Entries in this category probe deeper thoughts about old age. Spirituality, self-image, relationships, hopes and yearnings — all the stuff of self-talk and core meaning for people who are older.
Each month I read Scientific American, cover to cover. Those explorations almost always lead me down spiritual paths. The same reaction occurred recently as I dug through *Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World, a fascinating read authored by geology professor Marcia Bjornerud. Her scientific insights complement biblical theology that I hold dearly. That I find helpfulMORE...
Just now I was grappling with the task of folding fitted bed sheets neatly—something I try to do when I’m not writing. As a momentary sabbatical from impossibility, let me offer you the encouragement and wisdom of a newsletter specifically focused on the process and reality of elderhood. The resource is called Rich and Charlie Resources, and it arrives on your e-doorstep the first day ofMORE...
Over the years, I’ve wondered just what stomach-as-god religiosity would entail. Today I direct my usually serious spiritual nature towards that matter—a religion centered on stomachs. First, the name. I’m thinking maybe Bellyacity, 1Vagalanity, Tummyology or the more elegant Abdomenalism. Other beliefs and practices would fall into place: Chefs would be admired as holy women and men, restaurantsMORE...
In less time than it takes to parse “I ain’t no whippersnapper, Sonny,” I’ll be observing a birthday whose number is linked in *Scripture with being strong. When my father reached that milestone, his birthday card included my simple message: “You made it!” I went on to extol the continuing strengths I saw in him. As I approach that same number of years, I know that I can’t credit my well-being toMORE...
Lying might seem like a necessary social skill. But not when it runs amuck among or inside us. When that happens, lying can careen out of control as it infects more and more of our soul. And what’s “The Big Lie?” That lying accomplishes more than it harms. Lying damages liars. One deception eventually requires a supporting cast of falsehoods that becomes too complex. Liars begin to believeMORE...
One of my favorite memorized Scriptures is the one about *“a roaring lion seeking to devour you.” My Lutheran elementary school teachers explained to us how Satan is always tempting and prowling like a fearsome—and hungry—lion. The teachers’ warnings were a helpful blessing. One major problem: 99.9% of life’s temptations don’t present themselves as noisome feline predators. If they did, I’d hearMORE...
Sometimes vengeance seems appropriate, even righteous. Great crimes against humanity, rampant selfishness, persistent evil intent, shameless dishonesty, callous harming of others—all feel like legitimate reasons for 1comeuppance. The greater the crimes, the louder the calls for retribution. This is an ageless notion. In ancient Greek mythology, these concepts hearken back to TheMORE...
It’s a well-established axiom that practical wisdom comes to older adults as they reflect back on lifetimes of experience. I have wondered how that truism might relate to our sinfulness—whether we who are older can still experience any of the “seven deadly sins.” To review: those transgressions— originally identified by the *Desert Fathers—include greed, lust, sloth, gluttony, wrath, pride andMORE...
Over the past few months, I’ve felt like my troubled outlook about the world may be gradually eroding the rest of my life. Others have shared similar feelings: That we’re wandering through the darkness of our vulnerabilities. That we’ve lost our sense of emotional buoyancy. That the confining skin of these thought patterns is hard to shed. To help sort out those feelings, I’ve reread theMORE...
I’ve always been just a bit concerned about the part of the Ten Commandments story that notes God’s “visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of those that hate me.” (Exodus 20:5 KJV) It has never seemed fair that someone could be punished for what their ancestors did so many years ago. Fair or not, though, this may be true biologicallyMORE...
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.