An odd category at first glance, this is the place where you can find odd facts, rocks you can turn over, minutia that’s important, wandering musings and rabbit trails to tempt you into different realms of thought. “Miscellany” might describe the category, and it might not….
Looking for things to gross me out—a questionable luxury of retired guy-ness—I recently came upon a story prepping readers for news about the annual contest sponsored by Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs. Because the idea of “competitive eating”—the term favored by *Major League Eating (MLE)—struck me as just bit more than odd, I kept reading. What I found seemed to be emblematic about any of us who haveMORE...
That’s what you’ll read here today, and almost every other time one of these entries comes your way. About 300 words—the length in feet of a football field—that take about two minutes to read—the amount of time it takes to run that far. (Mixing metaphors is still an enjoyable part of my writing.) Why that length? I don’t want to be one of the chatterati, a class of writers or talkers who alwaysMORE...
A few nights ago, I dreamed about being part of a meditative evening service at our church, with some post-COVID perils still lingering in worshipers’ minds. We ended the service by singing a canticle whose melody was framed around the evocative chordal structures of ancient modes/key signatures. (Those musical elements continue as reminders of the sturdiness of our faith practices over theMORE...
In my ongoing effort to enliven ecclesiological language, I offer the following adjectival additions to the concept of gratitude. First, let’s start with the presumption that gratitude may need some help. Some of the church’s verbiage illustrates this necessity—as in “the attitude of gratitude.” (Note here the extra oomph that rhyming adds to the concept of thankfulness!) Second, let’s imagineMORE...
NOTE: It is said that when you let a writer loose in a garden, you can expect perhaps-strange exultations framed by organic metaphors. Today I illustrate how that maxim might be true! While battling the gardener’s scourge that is Creeping Charlie, I found myself wondering why *rhizomes seem so widespread, so insistent and so successful. After a little research I found that this variety ofMORE...
Today’s entry is a tale that fits within the general category, “I’m happy to be alive.” No metaphor, moral teaching or invitation to action. Sometimes it’s enough just to tell a story. For my previous birthday, I received a yellow ceramic bird bath (with stand) and a solar-powered mini-fountain. It sits in a safe place in our back yard, attracting a good number of birds for drinking and bathingMORE...
A significant part of my solitary thoughts—including those during my dreams—have music attached to them. Active somewhere deep in some unnamed corner of my brain, the intricacies of music spark my imagination and memory. I sometimes find myself recalling or reconstructing moments of music that I’ve played, sung or directed. Because of my training and life experiences, most of that music isMORE...
Post-pandemic 1panis This 2 COVID thing is going to end. And when it does, churches like yours and mine might just hold the secret for pan-societal renewal. Turns out that one of our historical cultural strengths—fellowship fueled by food—might just be the key to restoring vitality to our communities. Think back: Passover was a post-pandemic event. One of our most sacred practices centersMORE...
This entry is part of a blog series, Time Capsules, that considers what our family’s stored artifacts tell about our family history. Today, I invite you to look at the keepsakes scattered throughout our home. Estate sales sometimes include a bin labeled “Miscellaneous”. In this container is all the stuff that couldn’t be assigned monetary worth. After more easily identified articles are sold andMORE...
1 Stalwart seniors Ever have one of those days when most things that catch your eye take the air out of your tires? That happened to me a few days back, when going through an esteemed journal I encountered reporting that put the D is “dismay” and the G in “give up”. That evening, I read an article about how social media was tricking pre-teens across the world to buy impulsively—and soonMORE...
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.