As I write this, entertainment industry workers continue their strike. Threatened by economic and technological changes, they fear that their work may disappear. Legendary entertainment tycoon Barry Diller has warned that these strikes threaten to collapse the entire industry. Those stories may be good reason(s) for us to get ready for the slow changes to *entertainment as we know it. Perhaps weMORE...
(If you’ve been reading these entries for awhile, you’ll recognize legacy as a recuring idea. Today the same theme, but with a twist that might be helpful for your spirit in these times.) Some days it’s hard to find or hold a positive perspective about what’s occurring in our world. Years ago I wrote a book about *finding hope. I was convinced back then—as I am now—that one source for hope mightMORE...
It’s difficult to treat addictions of any kind, and anger addiction adds its own layers of complexity. The complications are easy to see: Anger is both an individual and group phenomenon. A subculture of anger-merchants has worked for decades to insert anger into the way this society functions. Fuel for continuing anger is easily accessible, so those addicted to anger may not seek help. PoliticsMORE...
As I cruise the highways and byways of American senior adult life, I often come upon folks whose spirituality can be described as “outlier.” Re-affirmed by *Malcom Gladwell, the term may also illustrate an important feature of older-adult spirituality: Individuals who don’t always feel connected to the usual manifestations of Christianity. Not all of us consider ourselves outliers, ofMORE...
Lately I’ve been swatting away a foreboding that whirs around me like a mosquito looking for more than a good meal. To be direct, the ongoing drought out West has gotten to my spirit. Various swatting-maneuvers—corporate worship, devotional reading, conversations, prayer—have helped for awhile, but then the pesky facts keep buzzing back: Californians will run out of water by August, part of theMORE...
This and the previous entry propose the likelihood that most congregations offer their members—perhaps especially older members—benefits that might help deter or delay the effects of Alzheimer’s dementia. Today several other possible factors that may match your congregation’s capabilities. Socialization No older adult benefits from being unknown. Research across a variety of studies has found aMORE...
This blog is part of an ongoing series that answers this simple question: What might it mean for older adults to claim that they are still “fearfully and wonderfully made?” Today I want to invite you into a neurological universe called “neurogenesis,” which you will remember from Biology 101 in high school. (Actually, you WON’T remember this amazing capability of the [older] adult brain, becauseMORE...
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.