The First United Methodist Church of Aliquippa

Today we worshiped at The First United Methodist Church of Aliquippa, 2816 Brodhead Road, Aliquippa, PA 15001, 724.375.5287, www.umcaliquippa.com, Thomas Bonomo, Pastor.

Scripture – ESV

Genesis 28:10-22

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

Matthew 6:19-24

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Bob’s thoughts:

We were welcomed warmly and engaged in conversation.

The sanctuary is a high A-frame with a large cross on the chancel wall. The stained glass is modern, muted, and cast a nice light in the sanctuary. We didn’t get to tour the building but I didn’t notice any signage in the part we saw.

The pastor led the singing with a good strong voice on the first hymn but I couldn’t hear him after that.

The sermon was the first of a series on treasure and was an introduction to what it might be. I am sorry we most likely won’t be there to see where he is going with this. The most encouraging word was, may I live in such a way that people will want to know God.

The service ended with Communion at the rail…I was grateful tobe able to get back up.

Jan’s thoughts:

The huge A-line of the exterior of this building is carried into the sanctuary with a high ceiling and the natural echo that results. It’s well kept and lovely and the large stained glass windows exhibited blocks of color.

One thing many in this church seem to do effortlessly is extend warmhearted greetings. A gentleman held the door and welcomed us cordially on our way in as did numerous others throughout our visit.

The music was provided by the organist and soloist, whose voice was lovely.

The message was the first in a new series entitled “The Treasure Principle” and focused on questions such as, what makes a person rich? Do we spend our lives investing in things that last forever? And do we treasure God above all else? Excellent questions.

I appreciated once again the opportunity to participate in the Sacrament of Communion.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray You will focus the efforts of this church in the direction You have called them. Amen.