Let's talk about Waylon, Willie, and a lot about tobacco farming. Jennifer and I talked for so long we needed a part 2!
Also, for some reason, I feel the need to define cowboys and we explain life before cell phones.
Dr. Jennifer Moe is Associate Director and Post-Doctoral Fellow of the Young Adult Initiative at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. She received her PhD in Christian Education and Congregational Studies from Garrett in 2018. Jennifer’s research interests include the ways in which young women and girls are taught to be “good Christian women” in a variety of Christian religious subcultures and young adults in the United States and their faith practices, including how they are connected (or not) to faith communities. Dr. Moe has served as adjunct faculty in the Religious Education field at Garrett and in the Theology field at North Park University in Chicago. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.
Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c2ec849a7df442e9
Our bookshelf : https://jlemaster-smith.com/bookshelf/
Our Social Media:
Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
Rusty Water Towers is a podcast in search of Faith and Hope in Rural Life and Ministry. Each episode includes a guest sharing stories and experiences of their rural life. My hope is that this podcasts reveals the creative potential latent in rural life.
Audio by Jonathan LeMaster-Smith
Theme song "Hildebran" by Shannon LeMaster-Smith
Find us on social media!
Facebook, Instragram, Threads: RustyWaterTowers
Twitter: RustyTowerPod
In which I get so excited to celebrate country music and 500 plays that I forget that I already covered Hank Williams, but it still works. Also, I confess to things about Randy Travis and Pop Country icons.
Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c2ec849a7df442e9
Our bookshelf : https://jlemaster-smith.com/bookshelf/
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
This week's episode takes us very close to my churches. Johnny and I talk about the experiences of a new pastor in rural ministry and all his twists and turns. There's also some John Wesley, fried bologna, and a biscuit on the way out the door.
Johnny Norton is a retired licensed local pastor in the Western North Carolina serving at First UMC Stanly as Minister of Connections. Johnny is a former student and now friend and colleague. He’s had me at his churches to teach about all sorts of Methodist things.
Connect with johnny: jmnorton1950@gmail.com
Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c2ec849a7df442e9
Our bookshelf : https://jlemaster-smith.com/bookshelf/
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
This week we get into nineties country, whether my guest, Amber Laffey has the magic touch, meat lockers, Budweiser horses and more.
Amber Laffey is an LLP (hopefully soon to be commissioned as a Deacon) in the Dakotas Conference of the UMC and serves a congregation of about 40 people and also serves as the conference secretary. She currently lives in a small town in South Dakota with her husband, four kids and obnoxious Cockapoo MacGyver.
Amber's Facebook Show: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071463797809
Kate Bowler's Podcast: https://katebowler.com/podcast/
Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c2ec849a7df442e9
Our bookshelf : https://jlemaster-smith.com/bookshelf/
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
This episode is an exploration of three Christmas songs, six holiday traditions, and, apparently, ambulance sirens.
We explore mistletoe, kissing balls, Christmas caroling, Christmas boogering, fruitcake, and holiday treat bags. We also see Dr. J realizing he would much rather host than provide commentary. Also, we learn that Dr. J does listen to things besides country.
If you're listening live in December of 2022, there will be a two week break between this and Episode 14.
https://www.grunge.com/260670/the-bizarre-history-of-caroling/
https://issuu.com/wayne.kmherald/docs/cherryvilleeagle11_24_21
http://www.appalachianmtnroots.com/2016/12/appalachian-traditions-christmas-plays.html
Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c2ec849a7df442e9
Our bookshelf : https://jlemaster-smith.com/bookshelf/
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
This episode is two people talking about barbecue, chairs, death, life, and so much more. There's even a part where we talk about the difference between hamburgers and cheeseburgers in the rural Carolinas.
Allen Stanton is the Executive Director of the Turner Center for Rural Vitality at the University of Tennessee Southern where he oversees rural economic and community development work for the university. Allen is the author of Reclaiming Rural (Rowman and Littlefield, 2021), and is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. He is a native of rural North Carolina, and holds degrees from Wake Forest University and Duke University. Allen now lives in rural TN with his wife and two daughters.
Twitter: @atstanton
Email: ats@utsouthern.edu
Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c2ec849a7df442e9
Our bookshelf : https://jlemaster-smith.com/bookshelf/
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
In this episode, Shannon LeMaster-Smith, the multi-talented writer and singer of our theme song (who also happens to be my wife) joins me on the podcast as we travel down the highway to visit family for Thanksgiving. We talk about life, ministry, music, and much more. You'll here us and the sounds of the road as we travel. One thing I will note, there is some wonky editing because of the microphone giving us problems.
Shannon LeMaster-Smith is the Minister of Discipleship at First United Methodist Church in Newton North Carolina and the Youth Ministry Strategist for the Western North Carolina Conference. She lives in Hildebran, NC with her husband (the host of this podcast), their four dogs and one cat named Cat.
https://deaconshannon.org/
deaconshannon324@gmail.com
Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c2ec849a7df442e9
Our bookshelf : https://jlemaster-smith.com/bookshelf/
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
There's so much talk about here, including issues with Uranium, small churches raising more money than big churches, and whether or not the bar from "Boot Scootin' Boogie" and "Neon Moon" are the same moon.
Britt Terry is an English professor at the University of South Carolina; she funded her academic career with scholarships and prizes from her days showing dairy cattle in 4-H. Britt lives with her husband Jonathan Sircy (also an English professor) and her daughter Catherine in a book-filled house. Britt attends Pisgah Methodist Church, founded in 1791 by her ancestor Thomas Terry. She also appeared on Jeopardy!
Connect with Britt: v.britt.terry@gmail.com or Insta: @veebeetee
Information about Jeremy B. Jones: http://www.thejeremybjones.com/writing/book/
Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c2ec849a7df442e9
Our bookshelf : https://jlemaster-smith.com/bookshelf/
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
This week, there's a lot of music. I think we talk about Tanya Tucker, Helen Reddy, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Bonny Raitt, Brandy Carlile (and the rest of the The Highwomen). But really, it's, as always, all about the stories, connections, and the hope we find, even in paperwork season. Join me as Karen Monk and I talk about accents, church ministry, and the realities ministry in the Catskill Mountains!
Rev. Karen Monk is the District Superintendent of the Catskill Hudson District of the New York Annual Conference. She hails from rural East Texas, has spent time studying and working and New York City, but always comes back to rural life and ministry.
Karen's info: karen.monk@nyac-umc.com and https://www.facebook.com/kaaterskill.pastor
Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c2ec849a7df442e9
Our bookshelf : https://jlemaster-smith.com/bookshelf/
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
In this episode, Dr J explores music, tells some of his stories and answers your questions. Stay until the end for a grumbly dog.
Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c2ec849a7df442e9
Our bookshelf : https://jlemaster-smith.com/bookshelf/
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
In this episode we take a trip to the places where Gunsmoke takes place to talk about rural life in West Kansas. Rev. Shay Craig is a delight to talk to. She is full of stories, ideas, and potential hope for the church. I particularly enjoy the conversations about cowboy boots, being a church about hope and love, and thinking about rural stewardship that works. This is a long episode, but it's worth every second.
Shay Craig is an Episcopal Priest and vicar of two small churches in Hays, Kansas. Though she spent her first 50 years in San Francisco and Chicago, since moving to Western Kansas, she has become a fierce advocate for raising awareness of and love for rural ministry in the Episcopal Church ... because there is no "flyover" in the Kingdom.
project-resource.org, standrewshays.org, stmichaelshays.org
Our playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c2ec849a7df442e9
Our bookshelf : https://jlemaster-smith.com/bookshelf/
Interested in Confirmation for Rural Churches: hintoncenter.org/theotokos or hintontheotokos.org
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
In this episode Rev. David Christy joins me. We talk about all night drives from New Orleans, being invited to your church Administrative Council meetings, not being spoken to at barber shops, and Mac Davis.
Theme Song: "Hildebran" by Shannon LeMaster-Smith
Our Guest: Rev. David Christy: Facebook: @david.christy.92, Twitter: @davidchristy66 WNCCUMC: https://www.wnccumc.org/staffdetail/2169446
David Christy is the Catawba Valley District Superintendent, appointed in 2020. He has served Franklinville-Rehobeth Charge (Randolph County); Fair View (Iredell County); Epworth (Concord); Central (Canton); and First (Gastonia) over his 32 years of ministry. He loves Jesus and the church, having served as a delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences and as members of various boards. He is married to Pam, an elementary school teacher. They have two children: Luke (married to Kelly) who is a pastor of a two-point charge; and Maggie, who is a teacher assistant in Haywood County. Luke and Kelly have a one-year old, Addie Grace. David enjoys running, trout fishing, and golfing – but isn’t good at any of them!
Consider taking a course with me: https://beadisciple.com/online-christian-courses/music-and-worship-ministry/ifd259-country-music-and-christian-faith/
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
Our Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c474a35725cd41c6
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers
In this episode, Rev. Teresa Whetsel joins me, and we talk about the Hank Williams "I Saw the Light," purchasing beans, pheasant hunting, some old cassette tapes, and of course, the joy and hope of small town life, what our communities are known for, and the hope of rural community.
Theme Song: "Hildebran" by Shannon LeMaster-Smith
Our Guest: Rev. Teresa Whetsel: https://www.facebook.com/teresa.whetsel
Rev. Teresa Whetsel is a provisional member of the Dakotas Conference of the United Methodist Church where she has been serving rural congregations for 9 years. She is a wife, a mother of 3 grown sons, and a grandmother of one. Originally a city girl, she has found a deep love for serving folks in rural communities.
Consider taking a course with me: https://beadisciple.com/online-christian-courses/music-and-worship-ministry/ifd259-country-music-and-christian-faith/
Our Social Media: Facebook and Instagram: @RustyWaterTowers | Twitter: @rustytowerspod | RustyWaterTowers@gmail.com
Our Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qnPKxunKlRsAvqUD6hqdY?si=c474a35725cd41c6
jlemaster-smith.com/rustywatertowers