Ash Wednesday art for bulletins and worship screens, newsletters and postcards.
Paid Subscribers and donors can download for use.
Epiphany 5C art – Luke 5 and Psalm 138
Bulletin covers & coloring pages for Epiphany 5C.
Annual subscribers and donors can click the images to copy and download them for use.
Current downloading instructions for larger images are given with a subscription.
Luke 5:1-11
Psalm 138
Sabbath Psalms – Quiet Time
Psalm 71:1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. (NIV)
The older I get, the more I understand my need for introversion. The world has become a frenzied, noisy, and greedy place that I find difficult to embrace or accept at times. Instead, I cherish quiet places and people, solitary moments and tranquil times more than ever. I look forward to taking refuge in God’s cloister of closeness, either by sitting in my lounge reading, or resting on my bed while listening to classical music. Life doesn’t have to be hectic, filled with torturous timetables or burdened by trivial pursuits that consume my days. I seek God’s peace and look forward to His presence each day. I become a spiritual refugee in God’s arms; I rest my weary soul in the Lord.
I know that I have responsibilities, tasks, and obligations to fulfill. I understand the need to work and the attention that my vocation requires. I am aware that leadership involves supporting and serving people in many different ways. I embrace and accept all of those important things, but there is a deeper part of me that longs to be alone with God, to quietly surrender my spirit into His hands, purposefully pondering on what my personal connection to Christ really involves and to think about what it will become in Eternity. I am not seeking to escape from the world; I’m just taking refuge in the Creator of the World which is what I’m truly meant to be. The Bible tells us that the peace of God surpasses our understanding, so I guess I’m trying to find and embrace that peace above all else.
Perhaps you presently have a whole list of things to do, tasks to fulfill, and obligations to meet. I hope you succeed in accomplishing and completing all of them. However, may I suggest you add something else? Take time to be with God on your own. Find a quiet place and rest in the Lord’s presence. Seek refuge in God’s love and remain in His arms for a while. It will do you the world of good and be beneficial for your body, mind, heart, and soul. May God bless you this day with peace.
Point to ponder
Do I have a timetable for this weekend? Where can I allocate time to quietly be with God?
Prayer: Lord God, You created us to be and just not to do. Help us to cherish Your presence and to refresh our souls in Your quiet and abiding love. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Narrative Lectionary art – Luke 6
Narrative Lectionary art Year 3 – Luke 6 – Jesus prays alone.
Annual paid Subscribers and donors can copy and download for use.
Epiphany 4C – Luke 4 and Psalm 71
Bulletin cover art for Epiphany 4C – Psalm 71 & Luke 4 clip art.
Subscribers (or those making a donation) may click, copy, and download the images for use in their churches 🙂
Communion Art 2
Some churches typically have communion each Sunday, whereas others celebrate on a monthly basis on the first Sunday of each month.
Here are two new Communion images which can be used for bulletin covers, worship screens, social media, and coloring pages.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download different sizes for use.
Sabbath Psalms – Hidden Faults
Psalm 19:12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
I was once invited to teach two English Literature classes in my youngest daughter’s High school class. It all came about when Lauren’s teacher referred to Britain as ‘England.’ Lauren took offense at this, and reminded her teacher that Britain is made up of several nations, which includes Scotland. Thankfully, her teacher accepted what Lauren 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, one of the world’s greatest poets.
Today’s verse from the psalmist reminded me of something that Burns once wrote. The psalmist writes about hidden faults, and how each of us are blind to the constant mistakes that we make. In the past, ministers would call these ‘sins of omission,’ – in other words, the things that we neglect to say or do, as well as the errors 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 often notice.
Perhaps today, we could all make a conscious effort to watch what we do or say; to be careful about the witness to Christ we project, and to be aware that we are not perfect all of the time. Maybe then, at the end of the day, as we make our confessions and give thanks to God in prayer, we will also remember to ask forgiveness for our hidden faults.
Point to ponder: How do others see and experience the faith we project?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we unknowingly hurt other people and offend You. 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 personal mistakes and give us the ways, as well as the means, to humbly compensate for our sins of omission. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Narrative Lectionary Art – Jesus calls the fishermen
Narrative Lectionary – Year 3 – Luke 5 art Jesus calls the fishermen, especially Peter. Bulletin Art and coloring pages.
Paid subscribers and donors may copy and download various sizes for use.
Epiphany 3C art – Luke 4 and Psalm 19
Epiphany 3C – Jesus teaches in the synagogue and Psalm 19.
Paid subscribers and donors can copy and download various sizes for use. See menu for details.
Psalm 19
Sabbath Psalms – The Lost Ring
Sabbath Psalms – The Lost Ring
Psalm 36: 7 O Lord, your unfailing love is priceless! All of humanity finds refuge in the shadow of your wings.
My wife Evelyn once lost her engagement ring. She had put some hand cream on her fingers and the ring must have slipped off. She left a message on my cell phone to let me know. It saddened both of us to think that something so significant could be lost.
We bought the engagement ring with my last tax rebate before I went to college to study to become a minister in the Church of Scotland. I can remember shopping for it in Glasgow’s Argyle Arcade where most couples in the city bought their rings. It was an exciting time for us and eventually we found the one clustered diamond ring that Evelyn liked, after wandering from store to store. It cost us every penny that we owned at the time, and through the years it had become priceless to us. Thankfully, a couple of days later, Evelyn found the ring on the carpet next to her exercise bike. That was a moment of relief and jubilation for both of us.
When the author of Psalm 36 writes about God’s unfailing love, he calls it ‘priceless.’ He cannot buy God’s love, nor can he compare it to anything else in the whole universe. It is the most valuable gift the psalmist has ever been given, so he just wants to sing out loud his praises to God.
As Christians, we also consider this to be true, for how can we ever put a price on what Jesus has done to offer us complete and everlasting salvation? Don’t we similarly value Christ’s atonement for our sins as priceless?
Point to ponder: What is the greatest gift God has ever given to me through Christ?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are priceless to each and every one of Your followers. We can never repay the debt that we owe You for pardoning our sins, redeeming our souls, and restoring us to God. Thank You for such wonderful, amazing, and priceless love. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Stushie Art 