Here’s where the roving eye of Bob Sitze lands on interesting or important events, trends, discoveries, opinions or research that are part of contemporary life. Sometimes missed in spiritually oriented utterances, the stuff of life consists of all the places where God’s hand stirs, supports or motivates. These blogs may also include links for further information or action.
A few days ago Chris and I watched the Academy Award-winning film, Nomadland. The film follows Fern, a van-dwelling older adult, through a year of her life as a contemporary nomad. The film’s plot moves slowly through a series of small events, gradually revealing Fern’s character and history. Her future? Left in the air at the film’s closing scene. The following thoughts have stuck with me…. FernMORE...
Lately I’ve noticed the increasing appearance of inflection point. This new 1 buzzword signals that we’ve ridden the arc of our society downward, and are at the point where the direction of our nation is turning upward again. Commentators usually name a specific event as a possible arc-turning moment. An inflection point clearly divides before from after, and carries an implicitly hopeful messageMORE...
Lately I’ve noticed the recurring appearance of “1 languishing”, a term used to describe how the COVID pandemic may have affected the nation. The non-languishing part of me wants to 2 push back. I’m still vibrant, alert, eager about life, grateful and generous. I still have miles to go, with plenty of oomph to explore fascinating horizons. I don’t want to be set aside quite yet. As I edgeMORE...
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...
‘Tis Spring, when a young duck’s fancy turns to love. (Adaptation of classic seasonal adage) This pseudo-epigraph came to mind a few days ago when I saw a pair of ducks flying around together. Not going anywhere, not looking for anything—just enjoying the sheer joy of winging through the warm air with each other. These ducks were paired up—likely more than just a little bit attracted (orMORE...
When I stop panicking about digital thefts of my well-being, I remember again that there is one reliable way to combat the moths, rust and thieves that may plague my digitized lifestyle: Among my “heavenly treasures” are our family’s personal relationships! A few days ago, I had reason to worry about possible identity theft involving bank accounts. My frantic mind could not recall the gatewayMORE...
In Jesus’ day, treasures—especially expensive garments and money—were vulnerable to the disintegrating forces of moths, rust and burglars. This matter—the vulnerability of material/financial well-being—seems particularly pertinent in these times. Today’s thieves-in-the-night are as stealthy and insistent as those Jesus referred to in his Sermon on the Mount. Scammers and grifters especiallyMORE...
This time around, Lent seems more focused, more tangible—perhaps more real?—for me. Almost like I’ve come back to Lent’s original nature or purpose. I’m tempted to think that this is especially true for older adults, but that’s probably not accurate: This time around, Lent is for all of us. Lent-like thoughts and feelings seem to have been tagging along with me for the past year. Deep sorrowMORE...
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...
Lately I’ve been looking out my window at the various places where I have planted, tended and harvested vegetables and flowers in past years. I’ve realized that I may have the same problem as some 1 older squirrels: I don’t remember where I put the nuts. (In my case, the seeds harvested from last year’s plants.) This may seem like a simple problem—just see what emerges when the ground warms, andMORE...
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.