belief – Page 9 – 300 words a day

investment strategies

On Monday, the stock market was going down. Retirement plans were losing value. What was I doing during that time? For an hour or so, a couple of us were talking to a new employee. We talked briefly about retirement plans. He’s young. It isn’t high on his list. We talked way more about how […]

by Jon Swanson

A litany for the last Monday in July

Leader: Our God, it’s Monday. All: Hear our prayer, O Lord. A: I’m empty, O God, as empty as the heart of the widow walking next to the coffin of her only son. Do remember her, Jesus? No options? No hope? You healed her son. Please raise my heart. All: Hear his prayer, O Lord. […]

by Jon Swanson

a letter to a dad.

After reading the post on Monday, about struggling friends, I heard from a friend. He wrote of his child, “I fear he is bent on self destruction and it’s breaking my heart. He is my only son.” Here’s an edited version of what I wrote back: God understands exactly what it is like to have […]

by Jon Swanson

Theology

I’m at a conference. We are debating documents that talk about what we believe. They are written in language that is technically very precise. And hard to understand. I’m sure that theologians, those who study God, would argue that this language is challenging for some, but is necessary to delineate who is on which side […]

by Jon Swanson

Watching fireworks alone.

Hope is sitting on the roof, watching fireworks. She’s alone. I’d feel sad for her, but I did the same thing thirty-five years ago or so. So I feel more melancholy with her than sad for her. It’s that feeling of watching something that is supposed to be communal when you are alone. There are huge […]