In the past few days, I’ve been feeling more than a little relieved. It seems that, per Amos 5:24, justice is once again rolling like an unstoppable river. That the laws of this land are being upheld and miscreants brought to trial. That rickety empires of lying, hate and disregard are collapsing. I think it’s okay to be gratified when evil gets cut down and withers. When generalized shame erodesMORE...
A few weeks ago, it struck me as linguistically correct that the people—mostly women—who take care of the many tasks associated with worship logistics are in many congregations called the Altar Guild. Some of the characteristics of Medieval guilds might also fit the skilled, knowledgeable people who make sure that all worship-related matters are done well. As I think more about it nowMORE...
Recently, the State Farm Insurance Company announced its decision to stop writing new protection policies for owners of businesses and homes in California. That got me to playing with the metaphor of “the canary in the coal mine,” an allusion to their warning coal miners about the presence of deadly gases. Because State Farm is a venerable enterprise—over 101 years old—that thought led to theseMORE...
The celebration of Pentecost may have come and gone, but its meaning and influence remain. This song comes from that Sunday’s worship at Faith Lutheran Church in Glen Ellyn, IL, whose spoken, written, musical and visual Pentecost languages revolved around the following evocative possibility. What do we usually sing about at Pentecost? How the Holy Spirit worked mightily on the hearts ofMORE...
Memorial Day comes once a year, but my thanks for members of the military extends further. With the rest of our country’s citizens, I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you who have served in the military, especially those who have paid the costs of your service in small-yet-significant ways. “Thanks for your service” doesn’t seem to say enough, so let me add these few words to express myMORE...
This entry completes a series of entries about my reactions to the remarkable insights in a *new book about awe. Today: What’s the big deal, anyhow? I owe you an explanation about what lies under my perhaps-dispassionate reporting about awe and wonder. I’ll be direct: As desirable and practiced attitudes, awe and wonder may hold promise as solutions—or at least corrections—to some of theMORE...
Sometimes I putter. From the outside, it might look like I’m poking around at random tasks whose end results may not be all that important. My puttering can seem like a waste of time or an avoidance of responsibility. There’s more to puttering than meets the eye, though. Because I think of myself as a steward, I want to maintain and use the assets God has given me. Completing even the smallestMORE...
This entry continues my reactions to the remarkable insights in a *new book about awe. Today: Congregational worship as awe experiences. Reading the descriptions of social scientist and author Dacher Keltner regarding awe-filled experiences, I’ve realized that worship likely involves awe. When we worship God together with other believers, that experience can invoke, invite and inspire awe in theMORE...
This is one of those weeks on my calendar where “Doctor visit” shows up more than once. Several of those doctors have given me the gift of added useful years—e.g., cancers in abeyance, limbs and eyes in good working order. Although I thank them at every visit—“Because of you, I’m still alive and doing well”—I don’t think I’ve ever given them an account of what these additional years have meant toMORE...
One of my favorite Scriptures has the Holy Spirit interceding “with *sighs too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26b NRSV). The passage has been helpful when I realize that I don’t always know who or what to pray about. I also feel sad about the state of the world, and the difficulties and terrors so many people are facing at this very moment. I’m not sad about myself—I’m grateful to be alive, findingMORE...
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.