If you value people who are older—and also your own aging—these entries will help you rejoice in the fullness of this stage of life: its gritty realities, secret joys, hidden spirituality and cherished moments—reasons to be grateful that old age is always a gift from God!
(The following entry is inspired by Jean Francois-Millet’s famous painting, “Angelus”. It depicts an elderly farming couple coming to the end of their workday with a moment of standing-in-the-field prayer.) Like many of you, Chris and I share words of spoken gratitude before our evening meal. Sometimes called “grace,” these varied prayers involve just the two of us, so they may seem small andMORE...
One truism about older adulthood is that some of our life-decisions may now lead toward possible dead-ends. Places where no good choices remain, realities from which we cannot escape. (Familiar examples: Smoking from a young age, ignoring good health habits or spending beyond our means.) This truth leads me to wonder what might be happen when we finally realize that we’ve come to any ofMORE...
One truism about older adulthood is that some of our life-decisions may now lead toward possible dead-ends. Places where no good choices remain, realities from which we cannot escape. (Familiar examples: Smoking from a young age, ignoring good health habits or spending beyond our means.) This truth leads me to wonder what might be happen when we finally realize that we’ve come to any of life’sMORE...
In case you haven’t noticed it, a significant segment of our nation’s economy is based on the promotion of scorn as an attitudinal pre-requisite for life as we know it. This industry includes bloviators and scorn stars, certainly, but there’s also money to be made in other segments of this burgeoning enterprise. (Here think of politicians ratcheting up hate speech to encourage campaignMORE...
I’m not sure about the most recent source of this observation, but it seems important to reiterate it right now: Much of what’s good about our society rests on the dedication and expertise of public servants. Government employees are similar in many ways to skilled workers in any enterprise. Their work often requires long hours under difficult circumstances. They weave their modest efforts intoMORE...
As the years have passed, I have been getting shorter. Leaping over tall buildings has become more difficult, as has keeping my mind in good shape inside of this smaller body. It’s incredible how exercise, diet, sleep and loving relationships have so far kept my overall spirit from withering. I’m grateful for that blessing. One matter that has dogged my mental well-being, though, has been theMORE...
(In worship a few Sundays back, the *Triple Praise Thanksgiving for the Table—written by liturgical poet Gail Ramshaw—included the phrase, “The saints pull us into their presence.” Today, some reflections sparked by those words.) Ramshaw evoked the picture of saints—now living in the glories of Heaven—going about their daily work. (“What do saints do now?” I wondered.) In some parts of ChristianMORE...
(The legendary characteristics of an ill-tempered elderly male are well-known to me—traits and behaviors that I exhibited a few weeks ago. Not one of my proudest moments. Perhaps these reflections might be helpful….) Given my life circumstances in this era of grumpy political leaders, crabbiness might seem to have some legitimacy. Like you, I live in testy times, so it seems fair to join in theMORE...
Over about six years now, I’ve grown increasingly wary about elements of daily life that have shown themselves as potentially dangerous. The ascendancy of a treacherous autocrat started the process, continuing with his tumultuous years as presumed leader of the free world. A variety of near-thefts of my online identity added to my cautious spirit, as did several widespread hacks of enterprisesMORE...
(Some additional “greater good” thoughts didn’t find their way into the previous entry. Here’s the rest of what was rattling around in my brain.) Greater-good-seeking will always remain risky, difficult work. Still, this way of living is worth pursuing because of its inherent worth, its benefits and outcomes. The value of seeking the greater good seems obvious: more people benefit from more ofMORE...
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.