Jon C. Swanson's Blog, page 31

Being part of a community of conversation with God.

Years ago, I got migraines. Not often, usually just for a day. They taught me that migraines are awful for those who live with them all the time. (My mom argued that hers stopped when my dad had a stroke. She was freed to care for him. I had no argument for that.)

What I remember about those days was that I became unable to think. I ended up in these little, struggling thought loops. Not the way we worry in the middle of the night, not those loops. But more like trying to align the lyrics ...

On being back

Our flights on Friday went from Frankfurt to O’Hare to Fort Wayne. Back from two weeks of vacation, two weeks of the part of our family that lives in Fort Wayne spending time with the part of our family that now lives in Germany.

But vacation is always tricky. Somewhere between the small German villages, I found a sinus infection, Ben found an ear infection, and we gathered other assorted drainages of nose and throat.

If I were talking to someone else, (if I had the voice to be able to ...

A prayer for the twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

God.

You understand.
You are available.

In the middle of his struggles, Job wasn’t sure.
In the middle of his grief, Job couldn’t find you.

Often, neither can we.

And yet, you promised, Jesus, to be with us even to the end of the age.
You promised, Jesus, to fill us with your Spirit.
You told us, Father, to listen for your voice telling us which way to go.

Pierce our uncertainty with your calm assurance.
Examine our hearts with your desire to give us healing.
Give us your peace as ou...

Presence: and me

“God? Please make them aware of your presence.”

It’s something I ask God often on behalf of others. It’s something I ask when I don’t want to presume that I know what they need.

I could say, and sometimes do, “bring healing to their heart and body and mind.”

I could say, and sometimes do, “provide a job” or “provide a car” or “provide a path”.

But I’m aware that what I see as a need may not be the deepest need. And I assume that God is present always (mostly because Jesus said, “I...

Presence: and absence

Jesus went out of the house, away by himself, early in the morning.

The disciples went looking for him. They wanted him to come back. There were sick people outside Peter’s house, waiting to be healed. He said, “We’re going to other villages. I need to go preach there.”

I’ve always had this picture in my head of Jesus picking his way past the sleeping, snoring disciples, heading out for a time of prayer. I’ve probably written about it. I’m not sure that’s right.

In Luke’s gospel, the...

Responding To Hurt Feelings

Rich Dixon continues his story

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From last time – how to respond when best intentions still cause hurt feelings?

I don’t know the best response, but here’s what I did: I asked the experts at Project Rescue how they presented the notion of justice. Almost immediately, I understood my mistake.

There’s a difference between how society looks at justice and how followers of Jesus look at justice.

Society ought to hold criminals accountable. Because of corruption, political influen...

Presence: and grief

The woman was walking by the coffin, lost in grief. Her husband, gone years ago. Her only son, her only hope, her only support, now heading to the cemetery in that wooden box.

We have a word for widow. We have a word for orphan. We have no simple word for the parent whose child dies. Other than bereft. And that’s what she was.

For all we know, Jesus already knew her. Nain wasn’t far from Cana, from Nazareth, from Capernaum. The roads intersect. Families intersect. Wedding feasts interse...

Presence: and conversation

Jesus asked for water. And had a comparatively long conversation with the woman about cultural conflicts over religion and worship.

The woman asked for healing for her child. And Jesus had a relatively long conversation with her about who could expect what from God.

Martha met him on the edge of town. And Jesus had a relatively long conversation with her about life and death and resurrection.

We notice these interactions these days because they were conversations with women. We see t...

A prayer for the twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

God.

We need you.

We need something or someone to anchor us.
We need something or someone to steady us.
We need something or someone to stop changing all the time.

Because everyone and everything is changing all the time.

We are fretting. On account of evil doers.
And we aren’t sure who the evil doers are anymore.
Because the people we thought we should trust, those in charge, those who you gave charge to, are fully human.
Are they scheming or are they planning?
Are they serving us or y...

Double Answer

The tale of George Muller and his orphanage stands out as a testament to unwavering trust in God.

One crisp morning, the pantry of Muller’s orphanage stood bare, with nothing to feed the 300 hungry children under his care. Yet his faith remained unshaken.

With quiet confidence, he instructed his assistant to seat the children at the dining tables. The little ones, unaware of the empty kitchen, settled in their chairs, waiting. Muller then bowed his head and offered a gentle prayer, thankin...