Soul Healing By W. Rian Adams Lectionary Gospel: John 15:1-18 Fifth Sunday after Easter, Year B Listen carefully in this Gospel reading for the opportunity to find soul healing. It reads, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit…
The Rose: Poetry by Rian Adams Rose is an encouragement for us to open up and to risk vulnerability. First of all it’s scary to open up. However, if we are willing to try we might not regret it. Sure, opening up always incurs risk. It’s true that the rose bud never knows how the weather will be outside. But in the end, the real growth point is to overcome our fears and simply live free. Plus, you never know what the weather is like unless you open your heart and test the wind. As…
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…