Jon C. Swanson's Blog, page 35

Dog walking

Ben, our grandson, walks things. He walks a sled, pulling it behind him down the sidewalk. He pulls a wagon, one that his grandfather had. He pushes a tiny mower. He walks alongside the real mower (with the battery out). 

Often, he helps us, convinced that his activity helps. Sometimes it does, even if I have to clean up some of the coffee grounds. Often, he’s learning to be with.

These days, he walks a puppy. It’s cut from wood, covered with printed paper, with large plastic wheels on ...

Don’t Blame Me

Rich Dixon is talking about help.

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Climbing fences wasn’t meant as a tradition.

Perhaps you remember when I accidentally sent our first team fence-climbing in a snake-infested field. On our second tour in 2014, the locked gate in a random spot across a perfectly good bike trail wasn’t my fault.

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I included this among our 2014 team discussion prompts:

Suppose you noticed someone in obvious distress holding a sign proclaiming:

PLEASE DON’T HELP .

What would you d...

a caring boss.

So. Here’s the thing. When I wrote yesterday, I took a phrase from a sentence. “Heartily, as to the Lord.”

A friend pointed out how many people, particularly in ministry, are exhausted, are disheartened. I understand. With fifteen years on a church staff, and a bunch of other time as a volunteer in churches, the expectations that we create in churches are awful.

When people talk to me about being a chaplain, I explain that people always get upset. It’s what people do. But I’d rather hav...

What do I do?

The scenario was familiar. A person who just graduated from college wanted to talk. They were wondering what to do next. And wanting to know what God wants.

Not wanting to choose wrong, not wanting to miss some sign, concerned that there hasn’t been a vision on the Damascus Road, or a calling in the middle of the night.

I don’t blame the person for the teaching and expectations that have been set. Listening to chapel speakers for four years telling stories about visions and callings cre...

A prayer for the twenty-first Sunday in ordinary time

God.

I have asked you this week for an awareness of your presence and your peace and your courage. And sometimes, for healing.

In the presence of terrified people and sad people, I’ve asked.

And today we together ask again.

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But we want to ask with right hearts and minds.

And I confess, we confess, we’re often not thinking and feeling in accord with you.

When we read Paul’s words, his direction to put on armor, we sometimes imagine we are fighting people. That we are c...

Somedays two thoughts are better than one.

A couple thoughts for a Friday morning.

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A week ago, I let you know about at GoFundMe for a handcycle for Rich Dixon. Between all the people, it took less than a week for the money to all come in. Thank you for each of you that was part of that support.

I talked to Paul Merrill the other day (our First Friday writer) who is part of a film on the life of Hudson Taylor. Taylor was a missionary in China (among other things) and lived generously toward others, depending on God for p...

Two more steps in wisdom.

The other day we were talking about wisdom. And talked about living intentionally (as Rich talked about yesterday) and not being foolish. Here are a couple more things.

Third, Paul writes, be filled with the spirit instead of being drunk to distraction.

We can turn our wisdom over to substances that so remove inhibitions that we cannot act wisely. We see it regularly in the ER. People who have so lost their connection to how things really are that they drive into ditches and other vehi...

Got Milk?

From Rich Dixon:

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Remember our tiny seven-person team for year one of the FREEDOM TOUR?

I was humbled, and bit intimidated, as I faced the initial “Helmets Up” circle for year two. This herd would ride the first day, then a 15-person team would complete the 500-mile journey.

I sent this parable to our team members in advance, along with a few reflection questions.

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There’s a story of a mom (back in the day) who gave her little boy some money and asked him to ride his...

A couple steps toward living wise.

Yesterday, I alluded to Solomon’s request for wisdom. Sometimes, I think, we wait for wisdom to come, assuming that we’re not part of the process.

In a letter to a group of people he knew and loved and respected, Paul said “Live as wise.”

Knowing that the times are bad, live as wise.

What did he mean? We can see at least five things in his words to them and to us. We’ll talk about a couple of them today.

First, be careful how you live, live intentionally. One of my coworkers oft...

Looking for wisdom.

It’s a dream that we’d all love to have. God appears to us and says, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

We have to offer a little context. Solomon had gone to worship God. Solomon had offered a thousand sacrifices. So Solomon’s heart and actions are already oriented toward God. (Read the story in 1 Kings.)

But we can imagine that question at different times.

When David’s son was ill and he was praying night and day for him, the answer to the question “Ask for whatever you ...