Fr. Jon Jordan

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:27:57 -0500

I have found myself on a bit of a Michael Crichton bender; I finished Jurassic Park this week, and then started and finished Prey.

Then what happened? A junior in our school came to my office today to talk about his Capstone paper topic for the year: de-extinction and its ethical implications.

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:51:55 -0500

Currently reading: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 📚

In prep for an impromptu book club later this month. The movie is one of my all-time favorites; finding it hard to put the book down!

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:50:28 -0500

A consolation on the morning after a disheartening performance by an otherwise excellent USMNT:

Great World Cup teams have already been knocked out of this tournament, and for the first time since I’ve started following soccer, the US is one of them.

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 22:08:11 -0500

An ordered list of World Cup teams I am pulling for this summer, to be updated as teams are eliminated.

USA plus two motherlands, along with nations in which people we love live or for whom players we admire play.

~~🇺🇸 (16)~~
~~🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (4) ~~
~~🇩🇪 (32)~~
~~🇸🇳 (32)~~
~~🇭🇷 (32)~~
~~🇰🇷 (Group Stage)~~

Reading St. Paul with Dylan, Screwtape, and the Didache (Proper 8 Sermon 2026)

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 10:32:32 -0500

I invite you to begin this sermon by closing your eyes, so that you can use your imagination to bring a scene to life. (If you are used to closing your eyes in the middle of a long sermon, then consider this invitation to do so right from the start a gift from me to you!)

Here is the scene:

You live on a small homestead right on the border of two competing Landlords. It’s quaint, but it usually provides what your family needs to survive, even after accounting for your Master’s share of the crops. It’s next to a river, which is wonderful outside of flooding season.

The river means something, not just to you and your family, but to your Landlord. That river is the barrier between his kingdom and the neighboring Lord. It always has been. As far back as you know, these two opposing Lords have been planted squarely where they are, divided by a river.

Your Landlord is not kind, to put it mildly. When he wants to wage war against other Lords he forces you into his service, with all sorts of threats if you refuse. Ruin your crops, burn down your house, kill your children. You know, Landlord types of threats.

And so you comply. He says jump, you say “how high and may I come back down now, sir?” No matter the cost.

Because while he is cruel, you also believe he is right. You trust what he says about the Landlord on the other side of the river.

That the Lord across the river is the real tyrant. That he is out to cramp your style, to make you live a life of boredom and prudishness—constantly telling you to stop doing what you want and start doing what he wants.

Your current Master has no delusions about his own harshness, but you believe him when he says that at least he allows you to follow your desires wherever they take you.

As long as you occasionally join with him in following his desires wherever they take him.

To an outside observer you are clearly enslaved to your Master. You may even know this deep down. But the fear of what other sort of tyranny dwells on the other side of the river keeps you where you are.

You have done things for your Master that make you ashamed … but at least he leaves you to the devices and desires of your own heart most of the time.

We’ll pause the story here to make a point. (You can open your eyes if you have not nodded off yet.)

Scenes like this have happened in every generation of human history. As the story began, perhaps many of you pictured an ancient roman landscape—something like the recurring glimpses of Russel Crow’s homestead in The Gladiator—while others of you may have found yourself picturing what you imagine life in the Middle Ages to look like. Still others might have in mind what we consider to be a more modern scene, like occupied Poland in World War II.

Whatever cinematic or historical or literary scene you saw in your mind, you likely also noticed something familiar in the story.

This vignette captures something true about the human experience. A reality that we find ourselves in on a cosmic scale, which is why we have seen it play out in every human society. It is the scene inside our own hearts.

We know what it means to serve a cruel master that we don’t know how to quit.

We know the feeling that we must indulge our appetites whether they are good for us and those around us or not. That we must take what is ours regardless of the ripple effect it may have on others. That we must run down whatever path pride, envy, wrath, gluttony, lust, sloth, and greed invite us to follow.

Regardless of the hesitation we feel at times to go down those roads, and the resolve we try to muster up within ourselves to change, we find ourselves believing the lie that our limbs and joints and mind and heart must serve our own desires.

It would appear that this is simply what it means to live as a human person.

In his letter to Christians living in first century Rome, St. Paul recognizes that this way of life is the default. It is what we find ourselves trapped in.

Sin is our Master. We must obey. Our bodies and minds and hearts must serve our own desires and the desires of the evil one.

But St. Paul’s message in this part of Romans is this: All of this would remain true—it would be our inescapable reality—if it were not for Jesus of Nazareth.

The Messiah came to establish his kingdom here and now. And in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, he invites all of humanity to cross the river to live under his rule. A kingdom in which temperance, fortitude, justice, wisdom, faith, hope, and love replace the vices we formerly embraced.

Earlier in this chapter, St. Paul tells us that our baptism was not merely a sweet ceremony that meant a lot to our family and the church.

It was a death. A dying to a former master.

In our baptism we crossed a river, leaving behind our service to our former master. And we setup a new homestead, pledging fidelity to a new master.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey your passions. Do not yield the members of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield your whole self to God as someone who has been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness.

Yield your whole self to God.

We are a freedom-loving people. Which means that we can be quick to misunderstand what Christian freedom means.

It absolutely means freedom from slavery to sin and the evil one. But Christian freedom does not mean to be without a Master.

In the Gospels, Jesus tells us that we cannot serve two masters. But this morning St. Paul reminds us that we also cannot serve zero Masters.

As Bob Dylan—one of the wise sages of our age—puts it:

Well, it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Our new Master, the Lord on the other side of the River, is a good Master.

Our old master was lying to us about him, and in many ways is still trying to lie to us about him. He tells us that God wants to limit who we are and who we will be; that he wants to restrain us, to hold us back. That by serving God we will become shells of who we could be if we were to follow our own desires without restraint.

But that simply is not the case; in fact, reality is quite the opposite.

In The Screwtape Letters, a seasoned demon writes letters of advice to a junior demon as he seeks to tempt his human patient away from God.

In one of those letters, the demon Screwtape is ashamed to admit that:

“To us a human is primarily food; our aim is the absorption of its will into ours, the increase of our own area of selfhood at its expense. But the obedience which God demands of men is quite a different thing. One must face the fact that all the talk about His love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as we demons would gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth.

… We want cattle who can finally become food; He wants servants who can finally become sons.”

It is by renouncing our former Master, and embracing our new one as Lord that we are set on the path to become more, not less, of who we were made to be.

When you were slaves of sin, you were “free” from righteousness. But what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life.

I’ll close with the opening line of an ancient discipleship manual called the Didache, used in the early church to prepare adult converts for Baptism—for the crossing of the river from the domain of a former master, into the domain of Our Lord.

“There are two Ways, one of life, and one of death. And great is the difference between them.”

There are two Ways.

You, Christian, have crossed through the River and now serve a Good Master. Do not turn back to the way you used to live; do not seek to return to your old master. That Way leads to destruction and death.

Embrace your new Master; live out your Baptism with your mind, your heart—even your body—this week, and watch as you become more fully who you were created to be. Amen.

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 08:53:59 -0500

Currently consulting Bob Dylan’s commentary on Romans 6:12-23 as I prep for Sunday.

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 22:19:28 -0500

I understand what is and what is not at stake in this match. But I find myself squarely on the audere est facare end of the spectrum. So I say send Pulisic in and win the match for the glory of the game and the pride of the nation. 🇺🇸⚽️

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:33:19 -0500

The Christian Union Sports Club (Colombia) putting the beautiful in the beautiful game.

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:00:51 -0500

Back to home and work after a summer trip with my school followed by a beautiful vacation with the family.

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:59:16 -0500

My book, Rhythms of Habit: Cultivating Virtue Through Christian Time, is now available for pre-order! It is about virtues as moral muscles, habits as exercises for those muscles, and the church year as an annual prescription of habits to strengthen all the right virtues.

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 06:26:30 -0500

From a “history of ideas” perspective, the number of people who have stood within this frame and spoke words that have changed the way humans view the world is astounding.

The Agora, Areopagus, and Acropolis.

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 03:36:14 -0500

Standing at the site of one of the most beautifully contextualized sermons of the New Testament.

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 06:27:01 -0500

Just got word that the subtitle for Rhythms of Habit is being changed to Cultivating Virtue Through Christian Time. Grateful to have a sharp editor who helped improve the flow of the book and made this excellent suggestion. Pre-order in the weeks to come; more info about the book here.

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 21:05:11 -0500

Waking up at 4am in Greece to watch the USMNT after getting settled in our hotel at 1am has paid off. Watching alone, but with a beautiful sunrise approaching.

The own goal was forced by USA’s attacking pressure. Great confidence boost to see that play of early if match.
I am excited for what De Zerbi is doing as Tottenham’s manager, but my goodness I miss seeing Poch on the touchline.
Good creative freedom in the attack - key players given the green light to float and look for opportunities to exploit.
Ream and Richards solid first half holding the back line.
The weight on Pulisic’s pass for the second goal was as good as they get.
Some really great through balls in the first half.
Love the high press. Not leading to many turnovers yet but exactly what you want to see from a team playing in front of a home crowd with a lead.
Dest has complete control of the right wing in attack. Putting on a clinic.
Ream’s defensive header from his knees deserves a hat tip from all middle-aged men watching.
Criticism that “Balogun has great hold up play but can’t finish” was just smashed into the upper 90. Beautiful cut back and finish.

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:11:09 +0300

“I’ve been sent here for your Negroni” is all I had to say. Does not disappoint!

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 18:02:34 +0300

Worshiped in Italian at Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista. Being in a Roman Catholic parish speaking a different tongue did not stop us from recognizing the liturgy and (almost) following along.

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 16:59:34 +0200

Proud of our family for completing the Sentiero Azzuro between Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza. Our kids were by far the youngest hikers out this morning, and powered through some pretty steep inclines.

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 08:16:33 +0200

We started our trip praying in the ruins of a 14th century church, and we ended with Evening Prayer and holy unction in the Little Chapel at the hermitage of St. Francis of Assisi. Beautiful bookends for a wonderful school trip.

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 01:59:19 -0500

An ordered list of World Cup teams I am pulling for this summer, to be updated as teams are eliminated.

The US of A plus two motherlands, along with nations in which people we love live or for whom players we admire play.

🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ~~🇩🇪 (32)~~ 🇸🇳 🇭🇷 ~~🇰🇷 (Group Stage)~~

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:33:45 +0200

They don’t make instruction manuals like they used to.

Sat, 30 May 2026 19:23:45 +0200

Evening Prayer to kick off our Rhetoric School visit to Rome in the ruins of the youngest church we will visit throughout the trip.

San Nicola a Capo di Bove, dedicated in AD 1303.

Fri, 22 May 2026 22:21:40 +0200

✅ Submit final manuscript for Rhythms of Habit.

Tue, 19 May 2026 16:48:17 +0200

This looks to be the final version of the beautiful cover my wife designed for Rhythms of Habit!

Mon, 18 May 2026 20:28:21 +0200

Very glad for Petar Musa as he earned a spot on Croatia’s World Cup roster. He has been on fire for FC Dallas this season, and I’m excited to see him play this summer. As you can tell, we are basically best friends because Zoë and I saw him walking through the stadium last season.

Headmaster's Address for the Class of 2026

Mon, 18 May 2026 12:54:33 -0500

Seniors, I have to be honest with you. I wrote you each a letter that you received on Thursday morning. I then shared another letter with you all at dinner on Thursday night. And now I am standing here to share one final word with you before you walk across this stage.

I’m running out of things to say!

But I have the microphone, and I love you, so I’d like to offer two final thoughts.

You are less than one hour away from becoming entirely ordinary again.

You have been a Senior all school year. Our youngest students see you in your blazers and they think you hung the moon. You spoke in Noonday Prayer, you painted your parking spots, you chose the Homecoming Week dress up themes, you let us all wear jeans and college shirts for a week, you were honored at AT&T stadium, you have had parties and dinners and dinners and parties.

You might even be a little tired of it by now.

All of these things were good.

But at around 3:30pm today, you become ordinary again.

And that is a good thing.

Because God uses ordinary people.

That was Final Thought Number One. Here is Final Thought Number Two.

Leslie Newbigin, a Scottish missionary and theologian who wound up serving as a Bishop in the Church of South India, was once told the following by a Hindu scholar he encountered:

I can’t understand why you missionaries present the Bible to us in India as a book of religion. It is not a book of religion—and anyway we have plenty of books of religion in India. We don’t need any more! I find in your Bible a unique interpretation of universal history, the history of the whole of creation and the history of the human race. And therefore a unique interpretation of the human person as a responsible actor in history. That is unique. There is nothing else in the whole religious literature of the world to put alongside it.

The Christian Scriptures are not a collection of compelling one-liners to live by, though you will find plenty of words of wisdom in them. The Christian Scriptures are not a collection of books aimed at telling you exactly how to live your life. The Christian Scriptures are not even primarily a collection of texts that tell the history of our faith.

So what are they?

The Christian Scriptures are what God has chosen to reveal to humanity about Reality Itself. They tell us what is. They are not the Christian story, or a presentation of Christian theology, or a handbook for Christian folks.

They are the story of Ultimate Reality. And through them, God himself beckons us to get on board with Reality. At the center of Reality itself is the Triune God.

Holding all things together.

Holding You together.

Up to this point, you have been in the good hands of your parents, and your church, and your school.

I want you to remember always that you leave this place in the hands of the One who held you before your parents even knew that you existed.

Now, let’s graduate.