What a trap! They came to put Jesus in jeopardy with the authorities regarding the payment of taxes to Caesar, and he turned it back on them. They were caught in their own theological trap because they had a double standard. They did their best to get along with the Roman authorities, while quietly teaching their people that God — not the civil authorities — must be the ultimate object of their worship. They taught that in the end, everything belongs to God, so when Jesus put before them the coin showing the image of Caesar, they were in a bind. The worship of the one on the coin was a basic principle of Roman citizenship. He was to be worshiped and obeyed not simply as the political primate, but as a god, and therefore a divine alternative to the God of Israel, to whom the Jewish leaders were bound. Read more »
October 11, 2019
Justice in today’s political times
What a trap! They came to put Jesus in jeopardy with the authorities regarding the payment of taxes to Caesar, and he turned it back on them. They were caught in their own theological trap because they had a double standard. They did their best to get along with the Roman authorities, while quietly teaching their people that God — not the civil authorities — must be the ultimate object of their worship. They taught that in the end, everything belongs to God, so when Jesus put before them the coin showing the image of Caesar, they were in a bind. The worship of the one on the coin was a basic principle of Roman citizenship. He was to be worshiped and obeyed not simply as the political primate, but as a god, and therefore a divine alternative to the God of Israel, to whom the Jewish leaders were bound. Read more »
When 58 mission volunteers representing 17 states and four countries gathered at Camp Hopewell for the 62nd session of Living Waters for the World’s (LWW’s) Clean Water U training, their end-of-week celebration took on a deeper significance. Special guests joined the students to celebrate a remarkable milestone for this 26-year ministry of the Synod of Living Waters — 1,000 clean-water partnerships formed in communities throughout the world. 
Stewardship is not simply asking for pledges at the end of the year to meet the needs of the church’s budget for the following year. Stewardship is a theological statement — a way of life. And it comes from believing that we are beloved children of God. 
A complete revamping of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s two main websites as they merge into one site, at http://www.pcusa.org, will take about two years and will come about only with significant input from the Presbyterians who use them. 
Michelle Phillips, the acting director for the Presbyterian Youth Workers’ Association (PYWA), said a recent face-to-face-gathering of the Christian Formation Collective was “like a spider web tingling and then finally coming to life.” 
Knowledge of who gives, and how much they give, in a congregation is essential to successful stewardship. This was the message delivered last week by pastors Louise Westfall and Justin Spurlock at the Stewardship Kaleidoscope session titled “You Ask for It: Conversations on the Giving Spectrum.” 
Whole wheat bread, tortillas and Korean sweet rice cake served as emblems for the body of Christ during Wednesday’s Chapel service, “Celebrating the Gifts of New Immigrants,” at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Kentucky. 
“Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus once told his disciples, “for they shall be called children of God.”
Spend an hour with this year’s group of International Peacemakers, back at the Presbyterian Center Tuesday after having completed more than three weeks sharing their stories and building relationships around the country, and you’ll soon realize why the Lord was and is so fond of those who work for peace. 
Food Week of Action is an annual celebration of God’s Creation and the many people around the world who grow the food we eat. 
After spending 60 years as a man, Paul Williams came out to his family as transgender, becoming Paula.
The married father of three was a prominent evangelical pastor before transitioning and recognized that transitioning would not be an easy process, personally or professionally. Nonetheless, “I’d been called [to transition], and you reject a call at your own peril,” Paula said.