(This question dogged me all during Lent: Have the people who govern us become ash-like–the life-stealing residue of destructive forces being unleashed on us each day? Today’s entry summarizes one set of answers to my own question…) The fires that live inside of some of our political leaders are creating conflagrations that are slowly destroying much of what we have taken for grantedMORE...
(What’s “Easter living” for those of us who are older? Something that might reinvigorate us, to keep us keeping on, to motivate us during these later years of life. Today one possibility….) The basic Easter promise is new life, an assurance that death isn’t the final story. That’s comforting for those of us who are older, but what’s “new life” mean when the spring in our step has sprung, whenMORE...
(Artificial Intelligence has been inserted into many facets of our daily lives, so it makes sense to stay current with thought leaders in this field. The following paragraphs contain some of my takeaways from a recent reading of Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, by Wharton management professor Ethan Mollick.) Mollick’s basic premise is straightforward: Given the rapid ascendancy ofMORE...
(If you’ve followed these entries for awhile, you’ll recognize the theme right away: “Take care of your pastor.” Today a little more oomph and currency to those thoughts. Looking ahead at the place of this vocation in our personal and societal well-being.) The coming days/weeks may turn into trying times, individually and for our nation. Whether there will be disagreements, discomforts orMORE...
(“Field Notes” feels like a good way to characterize or capture what I learn in the moments when I’m out and about, nibbling at the edges of the Spirit’s revelations. Today’s notes assemble around sonder….) Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Chris and I took an Amtrak train to Minneapolis. While waiting to board for the return trip, we got into an enjoyable personal conversation with two otherMORE...
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...
(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 idea of frail can be a legitimate adjective that follows us older folks around, tugging at our sleeves and asking for our attention. But once we grant that thought its place in our self-concepts, it can crawl into our brains like attitudinal kudzu—climbing/winding/vining its way into nooks and crannies where other ideas and emotions would like to prosper. Frail can be both an accurate measureMORE...
Some of those who think about the inner workings of AI have come to the conclusion that, around 2026, chatbot training processes might run out of human-originated data! This might seem arcane—as in “Who cares?”—except that large language AI training algorithms depend on machines that slurp up vast quantities of information to feed into models of predictable reality. With less material to scrapeMORE...
It’s taken me awhile to admit that I’m an older gentleman. (I’ve always been an odd guy, but older was a bit harder.) “Frail elder” will be similar: There might not be a definitive moment when I’ll say to myself, “Okay, NOW I’m a frail person.” Frailty—whatever it is—is probably sneaking up on me. Parts of my anatomy don’t work as well. I come away from medical tests and doctor visits withMORE...
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.