300 words a day

Not picking on Peter

Picking on Peter is a common pastime for preachers and teachers in church. Peter is seen as impetuous, explosive. He says what he thinks, but he doesn’t think much. And then he ends up in charge. Sometimes, perhaps, people talk about him to excuse our own impetuosity as leaders. “I know I’m headstrong, but look […]

by Jon Swanson

A prayer for the third Sunday of Easter

God. I think that we’re wrong about you, most of us, most of the time. We talk as if you are judging us with plague and pestilence.We talk as if the most important thing to you is gathering in buildings.We talk as if you are most in love with – or least angry at – […]

by Jon Swanson

Who indeed.

In between the man who couldn’t hear and the man who couldn’t see, Jesus taught for three days and then fed 4000 people. In between, a group of Pharisees came asking for proof that God was authorizing all this. Jesus refused. In between, Jesus warned his followers to not become like the Pharisees and Herod, […]

by Jon Swanson

Reading in context.

The other day, one of my grad students reported on a retreat he had taken. Away from interruptions and schedules, he read through the Gospel of Mark. He suggested that we miss the big picture when we are reading a few words, a few sentences at a time. That’s the risk of writing 300 words […]

by Jon Swanson

Leave it alone.

Rich Dixon is learning about letting go. A little. +++ Have you been frustrated when someone doesn’t accept the rationale of your argument? Of course you have. We’ve all had that experience. We lay out the facts in clear, concise order, and the other person refuses to recognize what we perceive as obvious truth. We […]