Clinton United Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Clinton United Presbyterian Church, 25 Wilson Road, P.O. Box 175, Clinton, PA 15026, 724.695.7993, www.clintonupchurch.org, Rev. Laura E. Strauss, Pastor.


Bob’s thoughts:

A pretty country church with soft stained glass, tastefully decorated for Christmas. In addition to the cross on the Communion table, there was a large one on the wall and one above with a window effect.

They have good signage, and we were welcomed well. We sat towards the front to be with friends and had good seats for the Children’s Sermon, which was well done, a good length, and the children responded well.

There was no evidence of joy from the choir, but the pastor’s genuine smile made up for it.

The sermon wove around adoption: Joseph’s adoption of Christ, our adopting of Christ, to our adoption by Christ. We are welcomed to “Christ’s Home” with all ties to our former sinful lives severed.

I appreciated a time for silent prayer – very powerful in a corporate setting. I enjoyed seeing how Christ led the Elder in the mission moment; when He ignites the passion, it’s great to be used. I wondered what other missions may be supported.

I felt called to pray for the pastor and the church and felt/saw an aura that I interpreted as Christ’s blessing. I recall talking with young children in church who always saw the angels there that we adults are too old/staid to see.


Jan’s thoughts:

We had wanted to visit this church to catch up with an old friend, and we finally made it. We had a happy reunion with our friend and her daughters, both of whom were very young when we saw them last. We were glad for an opportunity to chat and catch up as well as get to know the girls some.

The building is well kept and beautifully decorated for Christmas. The facility was a bit confusing downstairs, but the signage helped greatly. The people were friendly: even before we caught up with our friend, folks were recognizing us as visitors and greeting us with introductions and questions.

There was color everywhere: the red carpet, the Chancel covered in red poinsettias, the choir in their red robes, beautifully crafted Christmas banners hanging on the walls, lighter but no less beautiful shades in the stained glass. I think the color added to the excitement in the air – it was awesome!

The bulletin was well done and user friendly.

The children participated enthusiastically in the Children’s Sermon, which centered on where there was room for the Baby Jesus in the nativity scene. This tied in perfectly with the sermon.

The sermon, entitled “He Has Come,” was based on Romans 1:1-7 and Matthew 1:18-25. The pastor explained that Jesus’ birth was all about adoption: literal, metaphorical, and divine. Jesus was literally adopted by Joseph once He entered this world; He is metaphorically adopted by us as “our Lord,” and we are divinely adopted by God.

The pastor told the story of her parents’ adoption of her younger brother and her vivid memories of his arrival at their home. She pointed out that when a child (or anyone) is adopted as part of a family, the family must physically make room for its new member, and asked “Have we made room in our hearts for the adopted Christ?” A good question, I think…any time of year.