Webcomic: Clergy Appreciation Month

Cartoon of two men. A glowing halo floats between them. One man says, “Happy Clergy Appreciation Month! I polished your halo.”

I've known plenty of pastors. The very first one was my grandfather. I learned very early on they all have hearts of gold but are flawed just like the rest of us. Be sure to show your pastor appreciation. But don't put them or their families on pedestals. We're all afraid of heights.

I drew this in Adobe Illustrator CS3. I also drew this for the CHOG E-newsletter.

Cartoon: Preaching on Youtube

Cartoon of two men. One says, "Great sermon. I already uploaded the highlights to Youtube."

Technology is changing the churches I've been in. Almost everyone has a projector now and many have wireless Internet. It makes me wonder how the church will look in twenty years.

I drew this cartoon for The Church of God E-Newsletter.

I drew this in Adobe Illustrator CS3

Spear Cartoon 3365

Cartoon of boy asking Dad, "On what day did God create the Internet?"

I read an article from "Christian Computing Magazine." It was talking about cloud computing and how it's coming faster than anyone would have anticipated.

Jim VanDuzer, the author, talked about how netbooks and iPhones are totally changing the way we use computers. it reminded me of a problem we had at my church the other week. I normally use the Internet for portions of my lesson and accessing files from my MobileMe account. IT changed the setup so there was no longer a password needed to get onto the wireless.

The only problem was, I couldn't get on at all. It seemed all the smartphones were hogging the connection. Whether people were using the wi-fi or not, the phones aggressively accessed the wi-fi nonetheless.

It amazes me how pervasive technology has become in our church in such a small amount of time. How has technology affected how your church works?

Crime Scene-Boy takes pencil

Crime Scene-Boy takes pencil, originally uploaded by speartoons.

This is an illustration I did last year for a children's curiculum. It was talking about whether stealing was ever okay and if there were different levels of stealing.

This illustration is copyrighted by Church of God Ministries. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

I drew this in Adobe Illustrator

Cartoon: Dog missionary

Cats, originally uploaded by speartoons.

This is a sketch right out of my book. I had to add the type so it would be readable. Those camera phones aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, but at least you can see the drawing.

Cartoon: One dog to another, "I feel called to be a missionary to cats."

Easter in Indiana

Caption reads: Macey tries out her Easter dress in the middle of a Midwestern, United States spring.

Yesterday, it was 77°f here (25°c). A cold front moved through. We have a chance of snow flurries among the cold, gusty winds. Sunday promises to have a high of only 43°f (6°c). I'm going to feel sorry for all the ladies and girls in Easter dresses! Hang on, there! spring is coming, it's just hidden right now.

Spiritually Mature

Caption reads: “That’s the first time a girl has turned me down because I’m not spiritually mature.”

I hope I'm more spiritually mature than I was when I was dating. I was selfish, self-serving and vain. That's not to say I'm not now, but I pray I'm going in the right direction. I'm just glad my wife stood by me. I married above my spiritual maturity, that's for sure.

Cartoons for Lent

I heard a kid the other day saying he was giving up bad language for Lent. First of all, it surprised me a kid was giving up bad language. Second, I didn't think giving up a bad habit was exactly in the spirit of the season. Oh well, what do I know?

Glasses and vision

Caption: “I wear glasses because without a vision, the people perish.”

Proverbs 29:18 has stuck in my mind since I first heard it as a child. We need some sort of goal or vision, don't we? Otherwise, what else do we have to do with our lives?