Link: Due to a technology failure, my sermon didn’t record.

Summary of what I was saying and why:
I love this passage because we’ve forgotten it’s a little funny. Give to God what is God’s? Well, everything. Including Ceasar. 
I talked a bit about the hidden challenge of the Pharisees–if we don’t pay taxes Rome will understand that as a rebellion. Then I spent some time with the truth that everything is God’s and Ceasar was made in God’s image. Which means that Jesus’s question to the Pharisees had a couple layers to it too. 
What then does this mean for us, who are made in God’s image? Are we giving to God what is God’s?

Theology: Creation and Stewardship
Jesus Count: High
Good News: We are made in God’s image and belong to God?

What did I change on my feet?
A lot. At the second service I tried to be more interactive and it didn’t work as well as I’d hoped. My original plan was to spend more time on the idea of belonging and I didn’t start there as much as I’d thought about.
What didn’t work/what did I miss?
I missed recording it. 😛 
I do think there’s unexplored potential with the idea of ‘who do you belong to?’ and this text. I could also have pulled more strongly on the Baptismal Covenant/Baptismal theology.
What did work?
I think pulling out some of the levels on which the questions were operating was important. This wasn’t an idle can we get him to say something stupid game, this was serious.
And I love reminding people that God loves us. God has always loved us.

Other sermons I liked:

Deacon Bright, Everything comes from God and everything belongs to God. There is no division between sacred and secular other than the ones we create.

Priest Halley, with a song, asking about the heart of the matter (and us).

Priest Lightcap, “Love God with everything you have, and Caesar can have his face back.”

(Here’s the list of people I usually listen to. Am I missing someone?)