by jakeowensby | Feb 21, 2020 | Matthew 17:1-9
They say that the legendary Delta Blues guitarist Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in exchange for his extraordinary ability. They say it. But his contemporaries insist that Johnson himself never told that story. Bluesman Johnny Sines, for...
by jakeowensby | Nov 1, 2019 | Luke 6:20-31
One simple phrase explains why we don’t eat a healthier diet, we skip the gym, we refuse to forgive, we resist apologizing, we avoid admitting when we’re wrong, and we don’t ask for directions when we’re lost. “I don’t feel like it.” We know better. Studies have...
by jakeowensby | Sep 13, 2019 | Luke 15:1-10
My maternal grandparents Joseph and Marie were joined at the hip. My mother and I spent a segment of my childhood and all of my teen years under their roof. They continued to speak German to each other and to my mother. They used broken English with me. Nevertheless,...
by jakeowensby | Aug 2, 2019 | Luke 12:13-21
Don’t worry, be happy. Said Jesus. Never. On a weekend tragically shattered by back-to-back massacres in El Paso and Dayton, Jesus has a very different word for us. Jesus doesn’t want us to be unhappy. He wants something more than happiness for us. The pursuit...
by jakeowensby | Feb 15, 2019 | Luke 6:17-26
As fall term gave way to Christmas break in my senior year at high school, I had not applied to a single college. So, Bernadette Mathews—one of my religion teachers—grabbed me by the sleeve and took me to her alma mater for a personal tour. She had graduated...
