Rian Adams Sermon “Shield: Carrying the Weight of God.” Second Sunday of Lent, Year C A shield normally has one job… the difference between life and death can be how well a shield does that job. A shield’s job is to protect. In the Genesis passage God identifies as a shield – protector – to Abram… Gen 15:1 “Abram, I am your shield.” It’s clear from the beginning of the story, God desires a relationship with Abram where God protects and guards him.There are many layers in God’s announcement, “I am…
The Will of God: Jesus, Demons, and Family Drama by The Rev. Rian Adams “But how do I know the will of God?” The woman was extremely distraught. She had to choose between two equally appealing options and genuinely didn’t know what to do. The church where she grew up drilled a certain theology into her that served as a handicap. That theology goes something like this: If you mess up and miss the will of God, it can ruin your life. She meant well, the church who taught her to live in fear probably…
Healing Snakes: Christ and Healing from Bitterness By The Rev. Rian Adams The title says it all! Through the Christ and his love there is healing from bitterness. Today’s lesson is a prime example of how that can happen. When the image of a snake comes to mind it usually carries a negative connotation. I had many lessons as a child about the dangers of snakes. But Jesus, like so many things in the Gospel of John, flips the reader’s preconceived notions to the other side of the coin. Snakes can also be a…
Soul: Finding Identity by W. Rian Adams Lectionary Reading: John 15:9-17, Sixth Sunday After Easter, Year B. Soul identity is confusing. It’s also often faked in light of a desired persona. Listen carefully to this week’s lectionary Gospel and you will hear a call to find the soul’s true identity in God. It is often the challenge of true spirituality to find the true self as rooted in the compassionate Christ. Jesus confronted this in the Pharisees and warned his disciples of the dangers of the false self. The Gospel…
Lectionary Gospel: John 10:11-18 Fourth Sunday after Easter, Year B Mercy By W. Rian Adams I’ve always found “Good Shepherd Sunday” a bit forced. In my experience the church uses this Sunday to show, prove even, that we are in the hands of a good God. A God who will take care of us. The message is, we are the sheep in the Christian fold and Jesus is the good shepherd. While this message is heartwarming and filled with nostalgia, it seems to overlook a small portion of the passage, the “other sheep.” It piques my…