But
Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to
trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius,
and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,”
they replied.
Then
he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is
God’s.”
When
they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
We
were welcomed at the door and one usher brought a welcome gift to the pew. Some
other members came by during the Passing of the Peace of Christ. Some who
greeted us politely thanked us for visiting and invited us back.
There
is good signage pointing downstairs to the restrooms as well as a large sign pointing
the way back up to the sanctuary. In this smaller building it may not be
necessary but was appreciated nonetheless.
I
remember taking the family to Kennywood Park. There were so many yellow arrow
signs pointing the way TO the park that if you missed a turn you likely would
come across sign that would point you in the right direction. But coming home
in the dark, in the days before GPS, was a challenge. I don’t know if it is
possible to enter the church through the basement, but if so, the sign would
help. I hope we are all living our lives to create a sign that points others to
Christ.
This
is a pleasant sanctuary with lots of stained glass and an appealing cross.
The
sermon, “Two Kingdoms,” described the Pharisees’ teaming with the Herodians to
try to trip up Jesus: they figured a yes-or-no answer regarding paying tribute
to Caesar would condemn Christ.
I
have always marveled at how succinctly Christ answers His detractors, in as few
words as possible. I always hoped to find someone who appreciated the nuances
of literature who wasn’t a Christian to confirm my feelings. The few people who
fit the bill accepted Christ as Lord and Savior after reading the New
Testament, so maybe I got my proof after all.
I
was lamenting the “Presbyterian” mode of contemporary worship but learned from
the praise band leader that every other week they are free to up-tempo the
worship, a comment I found interesting.
It
turned out the two gentlemen who greeted us with bulletins were former members
of the military (Army and Navy), so they immediately commented on Bob’s Marine
shirt and the conversation was off and running. A warm welcome indeed!
We
visited this church some time ago but this time we opted for the early,
contemporary service.
The
signage was plentiful, obvious, simple, helpful, and included arrows. Even
downstairs, exiting the restroom area was a sign pointing the way to the
sanctuary.
The
atmosphere was warm and friendly; it felt like a family church.
The
music was quiet, toned-down contemporary, and the harmony was quite good.
The
“Word of God Preached” (as it was fittingly labeled in the bulletin) was
entitled “Two Kingdoms,” referring to the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of
Caesar. The Pharisees and Herodians set up Jesus in an attempt to discredit
Him, but instead He amazed them – and us. The point I appreciated most was that
Jesus indicated the coin in this story belonged to the government because it bore
Caesar’s image, and because we belong to God, we bear His image. What a
comforting reminder.
Holy Lord, You deserve our all. You gave Your all; we owe You everything we have and are. May we return to You gratefully. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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