David W. Swanson

David W. Swanson's (Occasional) Newsletter An intermittent missive mostly about race, justice, and theology from the vantage point of a pastor on the South Side of Chicago.

So, I'll be ducking out for the next 7 weeks but hope to send out a handful of newsletters which you can sign-up for here: buttondown.com/david.w.swan...

Over the years I've landed on a few social media boundaries that have been helpful in keeping these spaces in their proper places:

- no SM before breakfast or after dinner
- no SM on my phone (IG is off unless I've recently posted)
- SM breaks for Advent and Lent

The song sparrows and cardinals were singing enthusiastically this morning.

Studying Revelation 13 for Sunday's sermon: A violent, blasphemous, power-hungry empire animated by Satan and legitimized by deceptive religion.

"Let anyone who has an ear listen." (13:9)

A Plea to Pastors The discipleship opportunity provided by this political moment

Pastor, the hour is late but there is still time to speak up.

buttondown.com/david.w.swan...

Heading out for a few days with the amazing A Rocha USA board.

A Rocha's mission is to live out God’s calling to care for creation and equip others to do likewise. Learn more here: arocha.us

At this point, people who deny the presidential administration's white supremacist assumptions and aims are either willfully ignorant or quietly supportive. The evidence is simply to overwhelming to deny.

I got to hangout with this little downy woodpecker for a few minutes during this morning's sabbath walk through Jackson Park.

Very tasty! I'd increase the spiciness a bit next time. Going to make quesadillas with the leftovers for tonight's dinner.

There are lot of ways a church could respond to the events of last week; this seemed right for our community. Did your church respond? If so, how? 5/5

We then prayed for God's blessing and protection over our children and for the Spirit to make them brave enough to tell the truth, love their neighbors, and live in a way that makes others safe. 4/

We admitted that powerful people's sin can make us afraid, but that Jesus makes us brave and that God's power lives in us through the Holy Spirit. 3/

The president's racism, I told the kids, is sin because it lies about people's worth, disobeys God's command to love our neighbors, and betrays the government's purpose to help people be safe. 2/

Yesterday during worship I invited our kids to reflect on the racist video posted by the president earlier in the week.

I said that the video was racist because it treated a group of people as less-than human than other people. 1/

Would 100% eat that!

Looks amazing! I can smell it from here!

Jalapeño-Corn Dip (Published 2024)

What's everybody bringing to the Super Bowl party? I'm gonna try my hand at this...

cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025...

Reminds me of the Minneapolis pastor who told me about the guy in his church who has started a door-replacement ministry for all the doors ICE agents have kicked in.

Same! The snow this winter has been wonderful.

When the President Is a Racist Telling the truth without getting distracted

"To describe the president as a racist is to say something almost too obvious."

buttondown.com/david.w.swan...

"God is not dead neither doth the ruler of the universe slumber and sleep. As a Nation sows so shall it reap. Men do not gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles. To sow the wind is to reap the whirlwind." - Anna Julia Haywood Cooper (1902)

Believing that preaching the gospel meant staying silent about politics, a generation of pastors – precisely when churches are desperate for moral clarity – find themselves tongue-tied as fascism stares us in the face.

Holy Spirit, open our mouths.

Believing that preaching the gospel meant staying silent about politics, a generation of pastors – precisely when churches are desperate for moral clarity – find themselves tongue-tied as fascism stares us in the face.

Holy Spirit, open our mouths.

Ending the day with a "know your rights" webinar. I'm grateful for Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and other local orgs who train Chicago residents to be good neighbors.

Find trainings here: www.icirr.org/fsn

The widest possible difference... still!

From the conclusion of today's sermon from Revelation 6 and 7, "Sheltered by God."

Good morning preachers! What's your sermon today? I'm coming from Revelation 6-7, "God’s protection outlasts the world’s persecution."

Protesting in Church Exposing hypocrisy and inviting repentance

In today's newsletter, with help from the "kneel-ins" at southern churches in the 1960s, I'm thinking about that anti-ICE church protest in St. Paul.
buttondown.com/david.w.swan...

Al Hsu edited my most recent book with @ivpress.bsky.social and I'll forever be grateful for his careful reading and wise direction. It was good to see Al and others from the IVP team this week at my denomination's conference.

You can find my books with IVP here: www.ivpress.com/david-w-swan...

An authoritarian regime explains the violence it inflicts on its people with propaganda aimed at making those same people just enough less human so as to justify their destruction.