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Blog postI have conversations with people at difficult times. I offer comfort. I offer words of encouragement. I offer prayer. And then I remind people to eat. It sounds like an odd thing for a chaplain to suggest. But it’s not.
As I often say at the end of funerals, “God built us to need food regularly. God built us to love stories. So we’re gathering for a meal to tell stories about the one we loved and lost.”
The trouble is, when we’re troubled, we forget to eat. And then we get in -
Blog postI was reading the end of Matthew. The actions of disciples are mentioned several times.
The disciples forgot to take bread. The disciples came to Jesus on the side and said, “Why couldn’t we do that?” The disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” The disciples rebuked parents for bringing children to Jesus. The disciples heard Jesus and were astonished. Ten of of the disciples were indignant with two of the disciples. The disciples were amazed w -
Blog postI was reading Matthew for a class. Just reading through the book in a printout that has no chapters, no verse numbers, just the text.
That morning I had started with the disciples running away after Jesus was arrested. In a couple of paragraphs I read this sentence about Pilate: “For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.”
Matthew had just described Pilate’s interview with Jesus. He described the offer that Pilate made to the Jewish leaders: Barabbas or Jesus. -
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Blog post“How are you doing? How’s Nancy?” That’s what we’re hearing these days. With three family deaths in a month – a sister-in-law, and an uncle, and a dad (for Nancy) – there has been much loss, and much grief (which is, simply, our response to loss.)
And the response often is, “Okay” or “As well as expected.”
I know why we say that. And why you do, too. But while I was mowing the yard and writing this post in my head, I started to think about changing the response.
We say -
Blog postI’ve lived in thirteen different places since I was born – living at least one year in each place.
It’s hard to keep up with friends I’ve known across the years and miles.
It’s easy to long for a time when people lived in one place from birth till death. Family and friends were consistent for your whole life. I started to think that God may have intended life to be like that.
But then I thought of Paul in the Bible. He lived in several places. And after he moved on, he -
Blog postI met Tom Kies the summer of 1982. His daughter and I had decided to get married. Sometime in the month between decision and proposal, Tom and Marion and Nancy and I had dinner together. I was nervous. I was a grad student with no real job, about to move to Texas to start my next degree. Our commitment meant that Nancy would join me there sometime soon. We shook hands. The evening went fine.
Tom was a businessman, farming was his business. He grew up on a farm in Michigan that’s now b -
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Blog post
A list from a day, in no particular order, and with little connection between the items.
I envy people who can keep the pieces all straight, keep the thoughts all in line, keep the details and the pattern at their appropriate altitudes in the heart and mind and soul. The majority of us cannot. We often condemn ourselves for not accomplishing work that is up to the standards that no one set for us but our guilt. That’s probably not healthy. Andrew ran 31 miles. I ran 18.6. H -
Blog postThese aren’t my last words. As far as I know. I’m planning to write 300 more tomorrow, and 300 more the day after that. I have every expectation of having many more opportunities for reflection.
But what if I don’t? What if this is my last chance to lay out a framework for thinking, or a suggestion of next steps for growing in faith?
Read Matthew 5-7 to learn how Jesus laid out the way of living for the Kingdom of God.
Read John 13-17 to see what Jesus thought was impo -
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Blog post(This originally appeared in a series on “The Lord’s Prayer” on February 28, 2009)
“You aren’t going to leave me, are you?”
When you are getting to know someone too good to be true, you have questions. You acknowledge their greatness. You ask them for help. You acknowledge your weakness.
Then, after all that, as you are starting to relax a bit, you are suddenly seized with fear. What if they aren’t going to stick around? What if they aren’t going to follow throug -
Blog postDavid had a remarkable career.
He started in the family farming business, taking care of sheep with the rest of the shepherds. It was something that was simple for the youngest son to do.
Then Samuel singled him out, told him that God had chosen him to be king.
Then David got called to the King’s house, was befriended by the king’s son, was the single best military commander of his time. Then he got kicked out by a jealous king and spent years on the run. Where he demo -
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Books By Jon Swanson
A Great Work: A Conversation With Nehemiah For People (Who Want To Be) Doing Great Works
Nov 29, 2013
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