JONATHAN C DOW

The God Who is Willing to Go There

A few years ago, my wife and I were privileged to spend a long birthday weekend in South Carolina with two other couples. The large lakehouse was cozy and beautiful and the fellowship was rich and nourishing to my soul.

On one of our afternoon trips, we explored an incomplete railroad tunnel dug by hand into Stumphouse Mountain. The . . .

Read More

January 01, 2022

A Lesson in the Clouds

A number of years ago, amidst a season of physical, emotional, and spiritual burnout, I was asked to minister at a funeral. "Perfect," I thought sarcastically, "A dead man ministering at a funeral." Drowning in negativity from the seemingly incessant discouragement that I had been experiencing, the inability to find a . . .

Read More

May 01, 2021

How Long, O Lord?

I have a friend, a dear "mom" in the faith to me, who suffers from chronic pain. Though some days are better than others, she lives with a baseline of palpable discomfort. And while the empowering grace on her life to persevere in joyful faith is a powerful testimony to many, compassion in me often prompts the lament of the . . .

Read More

March 01, 2021

Awakening

I want it... and I need it

Not too long ago, I came across a video capturing the moment an infant's cochlear implant was activated. Appearing to be uncomfortable with the sound processor attached to his head, the baby squirmed in his mother's lap. In the background, the audiologist explained what was about to happen and then signaled that the receiver was now turned . . .

Read More

May 01, 2020

I'd Never Forget You - Never

I am blessed to have awesome siblings by blood and by marriage. Being the rebel who moved south 20 years ago, I missed out on the laborious tasks they all undertook as our mom transitioned from Pennsylvania to Maine, back to PA, then back to Maine, to now residing in a beautiful care facility on an oceanic waterway. Going through the . . .

Read More

February 01, 2019

The Closure of No Closure

One recent Sunday, our pastor preached from Deuteronomy 34. Preparing us for impending pastoral change, he invited us to embrace the journey to the Promised Land knowing that God's unwavering faithfulness will carry us through the pervasive uncertainty of leadership transition. As he read the passage, my heart became snagged . . .

Read More

July 07, 2018

Divine First Aid

A hymn, a promise, and an invitation

In his hymn, "Sweet Hour of Prayer," William W. Walford poetically testified, "In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief." I am mindful that for many of us, those "seasons of distress and grief" often come without warning. A middle-of-the-night phone call, a sudden health crisis, an unforeseen large expense, a . . .

Read More

December 14, 2017

Archive

This update link alerts you to new Silvrback admin blog posts. A green bubble beside the link indicates a new post. Click the link to the admin blog and the bubble disappears.

Got It!