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.
I’ll admit it: I’m not sure about more and more things. This is new territory for me, and not because I’ve crossed the border into senility. What’s happening almost everywhere? There actually may be less to be certain about. Here’s an example: A *recent newspaper article highlighted the decreasing reliability of tiny computer chips that are essential to our lifestyles. IncreasinglyMORE...
During Lent, one of the things we acknowledge and celebrate is Jesus’ willingness to *empty himself completely in order to take on human form. In the Greek, this is called kenosis, literally a “pouring out”. I may be stretching the point, but there seems to be a lot of this kind of behavior almost everywhere I look. People who are giving up almost everything in order to care for others, to liveMORE...
One of our congregation’s weekly Bible classes is the highlight of my week. Its’s an anchor for my spiritual well-being as well as a chance to dig deeper into the rich soil of Christianity. Something fairly new in my retired years, this gathering of men and women of Faith is both a source and an outlet for what lies inside of me. I didn’t always think like this. From admittedly inaccurateMORE...
In high school, I was a third-string bench-warmer on the Basketball C-Team. I was keenly aware of the importance of teamwork and scoring. So, when I had that orangish-orb in my possession, I was continually faced with the decision: Dribble, shoot or pass. From my extensive experience as a basketball guy—“Hey, Sitze! Thirty seconds to go in the game. Get in there and make something happen…”—IMORE...
Every so often I encounter someone who’s stuck on a story or viewpoint. The phenomenon is called 1perseveration, and we might mark this behavior as slightly problematic in most social settings. The tendency to revisit the same matters unceasingly can be a sign of mild cognitive decline. (One verbal clue: “Have I ever told you about the time when….?”) I’ve been around plenty of worry-proneMORE...
Don’t look now, but pre-Lent Sundays are heading your way. Formerly known by their numerical designations—e.g., Septuagesima—these days were markers for what was surely coming: The tones and tunes of Lent. Those names may have been removed, but not the themes: “Get ready! Lent is coming!” For a couple of years now, I have had conversations with a team of remarkable *consultants. TheirMORE...
I really like going to church on Sundays. That hasn’t always been true all of my life, but right now Sunday morning worship is one of the high points of any week. This past Sunday, one of the prayers for the day included the phrase, “Whom saints and angels delight to worship.” Referring to God, of course. The word “delight” struck me as important, an idea that I had not considered all thatMORE...
Every so often in conversations I find myself about to say something like “I used to…” Maybe the same urge comes to the surface in your conversations? If completed, the sentence would recount some skill or experience from our past that might be relevant to the subject at hand. Perhaps some part of our storied histories could add personal notes that would enrich the conversation. Perhaps our faithMORE...
Based on 1 personal experience, I am happy to announce that I have solved a theological matter that has aggravated amateur scholars like me for centuries. I am talking, of course, about St. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” (See 2 Corinthians 2:7ff for background.) Simply stated, what Paul experienced was a medial 2meniscus tear in his knee. This makes sense. Although 3some theologians have dancedMORE...
At this time of year, I’m happy to join the throng of 1palindrome-named people—those whose names can be read backwards and forwards—carrying out our special responsibility to examine both the previous and coming years with discernment. (Ada, Reinier, Eve, Otto, Anna, Aoloa, Elle, Nolon—you know what I’m talking about, right?) These first days of a new year are the time when 2Janus-likeMORE...
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.