The Law of Love: How Compassion Can Change Your Life. Sermon Fifth Sunday After Pentecost.

The Law of Love: How Compassion Can Change Your Life. Sermon Fifth Sunday After Pentecost. Sermon for the Fifth Sunday After Pentecost. The Law of Love. By The Rev. Rian Adams – Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church Have you ever wondered how to spot a hypocrite? It’s possible to spot them in their natural habitat… hiding behind religious rules instead of living the law of love.  That happened in today’s Gospel lesson. It mentions three religious leaders who all chose the rules over compassion. A lawyer, a Levite, and a priest. A Lawyer was a…

“Shield: Carrying the Weight of God” a sermon by Rian Adams

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…

Reimagining the Ministry of Jesus: A Ministry of Mercy

Reimagining the Ministry of Jesus by The Rev. W. Rian Adams  I’m going to be direct here, as long as there has been religion there have been people using it to create rules. These rules often damage others psychologically and spiritually. I propose a reimagining of the ministry of Jesus in light of the suffering around us and thereby offering the love that has so popularized the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Michael Curry. In this lectionary reading, Mark teaches a valuable lesson: it’s healthy to go against the grain of religion in order…

Healing From Bitterness: Christ and the Good Snakes

  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…

Mercy: Thoughts on the Good Shepherd by Rian Adams

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…