chaplain – Page 8 – 300 words a day

just go

I was sitting in the chaplaincy office the other day when a colleague came in. He passed on a request that he had received from a patient. We talked about some other work things. And then. “How are you doing,” my friend said. “How’s the family? How’s your running? Were you training for a marathon […]

by Jon Swanson

Bill and Amy.

“This is Chaplain Jon responding to a page.” “The patient is dying. The doctor would like you here.” I found the patient’s wife in a consult room. She was tearful. I heard about their relationship. I heard about Bill’s love and compassion. I heard about what a chaplain hears about when the news is scary. […]

by Jon Swanson

Emotional triage

Some chaplain days have no space. The pager calls you to the emergency department three times in fifteen minutes. The pager calls you to three deaths in three hours. The pager calls you to two patient rooms for conversations in the same fifteen minutes and the same three hours. On those days, I’m learning about […]

by Jon Swanson

A mid-week renewal.

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. Psalm 119:36-37 My week is oriented toward weekends. I work as a hospital chaplain every Sunday. I work Friday or Saturday, Monday or Tuesday. Sometimes four out of the five. […]

by Jon Swanson

Everyone is spiritual.

What if everyone is spiritual just as everyone is physical, as part of being human? Not just people who are already following Jesus. And including people who are following Jesus. What if everyone has spiritual temperaments, personality traits? Not just people who have been given that personality after they start praying. Think about it for […]