And the 'Rent is too Dad-gum High' Guy Walked Away Justified

A sermon on Luke 18.9-14 preached @Emmanuel Baker St.

Last week, Jesus told us a parable about the need to pray always and to not lose heart. This week Jesus tells us a parable that demonstrates the pitfalls of pride should we happen to actually, you know, pray always.

God has a Dopamine Deficiency

A sermon on Genesis 32 - Jacob wrestling at the Jabbok - preached on Oct 17th, 2010 @Emmanuel Lutheran on Baker St.:

Last week’s broadcast of the radio show, “This American Life,” featured the stories of people who have a fear of sleep. They were people who didn’t simply suffer from insomnia or were unable to do it, rather each was a story of someone with a deep seated fear of sleep; or as Wikipedia tells me, somniphobia.

For ALL the Saints, Who Now in Glory Rest

During the time I spent in Knoxville Hannah and I became familiar with a local print shop called, YeeHaw Industries. With their presses they make lots of interesting “art-like” products including posters, postcards, stationary, and even clothes. We collected a lot of work from the shop during our year in Knoxville. [As Hannah has gone back to Knoxville to fulfill some grad school requirements, she has definite instructions to bring back whatever will fit in her suitcase.] Our walls are covered with a variety of pieces from the print shop. We have prints of a banjo, a fiddle, and a couple of “Appalachian” themed prints.

But my absolute favorite thing at YeeHaw Industries is their specialty, wood cut prints of classic country music stars. They have prints of Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Carl Perkins, Lucinda Williams, and more. But what makes these prints so impressive and powerful is not just the witty descriptions of the stars or the intricately crafted designs. Rather what stands out is that they are most often done in a style reminiscent of the icons of the saints, there is a definite hagiographic element to these prints of classic country music stars. And my favorite (as a fan  of mid-20^th century folk music) is their piece of Woody Guthrie. Across the top of the piece, printed in uneven type is, ‘Saint of the Working Man.’ The bottom the poster describes the nature of Woody's work which I admire, “Woodrow fought for the dignity of working people who were down on their luck. He walked out the Dust Bowl singing, ‘So Long It’s Been Good to Know You.’ Fact.”