faith
-
Re: Pastors and Churches Endorsing Candidates
Posted same day on my Facebook Page I will speak briefly on the ability for houses of worship/religious leaders to now endorse candidates and move on. According to the report, when a house of worship “in good faith speaks to its congregation, through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith in connection with Continue reading
-
July 8th, 2025 – Healthcare and Hope
This was originally posted on my Facebook on July 8th, 2025 Alright, now that we’ve acknowledged the realities of passing of the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill, let’s talk about our role in what comes next with the realities at play. While the “Big Beautiful Bill” doesn’t outright target rural communities, we know that rural Continue reading
-
Opening Worship Takeaways
I’m such a Methodist, y’all. I teared up with the “And are we Yet Alive” and the opening gavel. The opening episcopal address set the stage for a conference that will claim its Wesleyan heritage but not dwell on the past. They are leaning into sanctification and grace and the belief that God is doing Continue reading
-
Holy Week Thoughts
I’m pretty sure I post something during Holy Week each year. When I think about this week, I am often just tired. I think we do too much. The pomp and circumstance keep building and the payout is the same. Regardless, this Holy Week Holy Week, I’m reflecting on things that are happening in my Continue reading
-
Thinking about Heaven
Today (November 8th) is my birthday. And today, an article from Christian Century found me. It is an article about Heaven, and the need for heaven to be real. I’ll link it here. And Quote the last two paragraphs: “Sometimes I wonder if the church’s witness is failing because we don’t know how to translate Continue reading
-
99 – Kitty Wells: Country Hit Parade
To go from early 2000s beach country to an absolute legend with Kitty Wells’ legendary Country Hit Parade is, at first, a little jarring. The classic sounds of steel and twang are much more present in her iconic songs. Yet, the reality is, Chesney is in the same lineage, and you can see it in Continue reading
-
100 – Kenny Chesney: No Shoes, No Shirts, No Problems
For some reason, I didn’t expect Kenny Chesney to be on this list. I don’t know why. I enjoy his music, I think he has his finger on the pulse of a certain kind of country fan. He’s not bro country, nor is he beach country. He feels a lot like John Denver’s Windsong album. Continue reading
-
100 Albums – 100 Reflections
Rolling Stone released their The 100 Greatest Country Albums of All Time list a few days ago. And it inspired me. I’m going to write a reflection on each album. My goal is one reflection a week for the next 100 or so weeks (almost two years). I can guarantee you I will miss a Continue reading
-
Updates
Hey Y’all,Updates to the website are slowly happening. I’ve added some upcoming classes, and of course my podcast (Rusty Water Towers). I also have a couple series planned for the website. Look for a post on Monday to explain the first! Continue reading
-
Day 1 – 526 words
I’ve decided to take on a self-imposed writing challenge. My goal is to write approximately 500 words a day, every day from now until Easter (on April 17th). This is writing 500 words for fifty days straight (inclusive of Easter and today (Transfiguration Sunday). I’m using my blog as a space for accountability and updates Continue reading
Jonathan LeMaster-Smith 