Ordinary 33B bulletin covers Proper 28 and Pentecost 25 – Mark 13:1-8 and Psalm 16.
Paid Subscribers and donors can click on images to copy and download various sizes.
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.
Advent Candle Art – Bulletins and Coloring
Advent Candles series for bulletins and coloring.
I have a created almost three hundred Advent candle drawings which are way too many to place on one page. You can view them all on my special Flickr album page and make your selections from there. The link is given below.
The following images are all Christ candle drawings which show the series design. If you need any help choosing or downloading the images, just email me.
Annual paid subscribers and donors may copy, download, and use the images in various sizes for their churches or organizations.
I may create another 2024 series. God bless you all.
Advent Candle Album link: Advent Album
Sabbath Psalms – Needing to Sleep
Psalm 127:2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat–for he grants sleep to those he loves.
God must love an awful lot of people on Sunday mornings, especially if He grants sleep to those He loves! Being a preacher, you get to see the whole congregation on Sundays, so sometimes watching folks fall asleep is a quick indicator that I’d better get the sermon finished and bring the message home quickly!
But sometimes people fall asleep because they feel safe, not bored. God’s House is a sanctuary to them, a place where they can feel secure, loved, and welcomed. Sometimes people fall asleep because they’ve endured a grueling week – hard work, worries at home, stress – all those qualities of modern life. Whatever the reason, being cradled in Christ’s arms at church is a beautiful thing and, after all, isn’t our Sabbath supposed to be a time of rest?
After a tumultuous week for everyone, some folks may also feel depressed by the election results and just want to hibernate for a while. That’s okay, too. Disappointment is hard to carry at times, so quietly withdrawing and taking time to decompress is probably essential for their well-being. If you feel that way yourself, please just take time to be embraced by God and replenish your spirit. Know that you are dearly and divinely loved, cherished by Christ and supported by His Spirit.
Point to ponder: Have I used up all of my energy recently? Am I willing to seek God’s love to refresh me?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know us as we are. You know all about our busyness, our energy highs and lows, our weary weeks and merry months. Thank You for accepting us as we truly are. Your Love touches our hearts, and we feel safe in Your arms. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Sunday by Sunday: Year C weekly devotions
The Christian Calendar begins each year on the First Sunday in Advent which in 2024 takes place on December 1st. We will be heading into Year C which will complete the three-year cycle of Bible readings. I’ve written a book of devotions for this calendar year and called it ‘Sunday by Sunday – Year C.’
The purpose of this book is to present a weekly meditation based on the Gospel texts for the Year C. Each meditation includes a highlighted verse from the Gospel text, as well as a point to ponder supplemented with a short prayer. It can be used as a time of preparation before Sunday worship or as a personal devotion if getting to church is difficult. Each meditation can also be read aloud as a discussion starter for a lectionary Sunday school class, or as a concluding devotion after such a class. The whole purpose is to focus on what Christ has done in the Gospel passage in order to draw each of us closer to Him and God.
The book can be purchased for Kindle use (a free Kindle reader app can easily be downloaded for free on any device), or as a paperback (US, Canada, and UK only). The link to the book is given below. Get your copy now, in time for Year C beginning on December 1.
Canada link: Sunday by Sunday – Year C The Gospels eBook : Stuart, John, Stuart, John: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
Narrative lectionary art – Year 3 Week 10 – Jonah at Nineveh
Jonah at Nineveh – bulletin cover and coloring page
Ordinary 32B art – Widow’s Mite and Psalm 127
Ordinary 32B bulletin covers, coloring pages, and worship screens.
Psalm 127:1-5 and Mark 12:38-44 – The Widow’s Mite.
Paid Subscribers and donors can copy and download for use. Gospel
Psalm 127
Sabbath Psalms – Welcome Table
Psalm 146:7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. (NIV)
I recently began working as a part-time interim pastor in a local Presbyterian congregation. It was nice to get back into ministry and I really appreciate the welcome that the church folks have given to my wife and me. We both look forward to being here for at least six months
Every congregation has its own unique ministries and this one – First Presbyterian Oak Ridge – is no exception. The church folks focus on social justice issues and even in the few weeks that I have been here, they are teaching me a lot of new things.
One of them is called ‘The Welcome Table.’ It takes place each month in the Fellowship Hall. The congregation provides a hot meal to anyone who wishes to come along. They also have several tables of groceries that the attendees can pick up to take home with them after the meal.
Those who come along are very grateful for the meal that is given, and for the fact that the church members serve people at their tables, bringing plates of food to them, just as if it was in a restaurant. Rather than have people stand in line, the church members humbly serve as waiters to the recipients. This means that those who have food insecurity issues are not treated like clients but are respected as equals. And when everyone is served, the church folks bring their own plates of food to the tables, to eat and converse with those who attend. In this way, several friendships have grown between those who serve and those who receive.
I like to think that this is how God welcomes us to His table, whether it be for Communion or just fellowship with one another. It’s a beautiful thought that God treats us all equally, doing it lovingly while maintaining respect and dignity for all of us who experience His blessings.
Point to ponder: How am I supporting food pantries and other food distribution missions?
Prayer: Lord God, thank You for blessing us through times of insecurity and need. Help us to remember to share Your grace with others and treat one another as Your children. In your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Narrative Lectionary art: Elijah
1 Kings 17 art – Elijah in the wilderness
Narrative lectionary Year 3 Week 9
Subscribers and donors can copy and download for use.
All Saints Day art and coloring page
All Saints Day – November 1 or 1st Sunday in November. Bulletin art and coloring page.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes for use.
Ordinary 31B – Gospel and Psalms art
Art and coloring pages for Ordinary 31B – Gospel: Mark 12:28-34 and Psalm 146. Paid Subscribers and donors can copy & download for use.
Gospel: Mark 12:28-34
Psalm 146
Stushie Art 