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…
Why Spiritual Self-Care? I bet you’re a lot like me; you’re feeling some spiritual cabin fever. In this blog entry, I want to suggest a few ideas that can provide spiritual self-care during the coronavirus isolation. We’ve been cooped up for a few weeks thanks to coronavirus, and it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain a healthy spiritual life. COVID-19 has shaken up our spiritual lives, and taken away many of the systems we rely on to keep us centered and grounded. There’s a lot of information and creative…
Paris… sigh. I’ve been flirting with this blog post for weeks. I hesitated to write it because I wanted to adequately describe the experiences. Then I realized blog posts are never really finished… Last spring, my wife and I visited Paris. The culture there is unlike any city I’ve visited: Creme Brule, croissants, and espresso shots in the afternoons were blissful. I had the best sleep of my life in a quiet hotel that, two hundred years before, served as a convent for Catholic sisters. Fourteen hours… if you wondered. Of course…
Beyond the Collar: Fostering Genuine Connection in Christian Ministry In the vocation of Christian ministry, one encounters a profound and often paradoxical challenge: the mandate to serve authentically within a context where unspoken expectations can feel as binding as any ecclesiastical decree. With reverence and hope, parishioners frequently imagine their clergy as epitomes of moral clarity, unwavering wisdom, and spiritual serenity. Such elevated views, while rooted in respect, inadvertently prompt clergy to assume a “mask”—a crafted persona that aligns with these idealized expectations yet restricts the freedom of authentic self-expression. Drawing from the depths of Anglican theology…
Memorial Day: The Conflicting Feelings of a Combat Officer By Rian Adams Another Memorial Day is here…. I find myself conflicted as usual. On one hand, I’m very thankful to be counted among the living today. It could have easily gone the other way. I’ll confess that I didn’t sleep last night. I’m well aware of the reason. I remember my friends. This morning I made espresso and took medicine that prevents me from dying of seizures. Thanks, Afghanistan, eye roll. I don’t want to take this medicine…
Reflections on Grace: The 62nd Wedding Anniversary of My Grandparents By The Rev. Rian Adams Today my grandparents, both alive and in good health, celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary. I learned many lessons about grace as I watched and reflected on their relationship. I woke up early this morning intending to work on my dissertation that, ironically enough, focuses on a theology of mercy. That’s when it hit me; a great way to understand mercy is to reflect on how amazing people have lived their vocations together these past 62 years. Their love has modeled compassion and…