About

Following a couple of decades as a ship inspector, war planner and environmental cleaner-upper, I spent a couple more as a professional wordsmith. I trafficked in words that convince, constrain, protect, explain, sometimes threaten, rarely inspire, and often vex others. Many of them were rules, a form of scripture, I guess, since you had to know and follow them or bad things would happen. (That’s one view of scripture, of course.) I’ve come to understand the power, beauty, futility and unreliability of words, especially my own.

For several years I helped people clean up methamphetamine labs in their houses, apartments and hotels. That was a type of ministry, helping damaged people with limited resources recover part of their lives after financial and spiritual disaster.

In 2015, I earned a Master of Divinity degree at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, and last fall I was ordained to Christian ministry in the United Church of Christ.

My calling is to parish ministry, but while I look for a church I’m working as a chaplain in a level 1 trauma center, bearing witness to trauma, sickness, death, and profound sorrow and loss. I hold hands until sobbing and screaming eases; I whisper words of comfort to people who cannot be comforted; I stay close by and quiet when silence is the only thing that will help. Those nights test me like nothing else has.

Who knew? But please, don’t worry! I’m supported by good clergy friends, a level-headed wife, three smart, tough children and a strong son-in-law, two amazing grandchildren, and a God of unimaginable patience, flexibility, and good humor.

I collect other peoples’ words that I find interesting, meaningful, or entertaining. Please enjoy them, correct them, add to them, attribute them where I’ve failed to do so, and share them if you find them useful.

Rev. Steve Mojonnier, LCDR, USCG (Ret.), Greenwood, Indiana