February 2015 – Page 2 – 300 words a day

Refining. An image from James.

The first image James buries in the first paragraph of his letter needs a little coaxing out, at least for those of us who speak languages other than Greek. For lots of people, that idea of looking at the Greek makes us shrug and say, “how can anyone know anything about the Bible, if we […]

by Jon Swanson

Starting to read James

I teach about the Bible in lots of settings. Sometimes I have a hard time knowing where to start. For example, a group of us are starting a study of James. It’s a short letter in the New Testament. It’s a great letter to read if you want to defend poor people against rich people. […]

by Jon Swanson

Is it bad luck to tell someone what you are giving up for Lent?

Is it bad luck to tell someone what you are giving up for Lent? No. Luck is mostly not involved at all. On the other hand, there is some research suggesting that telling people your goals can keep you from accomplishing them. And the commitments we make are often a kind of goals. Did Jesus practice […]

by Jon Swanson

How can I recognize the voice of Jesus?

I put a sign on a room at church. Hope saw it months later. She said, “You wrote that sign, didn’t you.” She knows my voice. It is, admittedly, a Jon Swanson sign. It ends with “Thanks”. It has a somewhat amusing parenthetical comment. It explains the reason for the prohibition being made. As a […]

by Jon Swanson

Adding compassion for Lent

“How can I be more compassionate?” she asked. I asked her why. She didn’t seem particularly discompassionate. “I was reading Colossians,” she said. “And I read Paul’s encouragement to clothe ourselves with compassionate hearts. And I realized that I have moments of compassion, but I don’t wear it like a jacket.” I smiled at her […]