Category: church cartoons

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church cartoons Easter holiday

A Very Different Palm Sunday

Cartoon of two children with palm branches

It’s Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week for Christians across the world. It is a very different Palm Sunday for almost everyone. Frequently, our day would start out with wrangling kids, passing out palm branches and marching them into the sanctuary with a triumphant flair.

Palm Sunday reminds me of what a difference a week makes. Jesus goes from riding into Jerusalem triumphantly as the crowd shouts “Hosanna! which means save now! They are expecting a king which will abolish Roman tyranny and establish a new kingdom.

By the next Sunday, Jesus had been arrested, convicted, crucified, died, and resurrected from the grave. No wonder the disciples’ heads were spinning! A lot can happen in a week.

This Palm Sunday, there won’t be spring breakers going to Florida. There won’t be churches with boys and girls bugging each other with palm branches. What there will be are faithful people gathering together around a computer or television to worship. We will remind each other that things can look bleak, then turn in an instant. We will encourage each other with the hope that things are rarely what they appear and they will be better someday.

We will also implore God to Hosanna!: Save now!

Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.

Psalm 118:25-26 King James Version (KJV)
Cartoon of two children with palm branches
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CHOG News church cartoons Newsletters

Watch those Parking Lots!

Cartoon of a driver stuck in a big hole. A man says, "So would you like to contribute to the church parking lot fund?"
Published in the March 2020 CHOGNews
Cartoon of a driver stuck in a big hole. A man says, "So would you like to contribute to the church parking lot fund?"
Published in the March 2020 CHOGNews

Boy, a lot has changed since I drew this cartoon earlier in the month! There aren’t too many churches or businesses concerned about the pothole in the parking lot. With the exception of grocery store parking lots, not many of them are getting used.

I am looking forward to a day when we can get back to normal and worry about such trivial things as potholes. In the meantime, if you are driving around, you may want to watch those parking lots. There will be a few potholes that won’t be fixed until at least the summer.

I drew this for the March 2020 CHOGNews.

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children cartoons children's ministry church cartoons

Birthday Expectations

Cartoon of boy and pastor

When a friend or family member has a birthday, there can be all sorts of expectations. Some want a very special day. Others want the most low key birthday possible. Then there are those that want a little attention, but not too much.

I have never seen a choir burst out in a spontaneous rendition of Happy Birthday, but I think that would be so awesome. Because I haven’t seen it before, the surprise would be priceless.

Kids love to be noticed on their birthday. When I created this cartoon, I thought of how children love to be the center of attention when it’s their day. There have been many times when a child has come up to me to announce his or her birthday. Then there are the introverted ones who have a friend relay the message. Most kids want to be acknowledged on their special day.

Today, I get to honor someone at my work with a birthday celebration. We’ll have a brief acknowledgement and a few cookies. I don’t think we’ll be singing Happy Birthday though. We are a creative group, but I don’t think any of us are musically creative. And it may be a little short notice to hire a choir.

What has been your favorite birthday memory? Share it in the comments below.

Cartoon of boy and pastor
Categories
CHOG News church cartoons Newsletters

Going Viral at Church

Cartoon of a pastor at his pulpit. There is a "Quarantine Area" sign at the front. The caption says, "That was the day Pastor Don's sermon went viral.

When I drew this month’s cartoon for the Church of God newsletter, I was thinking of how the coronavirus has dominated our news so far in 2020. It appears it isn’t going away anytime soon. Something viral can have good as well as bad connotations.

It seems the goal of most Internet influencers is to have something that goes viral. That makes someone an influencer after all, doesn’t it?

This week, the church I attend has experience a little viral moment. I’m quite proud of my local church, Salem Church of God, and our congregation’s generosity. We’ve raised over $40,000 to help local schools pay off school lunch debt across the Miami Valley! We have been able to help nine school districts so far!

And on top of that, it has caused our church to make the local and national news!

Here’s a link from ABC News

Here’s a link from WHIO TV 7 in Dayton

There are times when it is good to go viral. I hope the pastor in my cartoon gets things figured out before he has to spend two weeks on a quarantined pulpit.

Cartoon of a pastor at his pulpit. There is a "Quarantine Area" sign at the front. The caption says, "That was the day Pastor Don's sermon went viral.

I drew this for the February 2020 Church of God Newsletter.

Categories
CHOG News church cartoons Newsletters

Working the Bugs Out

Cartoon of two men standing in water. One says, "We have some bugs to work out before we live stream the service."
Published in the January 2020 Church of God Newsletter

Let’s face it! If you start something new, there will always be some bugs to work out. No matter how well you plan, you can’t expect to make allowances for every conceivable obstacle.

  • Technology never quite works the way you expect
  • There will be some misunderstandings between the team
  • Get used to expecting the unexpected
  • Weather and other natural causes may strike without notice
  • You may not realize how many people are affected by the launch or know how they will react.
Cartoon of two men standing in water. One says, "We have some bugs to work out before we live stream the service."
Published in the January 2020 Church of God Newsletter

If you’re waiting for perfect circumstances, it will never launch. Even if you are able to plan for every possible obstacle, you’ll be disappointed because most of them will never come to be.

Expect a few bugs if you launch anything new. Be fine with it. It’s part of the process. Success comes from addressing the bugs and working them out. Flawless launches may mean you set your goal too low.

I drew this cartoon for the January, 2020 Church of God Newsletter.