Associate Pastor at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Husband to Oby Ballinger. Progressive. Math nerd. Gustavus Adolphus College and Yale Divinity School alum.
When Ezra stands before the returned exiles and reads from their sacred scripture words probably none of them had ever heard before, they begin to weep–maybe because they experienced such grief at having lost those good words for so long. … More Rediscovering God’s Promises
Like the wise men, we are invited to choose another way. The wise men had an experience with Jesus that opened their eyes, and they couldn’t possibly go back down the same road they had walked before, the road that only led back to Herod. They went home by another road. And we are invited to do the same today. … More Home by Another Road
In the incarnation, God comes close to us. This is a God who understands the power of being physically present to one another, breathing together, speaking soothing words to one another, and allowing our bodies to respond to each other. … More Christmas Day: The Power of Physical Presence
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by discontent and despair, then Advent is for you. In these four weeks before Christmas we hear again and again that hope triumphs over fear and desperation. The day of the Lord is coming to make all things new. … More The Days Are Surely Coming
Jesus, God in the flesh, shows up. He joins Mary and Martha mourning the death of a brother they have loved, and Jesus cries with them. I don’t know about you, but that is a God I can believe in: one who shows up alongside us, becomes present to us, is in it with us. The God we worship is a God who shows up. … More All Saints Sunday: Jesus Shows Up
Javen Swanson 