Do do that VooDoo

This is the VooDoo American Stout

It's really good.  It has a dark rich charcol flavor but it is not overly bitter.  There is only a hint of sweetness.  It's a mad crazy windy day today in Omaha. I just had a guy from Chicago tell me it's too windy in Omaha today.  So this beer fits perfect.  The chocolate aroma followed by the bitter (but not hoppy middle) with its clean finish is perfect to cut through the wind today. 

I've noticed that I pretty just rave about the beers I drink on this blog.  I don't think I have ever done a negative review.  I actually get tasters of a lot of beers at my water hole, but I only buy a full glass of beers that I'm likely to really enjoy.  My brothers and sisters life is way too short to drink cheap beer nor beers that don't favor your pallette.  I know IPAs are REALLY trendy right now, but just throwing hops at a beer is not artistry.  A well crafted beer has balance and depth, it's rich and smooth.  I'm still searching for an IPA that really emboys that flavor profile, but until then I'm going to stick to malty beers.  

Up next is the Schokolade Bock from Millstream Brewing.

This beer, some how, smells like dark chocolate, but tastes like milk chocolate and carmel.  Its Delicious!!!!  Where the VooDoo was simple this beer is complex the flavors are layered and balanced.  Each sip contains a new flavor to discover.  

Brewing beer is an art form.  It is not about the alchohol!  Just producing a beer with a high ABV is like the pop music scene where reaching adolescence is considered an achievement.  Brewing a well crafted beer, mastering a complex process that takes timing, patience, and precision on the other hand is equivelant to the craftmenship of Bach, or Amish Furniture, or cooking really good Soul Food.

I feel the same way about preaching.  Words simply strung together are at the best a speech.  While words combined with a sense of rhythm and form delivered with attention to volumne and drama can rise beyond motivational to become a sermon.  They can become an expression and incarnation of the living Word of God in the midst of the community.  This is the standard to which I aspire.  I don't know if I will ever reach it, but I believe the aspiration and effort, the prayer and the sweat, are pleasing to God.  Furthermore, like horse shoes, close counts in Preaching.  If I apply my whole being to the art of preaching yet only come close to incarnating the word of God, that is still efficacious to the community, the body of christ.  So, I shall continue to aim for the highest heights even if I only succeed in discovering a new height to conquer.

Advent IV and Founder's Dirty Ba&@/rd

This is the Dirty Ba$@/rd by Founders Brewery in Michigan.  It's a hearty, rich beer, dark but not over powering, full bodied but with a clean aftertaste.

I'm drinking this beer because it tastes good, but the name is apropos to the season.  This Sunday is Advent IV and next week Christmas begins.  It seems we rarely focus on the questionable parentage of Jesus, but anyway you slice it Jesus was in fact a Ba$/@rd.  Mary and Joseph were not wed at his conception and possibly not at his birth, as the story goes.  By definition he was of illegitimate birth.  The nativity, like the cross, is evidence that God goes into the messy circumstances of our lives.  We need not transform ourselves into perfection for God to come; rather God comes into the mess and transforms us.

May you have a blessed Advent IV and welcome the Christ Child on Christmas.

Funeral Sermon for a Friend

So, last week I was drinking bitter beers for my bitter mood over the death of a friend.  I was honored to preach and preside at her funeral.  It was a testament to her love for this community that over 275 people showed up to her funeral.  It was a  particular challenge to preach this funeral because I needed to personally grieve, but also not make it about me.  When I sat down to write, I stared at the screen for a long time.  I didn't know what to say.  Finally, I realized that I could only tell what I knew.  Below is the text of this sermon, interspersed with the Beers I am drinking today at my watering hole. The Gospel Passage was John 6:37-40.

“This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.” [John 6:40]

I speak with you in the name of God who will never lose us, never let us go, and never forget us. Amen!

So, I woke up every morning of the last week to a world without Chrissy Simmons in it. I don’t know how that is possible. How does the earth literally keep moving without Chrissy’s sheer force of will driving it ever forward? I don’t know the answer to that question, and I don’t know if I ever will. But I want to tell you somethings I do know.

I know that Chrissy was loyal. She was loyal to Carl, loyal to this congregation, and above all a loyal faithful servant of God. There are few people whose life touched as many people as Chrissy’s. You just have to look at this packed room and know that she touched a lot of hearts. She did this not through power or position; rather through service. She truly loved her neighbor as herself, and she did it to a degree to which few can compare. 

Time for a beer break:

This is the 2011 Imperial Russian Stout from Stone Brewing.  It is fantastic!!! There is little bit of spice up front, but it is malty smooth almost like a milk shake. The flavor is rich but balanced with a clean finish.  Even though it is 10% ABV the alcohol is not overpowering.  

Back to the Sermon:  

I also know for sure that I was a little afraid of Chrissy. She was, most likely, the most intense person I have ever met. She was passionate. She felt nothing lightly, every emotion was intense, every opinion strongly held, and she shared her opinions and emotions with everyone. She quite possibly was more intense than another Matriarch of this Congregation who I loved deeply and was also a little afraid, Mrs. Lorraine Sailes.

Most importantly, I know that God loses nothing. Chrissy is most certainly caught up in the risen life of Christ today. She is most certainly a driving force of the Kingdom of God this day, and she is most certainly raising Cain with Mrs. Lorraine over the heavenly potluck.

But where does that leave all of us? While we most certainly rejoice that Chrissy is caught up in God, we are left with a gaping painful wound as well. What will we ever do without her?


Time for one more Beer before I answer that...

This is the Jubelale from Deschutes Brewing.  It is a little hoppy with medium body.  Interestingly enough there is almost a celery aftetaste.  The aroma is really light.  All in all its a good beer, but not my favorite holiday beer.

Alright, time to finish the sermon:
  This question leads me to what I know next. No one person can ever replace Chrissy, in our hearts, in our community, and in our life together. However, I have an idea, and I think it is important. No single one of us could do it alone. It will take all of us together. What if we all let our light shine just a bit brighter today? What if we all loved a little more today? What if we made our loved ones smile one extra time or laugh at one more joke? What if we made a stranger smile one extra time or laugh at one more joke? What if we all served our neighbors, this congregation, and our community just a little more. Maybe....just maybe...if we all do this together then we can approach, maybe even come near, the amount of Light and Joy that left us last week. 

Finally, I know this without a shadow of doubt, if we don’t try our very best--I mean our absolute very very best--you better believe Chrissy will have something to say about it. Amen!

Bitter Beers, Dark Beers, Comfort in a Glass (to the tune of Soft Kitty)

My apologies for not blogging more lately, but life happens.  I made it out to my watering hole this week, and finally found an IPA that I could swallow (forgive the pun).  I know IPAs are REALLY trendy at the moment, but I don't like them.  I keep trying them every now and again, because folks just keep raving about hops.  The problem is that when I pick one up to drink, they generally smell like feet then taste worse.  I have probably tried fifty IPAs in the last year with the same reaction.  Except this week I tried the Mountain Standard Time, Double Black IPA from O'Dell Brewing company.  As you can see, it is a beautiful dark beer with a light tan head.  The aroma doesn't reak of gym socks so we were off to a good start.

Now truth be told, this beer still leads with bitter.  There are a lot of hops in this sucker, but bitter isn't the only flavor.  There is a depth to it with hints of carmel and a smoothness that buffs off the rough edges of the hops. 

Maybe it was because I was in a bitter mood (more on that later) but I liked it enough to drink a whole glass of it.  I can't say that about any other IPA I have tried.

I also had Lucky Bucket's Certified Evil (did I mention I was in a dark mood, no pun intended).   This is a fine beer.  It is both smooth and strong, like me.  The flavor is rich and well balanced.  Lucky Bucket blends some Certified Evil aged in Cabernet barrels with some aged in oak barrels. There is a hint of bitterness just to remind you there are hops in here too, but the oak and Cabernet aging give it a rich, hearty flavor.  Plus, since I am such a loyal patron of my watering hole, they gave me not one but two of these commemorative glasses from their Halloween Party.

I also tried this new beer from Guinness last night at home. We might have lit the grill for the last time this season; so it seemed fitting to open a harvest themed beer to go along with the burgers and sausages. Now Guinness claims this beer is different. I couldn't really tell. It tastes like Guinness, which is by no means a bad thing. However, the only difference I noticed was that it was a bit thinner than a regular Guinness. That might make it more drinkable for those few who find Guinness to be too thick for their tastes.

So why the tendency toward dark and bitter beers this week? Because a pillar of my congregation died suddenly this week. She was young, only in her mid-forties, and collapsed out of the blue Tuesday night. She was one of the most loyal, dedicated, talented people I have ever known. A gifted baker and cook she expressed her love for people through food. Her carrot cake is the only carrot cake I ever enjoyed, but her chocolate mocha cake with peanut butter frosting was a religious experience. It preached! One bite of that and you would give your heart to Jesus all over again. She was also a musician, with a fine voice. Over the last year she had begun taking voice lessons and her tone had acquired a new depth and richness that was capable of lifting our hearts to heaven. In a couple of hours the congregation will gather for our 'regular' Sunday worship. It will be the first time we are gathered without her, and it will be hard.  We will grieve. We will also take heart in the promise of Resurrection.  Rest in peace and rise in glory Chrissy Simmons.  We will miss you.

The Persistent Widow and the Winter Ale

Today I am starting with the Jubelale by Deschutes Brewing. 

It's a very balanced winter ale.  Clove, Chocolate, and Hops are held in balanced harmony like a nice meaty chord from a symphony by Brahms.  Its full flavor and hearty texture it well suited to get through a hard winter.  This beer, a roaring fire, a thick novel with a romantic period symphony blaring from your stereo is the way to go.

Preaching wise the Gospel this week is the parable of the persitent widow from Luke's 18th chapter.  It is paired with Jeremiah's vision of the "the days [that] are surely coming".  I can't read that passage without hearing my favorite band Tangled Blue's rendition from their advent album.  Check that track out!  It's good stuff, and also a good compliment to the Jubelale Winter Ale.  

The challenge with this reading is to not make God seem like a concierge that is at the ready to answer half prayerful whims.  Rather the story is about being faithful to God even when there appears to be evidence against a loving God.  Paired with the Jeremiah reading which promises divine amnesia toward our sins, and we should be inspired to be faithful and respond with persistent trust and striving for justice for the oppressed. 

Next up is the is the Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale.

This one hits you with a lot of pumpkin on the front end.  The spice is all on the backend, but the finish is clean so the allspice and clove are discernable.  Shipyard suggests pairing it with pumpkin pie.  I think that would be way too much pumpkin.  They also recommend a BLT which makes way more sense, it needs a salty food to compliment the sweet of the beer. 

Well, I didn't get to do the side by side comparison of Odell's Eugene and the Samuel Smith Chocolate stouts. BUT, I did float the idea with the bar tenders and hopefully that will happen this winter.

Shine-Stroud Wedding and Chocolate Stout

We had a wonderful time at Lara Shine and Daniel Stroud's wedding this weekend.  I got to hang out for a bit at 1823, the campus pub of Virginia Theological Seminary.  It's no coincidence they have an Englishman for a Dean and recently opened a "proper pub" on campus.  It was great to visit with alumni from Resurrection House, one of my old Profs from Seminary, and try this Double Chocolate Stout from Wells and Young Brewing in the UK.  It's good, but I wouldn't say it is as good as the Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout by O'dell Brewing which I have written about here. The chocolate flavor is prevalent but not overwhelming.  However it was a little thin, almost watery, as opposed to creamy.  Nonetheless it was a decent beer by which to raise a glass to Lara and Daniel's Happiness!  Congrats to the happy couple.

 

Tonight, I also had this pint of Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout.  It's supremely delicious! I would put it up there with the Lugene Chocolate stout mentioned above, maybe even a little better.  I would have to put them both side by side to be sure...hmmm that's a really good idea.  Hopefully Krug Park will have both on tap soon.  I paired this beer with a grilled hamburger from B & B Meat Locker of Wynot, NE, one of our favorite vendors at Omaha's Farmer's Market.  We also roasted some root vegetables and onions.  This beer fit perfectly with the menu, a hearty beer for hearty fair.

 

I didn't preach this weekend, a well needed break.  I love preaching week in week out.  The rhythm of prayer, study, and preparation is life giving and might be the best way that I am a disciple.  Nonetheless, having a week of not preaching on occasion helps keep the creative ground fertile.  It's like resting a field for a season so that the soil can regain nutrients. So, I am excited to gear up for next week's sermon.  Prep begins tomorrow and culminates with editing at Krug Park on Thrusday with, hopefully, a side by side comparison of the Lugene and Samuel Smith Stouts.

How to listen to a sermon.

Last week my wife joined me for a beer at Krug Park, my favorite watering hole.  We got to talking about sermons and how I might get better at preaching.  It is a hard craft to develop because critical feedback is hard to get.  Someone telling you they enjoyed the sermon as they walk out the door doesn't tell you how it affected their life or faith, if at all.  As my wife savored the Weyerbacher Imperial Ale pictured below and written about here, we began to realize that folks might not know how to critically listen to a sermon.  


For example, I was in a used book store the other day and I picked up a listening guide to Charles Ives' Unanswered Question.  This is a piece of music that is as mysterious and complex as it is simple and direct.  The listening guide not only pointed out features of the music to listen for but encouraged a particular attitude or state of mind to approach the work.  When I went home and listened to the piece I could hold the structure of the whole piece in mind even as I heard the details of each note.  I could "hear the forrest and the trees" if you will.  Therefore, a listening guide for sermons in general might be helpful in a similar way.

Try this one on for size:  when listening to a sermon think of the following acronym: P.R.A.Y

• Participate -- be an active listener and don't be afraid to agree and disagree, or encourage and motivate, the preacher vocally.  
• Response -- what is your immediate gut level response to the word preached.  Is it conviction or motivation, inspiration or gratitude, boredom, joy, anger or something else.  
• Action -- What action, if any, are you motivated to take? What is God calling you to do through the sermon?  
• Yearning -- What are you still yearning for after the sermon?  Is it more clarity or less conviction, more hope or less direction? What questions are you inspired to ask?

Now if this acronym is helpful for you, then I have an invitation for you: Come hear me preach, then join me for a beer (my treat) and critique my preaching on this outline.  It will help you listen and help me become a better preacher, both of which will strengthen God's Kingdom.