Church bulletin covers and other art by artist Stushie. Unique crayon and digital worship art
Ordinary 26B bulletin art and coloring pages. Gospel and psalm drawings. Annual subscribers may copy and download for use, including larger versions of the images, as per the instructions sent to each subscriber. A one-time donation may also be given for the use of these images.
Gospel Art: Mark 9:38-50
Psalm 124
Passover art based on Exodus 12.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes for use.
Mark 9:35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
Years ago, on Sunday mornings, my wife Evelyn and I would have a coffee at either McDonalds or a bakery. Evelyn enjoys talking to folks and over the years, she developed friendships with the people who worked there. She talked to and helped single mums who were working all day in the restaurant, trying to get their high school diplomas at night. She blethered (an old Scots word for ‘talked’) with the seniors who were regulars, shared family photographs and funny stories with them. She listened to young students who were working their way through college, giving them encouragement to fulfill their ambitions. Evelyn often went just to have a quiet read and a cup of coffee, but I know that she also enjoyed the community of workers she befriended over all those years.
Evelyn did the same at the West Town Mall. She got up early (before 6am!) and did four laps of the Mall. I tried walking with her, but I couldn’t keep up – she walks too fast – and I’m not an early bird either. She talked to all the people in the Mall like they were her best friends – the walkers, the security guards, and the cleaners. When one senior walker was diagnosed with cancer, she made him some cookies and sent a card. When another walker suffered bereavement, she comforted her with prayers and love. I’m not saying that my wife is a saint – although she must be, she’s married to me – but what I am saying is that she has a ministry of her own which is quiet, unnoticed and just based on befriending, supporting, and serving the least among us. Over many years, she has quietly helped people in the congregations I served without drawing any attention to herself. She still does that today by writing and sending cards to folks she knows with words of encouragement, support, and love.
The mission of each church is to do the same. Many people have been blessed by the personal ministries that church folks accomplish with their families, friends, church visitors, and even strangers on the street. These ministries are the least publicized of all, but do you know what? These small ministries are among the greatest in the eyes of God and the most beautiful in Christ’s Kingdom. The best way to serve God is to serve others with faith, hope, and love, as well as respect, acceptance, and compassion.
So, wherever you are today, take time to be interested in other people, especially those who serve you in stores, restaurants, petrol stations, cash registers, banks and supermarkets. They are all children of God’s grace and just like you and me, they need to be appreciated, recognized, and loved.
Point to ponder: Who will I encounter today? How can I serve God by treating them respectfully?
Prayer: Lord Jesus wherever we are today and with whoever we meet, may we see God’s image in their faces and God’s grace in their eyes. Instead of looking to be served, may we look for opportunities to serve quietly, faithfully and effectively. In Your Most Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
Psalm 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Many years ago, I took a group of church people on a coach tour of Scotland. It was a wonderful experience, and I personally delighted in showing everyone the wonders and beauty of the auld country.
In the middle of the tour, we visited a small town, right in the heart of Scotland, called Dunkeld. The scenery was breathtaking and all the tourists with me loved the buildings, bridges, and beautiful gardens in and around the town. We stayed there for two days, but just before we left Dunkeld, I took the group to a secret spot behind the Birnham hotel, where we were staying.
We walked for about 500 yards and came to the riverside. There, next to the water banks, stood four ancient oak trees, about 900 years old. They were massive and the girth of one of the trunks took half of our party to circle. It was amazing to experience one of Scotland’s hidden treasures.
For nine hundred years, those trees had been planted by the water. They were mentioned in Shakespeare’s Scottish play “MacBeth” in the lines “when Birnham wood comes to Dunisane hill.” They had survived the most turbulent years of Scottish history, and they still thrive, bearing acorns every year.
Today’s Bible verse tells us about the prosperity and strength of those who rely upon the Lord. It’s a lesson for each of us to experience, for no matter what we go through – pain, sorrow, or trouble – if we remain true to the Lord, He will enable us to endure, overcome, and prosper. God grants us this hope for being faithful to His Son. We are truly blessed, not because of what we do or accomplish, but because of all that God has done for us through Jesus.
Point to ponder: How has remaining faithful Jesus helped me through difficult times in my life?
Prayer: Lord God, Your strength carries us through life and Your will sustains us each day. Enable us to keep focused on Your ways, so that we may spiritually thrive and faithfully prosper in Your Kingdom on Earth. Refresh our souls with the Living Water of Jesus Christ and strengthen our spirits with the riches of His grace. In Jesus’ Name, we gladly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Scottish pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
World Communion Sunday Art
World Communion Day takes place on the first Sunday in October each year.
Here are some Communion images I have drawn this year.
You can also view previous World Communion art at this link: World Communion.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes for use.
Ordinary 25B art and coloring pages. Psalm, Gospel, and Epistle.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes for use.
Psalm 1
Gospel – Mark 9:30-37
Epistle: James 3
Narrative Lectionary Year 3 Week 3. Jacob and Joseph.
Genesis 37 art and coloring page. Jacob and Joseph with some angry brothers.
Paid subscribers and donors may copy and download various sizes for use.
Mark 8:32 Jesus spoke plainly about this, so Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
Some people never grow up. In my many years of ministry, I’ve come across some sad people who live as if they’re still adolescents and take no responsibility for their actions. When things get tough, they ignore the crisis and avoid the issues. Some of them retreat into a petulant corner; others become addicted to alcohol, drugs, or porn. Instead of seeking God’s help or good counsel, they carry on their reckless ways. It usually ends in tragic circumstances or bitterness. That’s what makes it all so sad.
I think Peter the disciple had a similar problem. When things were going well, he was probably the life and soul of the party. However, when Christ spoke about arrest and execution, as well as defeat and death, Peter desperately sought to avoid the impending reality. He didn’t want to listen to negative words. He didn’t want to accept Christ’s fearful prophecies. He wanted the sacred circus and miraculous merry-go-round to continue. He couldn’t face the obvious truth that Christ was expressing.
Within all of us, there’s a comparable attitude. We want life to be jolly, our hearts to be happy, and our days filled with gladness. We have made the pursuit of happiness our reason for living, instead of enjoying God and praising Him forever. We don’t want to change our ways or be challenged by Christ’s words. We want our faith to be warm and fuzzy, instead of challenging and life-altering. In other words, we really don’t want us to be focused on Christ; we want Him to be focused on us.
Point to ponder: Do I form Jesus into what I want Him to be, or do I allow Him to re-shape me?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, speak plainly to our hearts and minds. Grant us a better understanding of what You want to do with our lives. Keep us from deluding ourselves and help us to devote our lives to You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Psalm 19:12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
I once was given the opportunity to teach two English literature classes in my daughter’s High school class. It all came about when her teacher referred to Britain as ‘England.’ My daughter took offense at this and reminded her teacher that Britain is made up of several nations, which includes Scotland. Thankfully, her teacher accepted what she had to say and, in the ensuing conversation, I somehow got volunteered to teach two classes about Scotland’s contribution to English literature, especially the works of Robert Burns, the world’s greatest poet.
This highlighted verse from the psalmist reminded me of something that Burns once wrote. The psalmist talks about hidden faults, and how each of us are blind to some of the persistent mistakes that we make. In the past, ministers would call these the ‘sins of omission,’ the things that we neglect to do, as well as the mistakes that we unconsciously commit. In one of his poems, Burns put it this way:
‘O the pow’r that God wad gie us, to see ourselves as ithers see us.’
(O the power that God would give us, to see ourselves as others see us)
Sometimes, we are blind to the sins we commit and the mistakes that we habitually make. If only we had the power to see ourselves making those mistakes, which others around us notice, for then we would be empowered to avoid repeatedly making them.
Perhaps today we could all make a conscious effort to watch what we do or say; to be careful about the witness to Christ that we project, to be aware that we are not perfect all of the time. And at the end of the day, as we make our confessions and give thanks to God in prayer, let’s also remember to ask forgiveness for our hidden faults, those sins of omission that we constantly fail to recognize.
Point to ponder: What sins do I constantly repeat? How can I change this?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we unknowingly hurt other people and offend You with our frequent mistakes. Sometimes the things we say and do, or the things we neglect to say or do, cause us to disappoint others and sin against You. Help us to recognize our recurring mistakes and give us the ways and means to avoid our sins of omission. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Mark 8:27-38 and Psalm 19 bulletin covers and coloring pages for Ordinary 24B, Proper 19, and Pentecost 16 Sundays. Paid Subscribers and one-time use donors may copy and download for use in bulletins, worship screens, webpages, Facebook posts and coloring sheets.
Gospel passage – Mark 8:27-38 – Take up your cross
Psalm 19
Stushie Art 