In this category you can find all the blogs that focus on mind/body matters, separately or intertwined. As people age, this aspect of life can be the most worrisome or worse. In these blogs, “fullness” suggests otherwise.
One of the possible side effects of COVID’s isolation is the number of congregation members that we might have lost track of. Nowadays, that phenomenon may be connected to some folks’ consistent online worship attendance. Virtually invisible to us, these good people may think of themselves as connected and active, but the rest of us might not realize this is true. If this sounds familiarMORE...
Dementia may be an unspoken matter that nags at our older adult well-being. It may also be one of those conditions I don’t talk about with others, perhaps unsure how to broach the subject. I know that this condition is broader than one specific disease—e.g., Alzheimer’s—and that only a percentage of older adults might have to deal with complete cognitive loss. I am also aware that medicallyMORE...
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...
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...
Previously I reviewed a *new book about awe. In this entry I share some of the author’s significant, hopefully useful observations. Today: Awe as a whole-body phenomenon. Social scientist and author Dacher Keltner describes the physical characteristics of awe-filled experiences, adding details to the truth that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14). His specific findings add upMORE...
One of my daily prayers revolves around the hope that I can find practical help in alleviating the anxieties that circle my soul like hungry predators. A new book on the subject of awe seems to be an answer to those prayers. (Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. By Dacher Keltner. Copyright © 2023. New York: Penguin Press. ISBN 978-1-9848-7968-4) ProfessorMORE...
Easter’s multitude of joyful themes starts with *resurrection, but can also expand in many directions. Beyond the comfort and assurances that come from the realization that Death is not the final reality, there are other metaphorical and physically tangible restorations of life that we can rejoice about. The Resurrection of Jesus makes possible other joy-carrying resurrections. As a mindset thatMORE...
Previously I wrote about coming frailties, from the viewpoint of someone not-yet-there. Today a few additional observations about this eventual part of aging, from perhaps other points-of-view. It’s probably useful to push back against imagined frailties. Giving up on God-given strengths and capabilities doesn’t feel quite right. But that might be more difficult to consider when there areMORE...
Even though I deal with a variety of physical ailments, I don’t yet think of myself as frail. Right now, my body, mind and spirit feel strong and capable. With my spouse, I follow the guidelines for healthy living, keep my doctor appointments, thank God daily for an enviable genetic heritage and avoid the kind of self-talk that could become a woeful, self-fulfilling prophecy about the perils ofMORE...
One of the possible benefits of growing older is the ability to see what might not work. A lifetime of experience can also hone our sense of possible danger. Today I take the risk of offering a warning about the (pressurized, flammable or explosive) expansion of society’s fascination with artificial intelligence. Forgive me for temporarily muting the significance of theological truth in thisMORE...
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.