Christmas Angel art. Angel announcing glad tidings of great joy about Christ’s Birth in Bethlehem. Paid subscribers and donors may copy and download for use. See menu for details.
Author: Stushie
I'm originally from Scotland and have been a Presbyterian pastor for over thirty years. I live in Knoxville, TN. I enjoy art as a means of therapy, but also as a creative way to strengthen my spiritual connection to God.
Sabbath Psalms – Godly Wonders
Psalm 66: 5 Come and look at what God has accomplished; how awesome are His works in our behalf!
John Calvin called them ‘the attestations of God’s witness to the world.’ Today, we would call them natural wonders, divine intervention, or even great escapes.
One of the challenges that Christians have in this world is how to show other people where God is present and working in our lives. Skeptics tend to think that we spiritually sugar coat the truth and wear Rose of Sharon colored glasses. Our reality is seemingly skewed by our stubborn hold on a two-thousand-year-old faith, which has entered into the realm of religious myth and fabricated fable for most post-modern day folks. The world of AI, Instagram, Youtube, and podcasts has no need for charming parables or a godly Gospel where blood and tears, as well as broken limbs and bread, redeem the world. If God has any awesomeness left to impress upon the present generation, then He’d better do it through cyberspace, iPods, anime, and cellphones. A sacred text is no longer needed, but a divine ability to safely text while driving would be a major plus.
And yet, despite all of our devices, sunrises and sunsets still attract us. Glorious mountains and the greenest of valleys captivate our souls. Christmas still touches something good, even within the least religious among us, and Easter annually fills us with new life, new beginnings, and new wonders.
We may become distracted by the latest gadgets and are constantly obsessed with the newest of trends, but God still walks and works among us, testifying to Himself in the most commonplace of natural events – the hearing of birdsong in the quiet of the morning, the rippling rhythm of a mountain stream, or the rushing of waves crashing on craggy rocks – they all witness to the power and glory, creativity and activity of a God who still cares for His creation and seeks to heal a broken world.
Point to ponder: Where do I experience God’s presence in my life?
Prayer: Almighty Creator, Your awesome works, words, and ways still reveal to us Your glory, power, and love. We seek Your divine blessings in each of our lives, for we pursue happiness and pleasure, satisfaction and harmony for our souls. Instead of being agitated and restless, help us to become anchored and restful. Instead of being distracted by complicated machinery, help us to become attracted to simple serenity. Instead of always doing, enable us to just be beings. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian Pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Nativity art and coloring pages
Nativity art and coloring pages for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download for use.
Other Nativity images can be found at this link: Christmas | Flickr
Send Me Your Photos, Please.
Hi Folks,
With so many churches and organizations throughout the world using my artwork for their Christmas services and programs, I’d love to see photos and scanned images of how you integrate my art onto your bulletins, screens, and social media pages. If you also have kids coloring the drawings, I’d love to see them, too. Recently, my grandson, who lives over 500 miles from me, was pleased to be coloring in one of my drawings at his church.
I’ve included a photo from Emory University Chorus in Atlanta who use my art each December for their annual Festival of Lessons and Carols. If you have any photos or scanned images of bulletin covers, then please send them to me by email to stushie57@outlook.com. I’ll feature your photos in a future post.
God bless you all.
John Stuart
Narrative Lectionary art – Year 3 Week 14 – Joel
Art for this Sunday’s Narrative lectionary passages – Joel and the Spirit.
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Blue Christmas – Longest Night art
Blue Christmas – Longest Night art
Blue candle art and coloring page for Longest Night services.
Subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes for use.
Sabbath Psalms – Map Reader
Psalm 25:4 Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. (NIV)
It was in the Boy Scouts that I learned how to read and use a map. I can remember hiking in the Campsie hills above Glasgow, Scotland, with my Scout troop. As we climbed the hills, a deep fog descended around us. Before long, it seemed to me that we were hopelessly lost. As the mist slowly cleared, we began to see the landscape of the Campsies around us. During this time, our patient Scoutmaster unfolded a map and pointed out the various small streams and elevation markers that were drawn on it.
At first, all I saw were lines on a piece of paper which meant nothing to me, but as my Scoutmaster pointed to all of the trails, brooks, and peaks around us while carefully identifying them on the map, I began to make the connection. He knew exactly where we were and he was teaching all of us how to discover our location and re-find our path. It was a wonderful lesson that I have never forgotten and to this very day, some fifty years later, I still enjoy looking at and reading maps wherever I go.
In today’s highlighted Bible verse, the ancient psalmist is asking God to show him the right path to take. The psalm writer, possibly King David, has reached a point in his life where he doesn’t know what to do or where to go. He needs God to indicate his location and show him the way ahead, so he prayerfully and sincerely asks for God’s direction. It’s a simple act of faith and trust which we can all experience many times in our lives. Thankfully, God hears our prayers for direction and is always willing to show us the path ahead. So, no matter who we are or what we are feeling, encountering, or experiencing today, it’s good to know that God is always aware of the life trail that we are on, and will always be our map reader and patient guide, even if we are lost or can’t see the way ahead.
Point to ponder
Where am I? What path does God want me to follow?
Prayer: Lord God, You have always been leading us through each day of our lives. Every moment is a sacred experience; every step is an act of faith. Be with us by guiding us on this great journey we call life and, when all of this is over, lead us upward and onward to Your Eternal Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Advent 4 Candles art
Advent 4 candles art, bulletin covers, and coloring pages. 30 images.
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Advent 3 Candles Art
Advent 3 candle art, bulletin covers, and coloring pages. 30 images.
Subscribers and donors can copy and download for use.
Other weeks in Advent will be posted soon.
Advent 2 Candle art
Advent 2 candle art, bulletin covers, and coloring pages. 30 images.
Subscribers and donors can copy and download for use.
Other weeks in Advent will be posted soon.
Stushie Art 