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Rian Adams
Preparing for 2020: Taking Out the Trash Last week we leaned into the hope and the anticipation of Advent. The first candle represented hope. Today Advent continues with the longing for peace. Peace… We heard it in the readings from Isaiah, the Psalms, and Romans. Isaiah said, “When the Messiah arrives, he will lead us into peace through love, justice, and righteousness. The Psalm said the coming King would crush the oppressors so the poor would live in peace. The epistle reading even paraphrased Isaiah. Paul said, “Jesus can change the hearts of all people who choose peace…
Preparing for 2020: Living in Hope 1967. The Doors. The lyrics? “Come on baby, light my fire, Try to… set the night… on fire.” I will begin something today that I’ve never done before, in addition to quoting the Doors in a sermon. For Advent, I’m going to preach a sermon series. This congregation has taught me a liberating lesson, it’s okay for priests to be themselves. So, I will listen to my heart this Advent season. The next four Sundays I’m going to preach on the theme of Preparing for 2020. …
Following Christ, the Merciful King. They said, “We can’t have him corrupting all these innocent people, so let’s kill him.” Then they arrested him, and they crucified him. That is the reading for the celebration of Christ the King. The church year seems to culminate with death, instead of the light and hope of Easter. Most good music steadily builds towards a crescendo. Yet the church year does not end with Easter, Pentecost, or the eschaton. It ends with darkness covering the land and Jesus dying the death of a criminal. I would have…
Carrots, Eggs, or Coffee: Responding to Adversity I’m a sucker for those cheesy, “There’s good news and there’s bad news” jokes. I heard one this week that I’m compelled to pass along… An art gallery owner said to a local artist, “I have some good news and some bad news.” The artist asked, “What’s the good news?” The gallery owner said, “The good news is that a woman came by today who loved your work. She asked if the value would go up after you died. I told her yes. Then she…
We Are Alive! Sermon for Proper 27 That gospel reading… it has it all: Tension, confusion, ulterior motives, power struggles, and dogmatic theological convictions. If I didn’t know better I’d say it almost sounds like national convention. Let’s begin with honesty and admit this is a confusing passage. Yet, it has a way of drawing us in and making us wonder what’s actually happening. At first it seems like there is a theological argument between Jesus and Sadducees about the interpretation of Moses. But, I think it’s deeper than that…
All Saints Day Sermon: Lessons From The Saints November 3rd, 2019. Thank you for the way you’ve embraced me and made me feel at home. People have sent messages, cards, posted kind things on my Facebook wall, and sent very kind emails. The willingness to welcome, accept, and embrace one another is more than the slogan, “The Episcopal Church welcomes you.” It is the beatitudes, and it is the way of the saints. Allow me a confession: I intended to preach the conventional All Saints’ Day sermon, “Tell some stories about the saints, then say…