Jon C. Swanson's Blog, page 38

A picture or two.

Some of you know that every Sunday when I walk into the hospital to work, I send a photo to Instagram and Facebook. “Happy Sunday” is what I write. For a couple years, every time I went for a run, I posted a photo of a coffee mug on the railing of our deck. It was my way of telling a friend I was running. It was a way to be accountable to him, and, if there were too many gaps, permission for him to ask how I was doing. At the end of most shifts, I send Nancy a photo of my foot, walking down ...

One Child

As Rich Dixon is in the middle of the 2024 edition of the Freedom Tour, he’s taking us back to the first one.

+++

Now that FREEDOM TOUR 2013 is underway, I’ll offer a few stories to reflect some of the laughs and learnings.

At the beginning, I was plagued by a vague sense of futility. We were supporting 22 kids in one safe house. Meanwhile, more than 30 million humans live under the burden of modern-day slavery. More than 100,000 U.S. children are trafficked into prostitution every ...

What isn’t there time for?

I was running Sunday morning before work. I heard Kate Bowler telling a story about walking out of a faculty meeting. “I don’t have time for this,” she said.

She was in her cancer treatments. She was acutely aware of the unprojectability of time. And the endless discussions that happen, even at distinguished places like Duke Divinity School, are sometimes not worth the time.

+++

When people talk to me about working as an administrative pastor in a church in contrast to working as a h...

God wasn’t looking for a new house.

David had a remarkable career.

He started in the family farming and ranching 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 demons...

A prayer for the sixteenth Sunday in ordinary time

God.

We tell you all the time what we want from you.
We tell you all the time what we will do for you to get it.
We tell you all the time what it means that you aren’t doing what we want you to do after we’ve told you what we are going to do for you.

“If you heal my dad,” we say, “I’ll do anything for you.”

“I’ve been really faithful,” we say. “I should have that job.”

“I’m doing what you told him to do,” we say. “Where’s my blessing.”

I’m sorry, God,
on behalf of all of us who ha...

Care, or cure, of souls.

Hi friends-

Recently, I’ve been writing with a friend who is in a course about pastoral care. I told him that I think about my work these days, particularly in chaplaincy, in terms of the “cure of souls” as Eugene Peterson wrote about pastoral care. (I wrote about his idea a dozen years ago, and sometimes I say ‘care of souls’.) My friend asked me what I meant. Here’s what I said:

+++

Here’s what I think it means.

In contrast to counseling (guiding people from problems to answers)...

Blessing.

Hi friends-

The other day, a couple of us had the opportunity to visit with part of a nursing team that serves moms and babies in high-risk pregnancies and births. It’s a team that I wish had been in existence thirty-five years ago. I’m grateful for them now. (I talked about our story in “Bearing withness“.)

About ten of us gathered in a conference room, heard about the stories for that day, and then I said these words to the team:

+++

I understand the heritage of the blessing of ...

A Family Affair

As FREEDOM TOUR 2013 rolls out of Cheyenne, I should tell you a bit about some special team members.

Colin and Teagan, 2 teenagers, joined the ride with their dad, Patrick, who hoped for a bonding experience with his sons.

Maybe not all that unusual, except – while others on the team rode sleek, light road bikes, the boys would use heavier, less aerodynamic MOUNTAIN BIKES.

Mountain bikes are not intended for long rides. Only teenage boys would consider cranking 500 miles, including ...

Write about being kind.

Hey friend-

Last week, as I was thinking about writing again, I made a note: “Write about being kind. Or being helpful.” And now as I’m trying to figure out what to say to you, I’m not being kind. To myself.

It’s a funny word. It doesn’t feel like an American word, actually. We hear about being independent and bold and generous (sometimes). But kind doesn’t get a lot of press.

Which is unfortunate.

In one of his letters, in a list of things to do and to not do, Paul writes, “Be ki...

In a quiet boat full of water.

Hey friend.

A couple weeks ago, our Sunday texts were about Jesus in the boat with the disciples, in the storm. And about Paul telling the church in Corinth about the ways he’d persevered:  “in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness.”

The disciples in that story had said, “Don’t you care if we drown.”

But Paul knew, like the disciples learn...