This entry is part of an occasional series in which metaphorical ideas find their way onto your screen. Its roots are simple: When you look with fresh eyes, there may be life lessons to find in just about anything. Today: Unraveling or pruning? It’s tempting to think that life as we know it is unraveling. Current events seem to warrant that assumption: Russia’s war on Ukraine (and on the existingMORE...
(Today’s blog is different: It outlines a unique offer that might benefit your congregation’s leaders—insights and motivation that could arise from shared conversation about the book, Stewardshift: An Economia for Congregational Change. I can make the offer because I wrote the book….) THE BOOK It’s unlike most other books about “stewardship”: A rereading of the biblical roots and dimensions ofMORE...
Based on my mind-melds with doctors whom I follow mindlessly—I’m talking Drs. Oz, Phil and Seuss—I am convinced that my psyche needs more pity. Raw, unadorned sympathy—the kind that has others thinking, “I may have it bad, but look at that miserable Bob Sitze—How does he find any joy in life?” To help elicit your kind commiseration, these details: Because I wear a mask for untold hours, I have toMORE...
This blog is the final entry in a series exploring the ideals and behaviors of bullies. Today I look at the possibility that I, too, am prone to bullying behaviors. Jesus talked about taking the wooden beam out of one’s eye before noticing and condemning the sawdust speck bothering someone else’s vision. (See Matthew 7:1-5.) This teaching probably applies to the bullying I see in others—and toMORE...
One of the benefits of COVID quarantining is the opportunity for quiet time—being present in a setting that excludes noisy busyness. I have taken advantage of that possibility several times during various phases of the pandemic. A few days ago, the benefits of an outdoor evening’s tranquility came into focus with the realization that what I was experiencing—seemingly nothing—was filled withMORE...
This spring and summer, I’ve not been a good steward of our yard and garden. That’s not my usual approach to gardening or caring for creation. But it happened. You can imagine the results over time. Cold and rainy weather? Most of the garden got planted late and is developing about a month behind its normal schedule. Inattention to weeding? The flower and vegetable beds now include previouslyMORE...
This blog is the fourth entry in a series exploring the ideals and behaviors of bullies. The subject seems important right now, and it’s definitely weighing on my spirit. Today another personal matter: How bullying seems futile. Here’s something I don’t get about bullies: What do they hope to accomplish, big picture? And do they really think that’s possible? Bullying doesn’t make sense—it feelsMORE...
Forgetfulness is one of the most bothersome aspects of growing older—the assumption that absent-mindedness is the first sign of mental decline among older citizens. Let me offer a different perspective. Many older adults are just a little slower on the uptake. When asked cognitive questions, codgers like me may take a split second longer to respond. Are my neurons firing at slower speeds, or isMORE...
After our early morning exercise class, Chris and I take time for rest before going about our day. The hour of physical effort tires us out just enough to require some down time. But if we rest too long, 1inertia sets in, sometimes making it difficult to gather energy and will for what’s next. We live a fairly unscheduled calendar, so that’s not usually a problem. I’m a bit bothered, though, byMORE...
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.