a bible study – Page 7 – 300 words a day

Advent 4: Not what he seems

We went to the mall Saturday morning. After a busy week of people, the emptiness was refreshing. We found Saint John by the coffee shop. I asked him about Matt and Luke. He shook his head and muttered something about wisdom and following stars. I pointed at Starbucks and asked if he needed coffee. “I’ve […]

by Jon Swanson

Advent 3: Incarnation

Saint John of the Mall wasn’t where I expected him to be. He had been by the coffee place. I thought it was his regular place. My friend Brenda knew him, after all. But here he was, sitting in front of The Children’s Place. With his feet out. Where I could trip over them. “They […]

by Jon Swanson

Advent 2: Anticipating a conversation

We have other obligations most Sundays. So it wasn’t until Monday morning that we went walking again. I looked for the man from Saturday. “Saint John of the Mall” Brenda had called him. We started our walk at Red Robin. We tossed our coats on the bench near the door. At 7:00 on the Monday […]

by Jon Swanson

Advent 1: Saint John of the Mall

Nancy and I started walking at the mall a few winters back. It saved our lives. That sounds dramatic, like it kept us from a heart attack. For all we know, it has. But we started talking every day while we walked. And since then, we’ve weathered a variety of life events. Deaths of parents, […]

by Jon Swanson

Affirmation to exiles.

I was out on a run, listening to Chris Brogan. He was talking about helping people feel like insiders, like they matter to your company. I thought about a study we did in 1 Peter the night before. Peter is talking to people living in modern Turkey. According to one commentator, these readers had started as […]