Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Prophetic Fire

So, I missed posting from Krug Park last Thursday because a congregant came by for a wonderful chat.  Beer is great, preaching is better, but beer with friends is insuperable in its incarnational worth.  I did, however, keep track of my beers; so that I can offer them up to you now.

1st: Old Stock from North Coast Brewing.  

There was a bit of sweetness to this beer, but not near as much as expected considering the 12% ABV. (I ate a lot of carbs before I drank this beer)  With notes of oak and peat to balance the sweetness, there is an allusion to good scotch with the flavor.  The alcohol does not over power, but it is present enough to remind you to only drink one of these at a sitting--lest your taste buds, legs, and common sense cease to function. Great beer though!

A note on preaching this week before I move on to beer number 2.  The readings this week were a spot difficult; as all the ranting and raving I witnessed from fellow preachers on facebook foretold.  Jesus is clear in all the gospels that there is a price to discipleship.  Following Christ involves sacrifice.  As if the cross wasn't a clue, we can often forget this fact.  But when Jesus gets graphic about that cost--calling for sons to be pitted against fathers, daughters against mothers and so forth--it can be a bit difficult to preach the "good news".  Nonetheless, I tried to go straight at it and not avoid the harshness of the Gospel passage (Luke 12:49-56).  Here it is if you want to give it a look:

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and the Fires of Baptism 

Back to the beer!

2nd: Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout by Odell Brewing Company 

I LOVED THIS BEER!!!!! It was absolutely delicious. It was smooth and creamy without a bitter aftertaste.  While it was definitely more sweet than bitter, it wasn't cloyingly sweet.  There's body and depth to this beer.  The aftertaste and aroma was a lot a really nice cigar.  In fact it would be great as an after dinner beer while enjoying a cigar and listening to Mahler's 5th Symphony, or if you are really hard core the finale of Mahler's 9th.