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February 2020

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February 27, 2020

Bonus feature: Elderly exegetics

By Bob Sitze
In Current Events, Soul Searchings, Words
February 27, 2020
5 Min Read
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27February

Today’s entry continues a series of short musings about lectionary texts that may soon appear in your line-of-sight. These thoughts may be helpful in interpreting the appointed lessons with sensitivity to the realities faced by those who are older. MARCH Background This month cradles Lent in its conceptual and emotional hands. This season of the church year seems especially appropriate for olderMORE...

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February 27, 2020

Winking out

By Bob Sitze
In Death/Dying, Pleasure/Pain, Relationships
February 27, 2020
3 Min Read
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Today I just want to share a sad part of growing older: Dealing with the loss of those near and dear. Specifically, those beloved elders from my past who seem to disappear suddenly, like twinkling stars that wink out without much of a trace. This has occurred to me earlier in life—teachers, friends and mentors who have died or descended into illnesses that prohibit communication with them. As IMORE...

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February 24, 2020

Salt of the earth people

By Bob Sitze
In Lifework, Personal Power, Relationships, Words
February 24, 2020
4 Min Read
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24February

A few Sundays back the Gospel was centered on “salt of the earth” and “light for the world” images. Familiar concepts, not all that earth-shattering or snazzy—We are salt and light. That’s a good thing. Go out there and be one of those two. Or both. End of sermon…. Not at our church that day. As part of her homily, our pastor invited us to think about “salt of the earth” people. The folks whoMORE...

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February 21, 2020

Revisiting the Tower of Babel

By Bob Sitze
In Arcania, Current Events, Lifestyle, Soul Searchings
February 21, 2020
3 Min Read
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21February

I’m not a total fan of artificial intelligence. I may be wrong—my intellect does not tower over the rest of humanity—but my older adult warning lights continue to flash: At its foundation, AI is still only an artifice of actual intelligence, perhaps lacking wisdom in its fullest sense. While we benefit from some applications of AI, self-idolatry may be embedded in other sectors of AI’s premisesMORE...

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February 18, 2020

Remembering who you are

By Bob Sitze
In Current Events, Death/Dying, Personal Power, Relationships, Words
February 18, 2020
4 Min Read
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18February

When I’m down on myself—not fully appreciating who I am at this time in life—it’s usually because I’ve forgotten who I have been. Trying to claw my way out of the generalized anxiety that characterizes our society, I’m sometimes not able to rekindle my best self—a fully-functioning creature of God’s own hand. Some of that occurs because I am not fully connected to what God has accomplishedMORE...

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February 14, 2020

The other side of the coin

By Bob Sitze
In Arcania, Current Events, Personal Power, Pleasure/Pain, Words
February 14, 2020
3 Min Read
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14February

(Sometimes I need to look at my older adult life from a lighter side. Today seemed like one of those times, mostly because the news cycle can seem so heavy. So serious and anxious, too. Perhaps you could find your own lightness?) I’m reading an English best-seller written by Angela Kelly, Personal Advisor, Curator and Senior Dresser to Her Majesty the Queen (The Queen’s Jewellery, Insignias andMORE...

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February 10, 2020

Wise elder advice

By Bob Sitze
In Current Events, Personal Power, Relationships
February 10, 2020
4 Min Read
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10February

That’s the invitation seen on a booth at a recent Senior Center event in Amherst, MA. Located at the Amherst College library, this interactive display was sponsored by the Center and the college’s chapter of Rotaract, the young adult branch of the Rotary Club. The intent was simple: To invite conversations between Amherst students and senior citizens in town. The signs on the booth advertisedMORE...

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February 6, 2020

Cleaning out the old people?

By Bob Sitze
In Current Events, Personal Power
February 6, 2020
3 Min Read
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06February

”Cottage Grove church to usher out gray-haired members in effort to attract more young parishioners.” So read the headline of a major metro newspaper a few weeks back. Apparently regional denominational officials had requested that older members of a dwindling congregation vacate their beloved-but-dying church, relocating to the other worship site of this merged congregation. This would allow theMORE...

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Bob Sitze

BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.

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