by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Jan 10, 2023 | Preaching, Sermon Illustrations
For most of us “seasoned preachers,” when we come to the conclusion that we need a sermon illustration, our minds instantly think “story.” Many preachers use the words interchangeably, but as we will see, there are quite a few different kinds of ways to illustrate a...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Jan 4, 2023 | The Founder's Desk
Like many of you, I’ve been somewhat glued to the story of Damar Hamlin since Monday evening, when the defensive player for the Buffalo Bills collapsed on the field after making a tackle. In the moments that unfolded, it became clear this was no ordinary...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Dec 21, 2022 | Theology
“It doesn’t matter what you believe, just as long as you believe something.” That’s the sentiment once expressed by President Dwight Eisenhower. America would be strong if its citizens maintained a “deeply held faith in God—and I don’t care what it is.” Seventy years...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Dec 14, 2022 | Ministry
My spiritual director for many years was a retired Presbyterian pastor named Hugh who walked alongside me with patience, humility, grace, wisdom and most of all love. In fact, still deeply engraved on my heart to this day was his constant reminder to me that “It all...
by Scott Bullock | Dec 7, 2022 | Lectionary, Preaching
Introduction This message is primarily directed to my friends for whom the word “lectionary” sounds like a disease. I, too, once shared your visceral shudder when someone uttered the phrase “lectionary preacher.” At the time, my cursory thoughts about lectionary...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Nov 30, 2022 | Book Reviews, The Founder's Desk
A Short Introduction For some time, I’ve thought it would be fun to share the books that have had the biggest impact on me each year. I chose the title “Top Five Books for 2022” because they were not necessarily published this year, but they’ve...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Nov 22, 2022 | Movie Reviews
Love, Loss & Top Gun (Ground Level One) By Stuart Strachan Jr. One of the realities of getting older (at least for me), has been a diminishing enjoyment of movies, or at least, the action genre. It’s the formulaic, always-the-same story-arc that makes it hard for...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Nov 16, 2022 | Advent
“God is doing a new thing.” – Isaiah 43 I have heard this scripture passage quoted multiple times in the last three years and it still stirs something within me. Do you feel it too? God is doing something new in this cultural moment. But how do we receive it? As...
by Gabe Fung | Nov 9, 2022 | Stewardship
Fundraiser and Chief Development Officer is probably not our primary picture of the Apostle Paul. Frankly, it isn’t the primary picture we most likely have of ourselves, either, is it? When we answered the call to the ministry, money was not top of mind; otherwise,...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Nov 2, 2022 | Preaching, Sermon Illustrations, The Founder's Desk
Something I’ve noticed over time is that, while we Protestants try to live “sola scriptura (by scripture alone),” a large number of traditions have crept into our theology and praxis over time. One of those areas is in the realm of preaching. When I was in seminary,...
