Today might be a good time to start thinking about this coming Holy Family Sunday: Imagine how it might have felt for Mary and Joseph after the shepherds had headed back to their flocks. This new family was alone once again. Their makeshift maternity ward was still a stable. They were still political pawns in Rome’s bean-counting census. They were still strangers in this village far away fromMORE...
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...
It’s pretty noisy out there—perhaps especially for those of us who are older. Not just literal noise and not just because we can’t handle the ringing in our ears or high-decibel sounds. The world today is filled with clamorous commotion in every way, most of it moving too fast and perhaps unaware of those of us who move deliberately and quietly through life. Those of us who treasureMORE...
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.