Stushie’s Stuff

Encountering a coyote early one morning in Knoxville, TN, gave me a greater appreciation of the need for a sacred sanctuary. A short reflection on Psalm 96 v 6.

Podcast version here

Psalm 96:6      Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

I saw my first coyote, very early, the other morning. It was beside the place where I like to fish. I had just put my fishing tackle back into the car, when I saw this thin looking, ugly dog cross the path. It was carrying the remains of a dead fish in its mouth and headed over to some rocks to chew awhile.

At first I thought it was an abandoned puppy. It was gaunt and thin, but as I watched it, I realized it had the wizened look of a fox. There was no bushy tail, so I counted that out. It was the eyes that made me realize this wasn’t an abandoned pet. Dog’s eyes are usually big and round; this animal’s eyes were small and peering at me.

I tried to take a picture of the creature, but my camera was out of focus. When I got home, I looked up a few images of coyotes on the Internet. My suspicions were confirmed. It was a coyote – an ugly looking scavenger, if ever I saw one.

I guess my fishing hole must be part of the coyote’s territory. With all of the development that is going on, its refuge must be constantly diminishing. The woods next to my fishing hole must be its sanctuary. Perhaps I’ll get the chance to see it early one morning again. I hope so.

When we talk about sanctuaries in the church, we’re usually referring to our churches. They have become the centers of our spiritual habitats, where we can feel safe and experience the presence of God’s peace and love. As spiritual places and values begin to diminish around us, our havens of holiness become crucial to our relationship with Christ. In the midst of our troubles, worries, and anxieties, we need the church to be a solid foundation of hope, healing, and holiness for our lives.

So, today, let us give thanks to God for the churches where we engage in worship, experience fellowship, and enhance our discipleship. These sacred sanctuaries add so much to our hearts and spirits, helping us become better followers of Christ and servants of His Kingdom.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we thank You for the places where we gather for worship, prayer, and praise. We are grateful for these spiritual sanctuaries in our communities where we can feel and know the love of God. Help us to do what we can to support our churches, so that future generations of worshippers will gladly gather in these sacred places, too. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to send him some feedback on today’s message, send an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

I don’t know who is advising McCain, but he’s beginning to look like yesterday’s man…

…he is totally out of touch with our culture.

The fatal shootings in a Knoxville Church have shocked our religious community, but we will not be defined by such a heinous act.

Audio version here

http://media.libsyn.com/media/stushie/Seeking_Gods_Strength.mp3

Psalm 105:4    Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

The religious community here in Knoxville is hurting. Last Sunday morning, a deranged man entered a local church with a shotgun and started blasting away at the congregation. Two people were killed and several others were seriously wounded. The shooter was tackled by three other men and over-powered before he could reload. The police arrived within four minutes and quickly arrested the guy. Our whole community is in shock and we are mourning for the victimized families.

The shooter had written a four page note blaming liberal churches for his anger. He has a long history of drunkenness and has violently threatened other people in the past. He bought the shotgun from a local pawn shop and planned the whole event a week ago. He didn’t think that he would have survived this wicked deed.

Instead of taking responsibility for his own disappointments, he blamed other people. Instead of looking for help from the very people who could have embraced him, he made a cowardly choice of shooting defenseless people. He allowed himself to be overcome by his own anger and wickedness, frustration and fear. Instead of seeking good, he got a gun. Instead of looking for heaven, he created hell.

The religious community in Knoxville is rallying around the targeted church. In the midst of all this pain, shock, and tragedy, good will prevail. We look to God for our well being and seek His strength in times like these. Next Sunday, the churches in Knoxville will be full of people, looking for comfort and guidance, forgiveness and hope. This tragedy has shocked us, but it will never define us. Our faith is in God and His Kingdom, not in the fear of bullets or deranged people. We look to the Lord and His strength; we will continue to seek His face always because that’s what we do, that’s who we are, and that’s how we express our faith here.

Prayer:                        Lord God, we do not understand why people seek to hurt other people. We do not know why this tragic event occurred in our beautiful town, but we do know that You are always with us, in the best and worst of times. Be near to us this day and comfort all those who are grieving. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to reply to this message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org

I think our two hopeful candidates for president are beginning to see reality up ahead…

JEDDAH, (Arab News) : Police arrested a woman in her twenties while driving her family’s car in the Aziziah district, a security source said Thursday.

The source said that police took the woman to the police station where she was released after her parents paid bail.

She will have to be brought to the station for further investigations, according to police spokesman Col. Misfar Al-Joaed. “Police stopped the woman after noticing her driving in the Aziziah district and took her for questioning,” he told Al-Madinah newspaper.

The IOC are the biggest hypocrites on the entire planet…

I think Obama got himself a wee tad above his station today….

www.stushietoon.blogspot.com

Ever since I started watching Doctor Who as a boy, I have loved the notion of Time Travel. Nowadays, as a Christian, I am confident of placing my future in Christ’s hands.

Podcast version here

I love the idea of Time Travel. I’ve watched practically every episode of Doctor Who and I think that the new series is absolutely terrific. In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, Doctor Who is a science fiction television series that began in Britain in 1963. I remember, as a six year old, watching the very first episode on a grainy black and white TV, whilst eating Heinz spaghetti and chips (French fries). I was absolutely captivated by the hero, Doctor Who, a Time Lord, who travels throughout space and time in his amazing vehicle called the Tardis. The series introduced me to my love of science fiction, as well as teaching me about British and World history.

Ecclesiastes 8:7          Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come?

I’ve always wanted to travel into the future and see the wonders of the world hundreds of years from now. I know that the environmentalists are predicting gloom and doom for all of us, but I still believe that human beings have the intellect and innovative capacity to reduce greenhouse gases and invent new ways of creating energy. I’d love to see how the earth will look in five hundred, five thousand, or even five hundred thousand years, and see how humankind fares. I guess I’ll have to build my own Tardis if I ever want to see it happen.

None of us know what each day will bring. We can make plenty of plans and be anxious about the future, but as Jesus once said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

We do not know what the future holds for any one of us, and perhaps we’re better off not knowing anyway. As Christians, we have faith in Christ and the assurance that He holds our future in His Hands. No matter what we experience or endure, Jesus will travel through Time with us. And if we trust Him completely, He will lead us beyond the shores of Time and into the realm of Eternity.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we are glad that You are with us throughout each day of our lives. Your guidance and presence reassure our faith and hopes. As we journey through Life and travel through Time, grant us Your mercy and grace, love and leadership. In Your Holy Name, we follow and pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

I cannot believe that after all of this time, essential supplies are still not reaching the proper hurricane Katrina victims.

Shame on you, GWB!

God calls all sorts of people to minister and preach the Gospel, no matter where they came from or what they have done.

Podcast version here

My hometown of Glasgow, Scotland, used to have a magnificent shipyard industry on the River Clyde. Thousands of men were employed in the building of some of the biggest warships and ocean liners in the world. When I was growing up, it was wonderful to see the shipyards at night time. From all over the docks, flashes of light could be seen as the riveters and welders worked on the hulls of the great ships.

1 Corinthians 16:13   Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

On Friday afternoons, when most of the workforce was paid, thousands of men would walk out of the gates to either go to the pubs and spend their wages, or head home to be with their families, possibly buying them a fish and chips supper for dinner. As these men walked out of the shipyard gates, a man, with his own portable platform, was preaching the Gospel to the huge mass of workers. Most of the men walked by, some jeered and some cheered, some hurled insults and called the preacher everything under the sun.

It was an amazing ministry to watch and, on some rare occasions, the preacher was able to reach into the heads and hearts of a few men. He had been a shipyard worker himself, so he knew of their hardships, addictions, and struggles with life. Jesus had changed him, so he wanted to help other men make that transformation. It was a courageous, yet often humiliating ministry. But every Friday, the preacher was there giving God’s message to thousands of men who had no time for faith.

The Church of Scotland was approached by some people and asked if they would ordain the Clydeside preacher. Sadly, they turned him down. He didn’t have the right academic qualifications, or the privileges of seminary training. This didn’t bother the preacher. He just kept turning up on Fridays to preach the Gospel. His strength was in the Lord, and not in an ecclesiastical certificate that proclaimed him to be an official minister of the church. I never knew his name, but I admired his ministry and he reminds me of this: God calls all sorts of people to minister, pastor, and preach in His Name.

Perhaps you are being led by God to initiate a new ministry in your church. Perhaps God is calling you to do something in Christ’s name for your community. Maybe you don’t feel qualified to start or accomplish it. Remember this: if God truly calls you, He believes you can get it done.

Prayer:                        Lord God, we are all so different and we each have various gifts, talents, and skills. Sometimes you call us out of our comfort zones and specialized areas to do something beautiful and completely unexpected for You. Grant us the courage to respond to Your call and give us the strength to successfully fulfill all that You ask of us. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org