chaplain – 300 words a day

Looking for Jesus

“Excuse me,” I said as I walked into the room. “I’m looking for Jesus. I heard that he might be here.” The woman shook her head. “Jesus hasn’t been here for years. Who’s asking?” I smiled. “I’m Jon. I’m one of the chaplains here. Someone said that Jesus might be in this room.” She looked […]

by Jon Swanson

Pick one thing. Do it well.

“I’m completely stuck,” I said. “When you say ‘completely’,” Tim said, “What do you mean? That you sit in one place, permanently unmoving?” I wanted to nod, but I understood the irony of having the capacity to walk into Lystra Tea Company and to order a medium bold and to have the money to pay […]

by Jon Swanson

A moment of peace.

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40. A few months ago, I met a family in ER. The family had been in an accident that could have been tragic, but wasn’t. However, […]

by Jon Swanson

Moving outside the room.

In our hospital, we have a chapel. Chaplains offer a weekly service in the chapel. It’s sent to all the rooms by closed-circuit video, and is available for anyone who would like to attend a service. We prepare a service, which includes Bible passages from the Revised Common Lectionary. The service includes a responsive reading […]

by Jon Swanson

learning while saying a little prayer.

“As a pastor I was charged with, among other things, teaching people to pray, helping them to give voice to the entire experience of being human, and to do it both honestly and thoroughly.” That’s what Eugene Peterson wrote. Give people a sense of what is possible and acceptable and available. Give them a sense […]