What The Blues Teaches Us About Preaching
Johnnie Taylor told a story in Last Two Dollars that sits right next to the story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath. Both are women at the bottom. Both …
One for the Jukebox, One for the Bus Fare: A Gospel of Survival Read More
When I entered Vanderbilt Divinity School, a place outside my denomination, I carried a question with me: What happens when the theology I was raised in collides with the theology …
Sabbath in a Blues Key Read More
James Cone once declared that “Jesus is Black.” By this, he didn’t mean melanin; he meant that Jesus identifies with the oppressed, the disinherited, the crucified peoples of the world. …
Blues Christology: Jesus Did Not Sidestep the Blues Read More
Isaiah 11:1–10 (KJV) Opening — Naming the Old Rules There are some rules this world will hand you before you even know how to write your name. You learn them …
02 – A – RCL – The Rules Done Changed Read More
Too many sermons hang hope on two hooks. Some promise heaven tomorrow — a mansion over the hilltop, streets of gold, no more crying. Others promise a hookup tomorrow — …
The Blues and Eschatology: Hope in the Dirt Read More
Some preaching can holler loud, hit the right runs, and get folks on their feet… but when you sit down and really think about it, there ain’t much meat on …
How Blues Rescues Us From Hollow Celebration Read More
Some of you know that old gospel-blues number: Trouble in my way, I have to cry sometimes. Trouble in my way, I have to cry sometimes. I lay awake at …
Trouble in My Way: Preaching When the Answer Is Still “No” Read More
You ever notice the real note isn’t always the one on the page? In the blues, the right note is often in between the notes. Not the clean pitch the …
Blue Note Preaching Read More
Isaiah 2:1–5 March at Midnight The church year don’t start at high noon. It doesn’t begin when the sun’s shining, the bills are paid, the choir is tight, and everybody’s …
01 – A – RCL – March at Midnight Read More
I was listening to Wynton Marsalis recently—one of the great jazz trumpeters of our time—and he broke jazz down into three essential elements. This is my summary of what he …
The I, The Us, and the Hope In Preaching Read More
There’s something strange and beautiful about the blues. It’s a music soaked in pain—lost love, long nights, empty pockets, broken promises, unanswered prayers. The blues doesn’t pretend everything is alright. …
The Blues, The Dance, and Preaching Read More
Real preaching doesn’t promise you the new car. It doesn’t guarantee a bigger house, a better job, or a fairy tale ending. Because the Bible doesn’t either. You can name …
Three Things the Blues Will Do To Your Preaching Read More
You ever notice it? That preacher starts to rise near the end of the sermon — voice bending, throat tightening, rhythm building. And suddenly, they’re not just talking. They’re singing …
The Moan and the Whoop: Where Blues Meets Preaching Read More
Let’s go ahead and say it: some of these sermons out here sound like lectures. Long on information, short on inspiration. Packed with notes, but no oil. Now look — …
Sermon is Art Not Lecture Read More