and Myra Whysong-Krentz formed the ladies fellowship in 2007 and the first fall retreat was held that September. While the 4-C’s Ladies Fellowship facilitates the event, all women of all denominations, ages and stages of life are welcome to attend this heart- to heart ministry retreat.

 

Myra and Barb have chosen “Strong in the Lord” Bible Study, a beautiful series of devotions compiled by Christ To All publishing. The retreat begins Friday at 5 p.m., settling in rooms and catching up with each other. A cov ered-dish meal will be served at 6 p.m., followed by ice-breakers, music, craft, and the first session, “Strength and Song”, led by Carol Deremer. Saturday is scheduled around 5 more sessions led by Patti Deal, Myra Whysong-Krentz, Penny Corle, Shirley Dubeau and Sue Northcraft, and times of reflection. At 10 a.m. a group photo will be taken at brunch, with music led by Barb Thomas. We will end the weekend around 4 p.m. with a closing worship time.

 

The cost is $80 total overnight – motel lodging, two ladies to a room and private bath. Single rooms, if available, are $100. The cost to attend Saturday only is $40. Children ages 5 – 11 can stay overnight for $35 or attend Saturday only for $15. Registrations and payments are due Sept. 10, 2024. Please see Barb for more information.

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PRAYER WALK 6 P.M. AUG. 20 AT N. BEDORD HIGH SCHOOL

 

Tuesday, Aug. 20, 6 p.m.: Prayer Walk at NBC Schools, on the eve of the start of the new school year. Meet at the north-west Entrance near the auditorium. For all ages, one can pray walking or pray sitting, in that case bring a chair.

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VBS Concludes with July 7 Closing Program

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Our 2024 Vacation Bible School, "The Race Is On," was a huge success. We welcomed around 40 children and gratefully included 22 volunteers. The children presented a closing program on July 7, which included a selection of the songs we sang and the verses we memorized throughout the week. See photos from VBS Week on following pages.}

 

We were so glad to see the children internalizing the core message that Jesus is The Way, the Truth, the Life, the Sacrifice, and the Promise. He leads us to heaven through his sacrifice and the promise that He will send the Holy Spirit to run the race with us. To learn these important lessons, the children memorized passages from John, Philippians, and Hebrews, and they studied scripture throughout the week.

 

All together, the VBS participants raised over $400.00, which will go toward purchasing a small library to go outside the church. We will include children's books to give away or lend to children in the Loysburg community and in our church family. Members of the church are welcome to continue to donate children's books (preferably with Christian themes and messages) any time, as we will have to replenish as children borrow and take books home.

 

We are incredibly thankful for these volunteers who made the week possible:

 

Kitchen "Pit Crew": Cindy Johnson, Linda Henderhan, Sheila Wilson, Cathy Snider and Bernita Gable.

 

Teachers: Beth Clark, Tina Holderbaum, Sarah Gunnett, Katrina Howe, Marsie Albright, PeggyAnne Meckley, Pastor Dave Meckley, Laurie Stiles, and Debbie Bowser.

 

Music: Barb Thomas, "Guitar Jack" Styer, Beverly Smith.

 

Set and decorations: Jordan Rhoat, Sole Rhoat.

 

Openings and puppet shows: Laurie Stiles, Sole Rhoat.

 

Games and recreation: Chelsea Kurtz, Renee Gunnett.

 

Closings and scripture summaries: Pastor Dave Meckley.

 

Registration: Beverly Smith, Joel Ritchey.

 

Director and crafts coordinator: Leah Salyards

 

We appreciate the church's support in collecting snack supplies, donating books, and supporting VBS through prayer and financial donations to the Sunday School budget. We look forward to another great year in 2025.

Leah Salyards, VBS Director

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AUGUST Food Pantry

 

Requested donations for August include Pancake mix, syrup, vegetable oil, cookie mix, baking mix, kidney beans, pet food and paper products. 

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Produce from your garden is accepted and appreciated by the Northern Bedford Food Pantry. Distribution is on the third Friday of each month at the Woodbury Community Center. Therefore fresh produce should be harvested shortly before the distribution if you have any to give away. Call Pat Snyder at 766-3532 to make arrangements.

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Church Retreat/Family Camp Sept. 13-15

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Church Retreat at Camp Mantowagan begins Friday, Sept. 13, at 6 p.m.; ends Sunday Sept. 15 at noon. Cost: FREE!! There are three particular goals for the weekend.

 

1. For all attending to come to a deeper understanding of the good news of Jesus and the victory we have through His life, death, and resurrection.

 

2. Development of deepened community among members and attenders of the church.

 

3. Discussion of and prayer about the purpose and identity of our church.

 

•All are invited. Those attending are welcome to stay for the entire weekend, or attend when they are able. Cabins and shower houses are available for those planning to stay the night. It will be helpful to know if you are staying so that sleeping accommodations can be planned out. A sign up sheet is located in the back of the sanctuary.

 

•Meals will be provided. With that said, it will be very important and helpful to know ahead of time what meals you will be present for. There will be a sign up sheet for those interested in providing food and/or help ing with meals.

 

•Chapel services will be held Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Saturday evening. Regular Sunday morning worship will be held at the camp following breakfast.

 

•Topics of services will concern Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, and Ministry.

 

•Other weekend activities will include a bonfire, games, and a trip to Trough Creek State Park. Visit www.campmantowagan.com to find out more about the camp itself where this retreat will be held.

 

 

 

Piano Recital Sunday, Aug. 11 at Everett CoB

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A piano recital by Nathaniel Maxwell will be presented at 2 p.m. Aug. 11 at at the Everett Church of the Brethren, 119 E. Second St. An offering will be collected. Maxwell is a 2019 graduate of Everett Area High School and a 2023 graduate of Duke University with a Bachelor of Science in math. He is a master’s student in piano performance and pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma. Maxwell will present selections by various composers, including Bach, Hayden, Chopin and George Walker, and brief live composition through audience participation. Light refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the recital.

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MORE CHURCH HISTORY PART II

 

German Reforms Spread West from Phila.

By David Snyder

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Last month I ended a short article about German Reforms in Pennsylvania with a quotation from the 150th anniversary history of St. John’s Reformed Church in Martinsburg, where the author, Melvin Guy Harman, called John Philip Boehm the “founder” of the German Reformed Church in Pennsylvania.

 

Boehm was a German schoolmaster who still felt persecuted by Roman Catholics, long after the Protestant Reformation when the German Reformed Denomination developed in Germany.

 

Boehm emigrated to America about 1720 and settled in what is now Montgomery County, just northwest of Philadelphia. Here he served as a schoolmaster for other German immigrants who were Reforms in Germany and who were interested in giv ing their children a good education. His work impressed the Reforms in his neigh borhood so much that in 1725 they asked him to become their pastor. He did not immediately agree to this call, for he had never been ordained. He eventually con sented and immediately began organizing the Reformed people in that region into congregations.

 

Within a couple of decades dozens of Reformed congregations were formed as far north as Allentown and as far west as Lancaster. A congregation at Faulkner’s Swamp was the oldest German Reformed congregation still in existence in 1954 when Melvin Hartman wrote his history. Scores of congregations followed. Boehm was ordained in 1729 in New York. He fought an effort in the Allentown area to have the German Reforms join the Moravians, Lutherans and Mennonites to form a union denomination.

 

John Philip Boehm died in 1749 at almost 80 years of age. For 24 years he had preached the Gospel for virtually no pay and traveled great distances to reach his many congregations. It was many years later before German Reforms began to recog nize how great his service had been to the German Reformed movement in America.

 

His work was continued by Rev. Michael Schlatter, whom the Reformed Church of Holland had sent to America as a missionary superintendent. Under Schlatter’s lead ership, the German Reformed Church expanded into Maryland, Virginia and central Pennsylvania throughout the late 1700s and early 1800s.

 

On a trip to Europe in 1751, Schlatter recruited six young ministers, one of whom was Rev. William Ottterbein. For more than 50 years, indeed until the time of his death in 1813, Otterbein played an important role in the growth of the Reformed Church, including growth westward from Lancaster and York counties into Franklin and Adams counties and as far as Bedford and Huntingdon Counties. The number of congrega tions continued to grow into the mid-1800s, and Mercersburg in Franklin County became the closest denominational headquarters for congregations seeking pastors, including St. John’s. More about the Mercersburg connection in a later article.

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