by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Jan 21, 2021 | Beauty, Death, Reconciliation, Sermon Illustrations
In their excellent book on reconciliation, Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice share a story about how small acts of beauty, done well, can lead to reconciliation: A friend told us of visiting a very large religious community with a long history of activism and service....
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Jan 18, 2021 | Sermon Illustrations
Most of us in the United States know the famous “I have a Dream” speech Martin Luther King Jr. gave at the Lincoln Memorial as part of the 1963 March on Washington. On a sweltering, humid day in the nation’s capital, some 250,000 people came to hear King speak on the...
by Bill Gaultiere | Jan 15, 2021 | Prayer, Spiritual Formation
Like me, maybe you set aside much of your normal work for the Christmas break and this week you have a lot to do! There’s a gravitational pull to “Hurry and catch up!” But that’s not the best way. “Breathe. Walk it out in Jesus’ easy yoke.” That’s much better. So...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Jan 12, 2021 | Deception, Sermon Illustrations
In one fascinating study some years ago, subjects were presented with evidence suggesting that there was a correlation between heavy caffeine use and breast cancer. Subjects were then asked to report on whether or not (or to what degree) they found the evidence...
by Scott Bullock | Jan 9, 2021 | Liturgy
Inspired by the Book of Lamentations Most Heavenly Father, We lament the coupling of our allegiance to Christ as Lord with a trust in Caesar, as if the halls of power, the chambers of government, and the adherence to a particular party and its agenda would usher in...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Jan 6, 2021 | Happiness, Sermon Illustrations
As a writer, my great interest is human nature, and in particular, the subject of happiness. A few years ago, I noticed a pattern: when people told me about a “before and after” change they’d made that boosted their happiness, they often pointed to the formation of a...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Dec 22, 2020 | Uncategorized
Lord over time, To you, a day is like a thousand years, And a thousand years are but a day. To us, 2020 has seemed a thousand years. A thousand years of disappointment, A thousand years of loss, A thousand years of injustice, A thousand years of insecurity. We can...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Dec 21, 2020 | Liturgy
(Leader) Heavenly Father, we come before you to give thanks as we near the end of 2020 a year of confusion, conflict, CoronaVirus, quarantine, and shut down, But what does it even look like to be truly thankful in 2020? (People) Lord, help us find gratitude in this...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Dec 3, 2020 | Spiritual Formation
Kristi Gaultiere. During the Advent season, I pick a character from the nativity scene to spend some time reading about in Scripture while praying and listening to the Lord. Our “Surprising Joy” Advent Cards make this easy and delightful. This Advent I have been...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Dec 2, 2020 | Uncategorized
The writer Oscar Wilde said, “Art is utterly useless.” Notice he did not say worthless. He was critiquing the utilitarian impulse of our world that measures worth based on usefulness or practicality. Does it accomplish something? Does it get stuff done? Wilde...
