advent – Page 7 – 300 words a day

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

Water and wine with Jesus and John.

(First published December 3, 2014) John 2:1-11 “What was the first time we saw through the skin and saw a glimpse of something more?” The old man shifted slightly on the chair. “That’s easy. Water into wine.” “We’d had conversations with him. He shocked Nathaniel with his mind-reading or whatever it was. But at the […]

by Jon Swanson

Getting ready for company

First published December 7, 2014 (Luke 10:38-42) They ate in Bethany that day, Jesus and the disciples. I am sure of it. They all ate a meal prepared by Martha. Perhaps it was the best meal she ever fixed. Certainly it was the most peace-filled meal. You may know the first part of the story. […]

by Jon Swanson

Christmas.

I struggle with “Merry Christmas” as a greeting. Though I throw words away all the time, I like to greet people in the way that they wish to be greeted. It’s a way of acknowledging that I see them and care about them. I often say “Good morning” in the afternoon. People think I’m confused. […]