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Rian Adams
Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way… it’s technically not a beanie. That said, one of the fun things about being a priest is that we get to wear some of the most fantastic clothing in the world. The church has no shortage of headgear options for the clergy. Some of you have seen my biretta (the hat with the silk pom on the top), which I wear on 1st Sundays when we use incense. You’ve also seen bishops wear a mitre (the pointy hat) during their Episcopal visits…
“Why?” is the first question I ask myself! Since the Columbine tragedy in April 1999, where twelve students and one teacher were murdered, this haunting question, “But why?” echoes persistently through each new, senseless massacre. After another devastating shooting, this time at Robb Elementary School in Texas, I find myself asking again—perhaps asking God—“My God, why?” Nineteen children. Two teachers. Dead. Gone. Forever. We grieve not only for the lives lost but for the futures these young ones could have shaped, the countless lives the teachers might have touched. This is the heavy cost we continue…
A few months ago I had the privilege to sit down for a Q&A interview with Dr. Dan Finley. Dan writes for Go! Magazine. This section is called Chat with a Pastor. Go! Magazine is a Christian publication that circulates along the emerald coast of Florida. Below is the interview! A Special thank you to Dr. Dan Finley, a man whom I consider a friend and a great example of a Christian who looks for ways to give back to the community and the world. I also know his students at Gulf Coast College appreciate his humor…
Proper 9, Year B. Sermon from 2 Cor. 12:2-10 Synopsis: Paul encountered some other “apostles” who tried to undermine his ministry citing grand spiritual visions. This reading is his response to them. In the 1750s there was a worldwide conflict known to us as The French Indian war. The British and French battled for Quebec. Admiral Phipps, commander of the British fleet, received orders to anchor outside Quebec and wait for the British land forces. His job was simple; provide protection while the troops came ashore. Admiral Phipps ran a well-oiled machine, his sailors…
Proper 10, Year B. July 11th, 2021. Mark 6:14-29. Herod Beheads John the Baptist Synopsis: Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, arrested John the Baptist for preaching that his marriage to his brother’s former wife was not right in God’s eyes. This caused Herod’s new wife, Herodias, to desire John’s death. At Herod’s birthday, when he was drunk, she finally had her chance, and John’s head wound up on a platter at the dinner table. Well… that Gospel reading isn’t a bedtime…
It’s Okay to Leave Your safety Net Sermon for the Third Sunday after Epiphany Simon Peter and his brother Andrew didn’t attend career day during their Sr. Year in High School. They never sat around a warm fire on a chilly evening and talked with their father about what they wanted to do when they grew up. There was only one option, they would be fishermen on the Sea of Galilee for their entire lives. Today, some children know they will take over their family business after they have completed college and then earned an MBA…