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.
A few days ago, I offered some thoughts about salvaging. More needs to be said…. As I suggested previously, salvaging is a kind of rescuing that also extends into other areas of life: Reshaping attitudes that are bent out of shape; fixing broken relationships; propping up wobbly social institutions; salving the deep emotional wounds of those who are dispirited or downtrodden—a peopleMORE...
One of the benefits of this stage in life is scrambling around inside “the big picture” more easily than when I was younger. Because I’ve lived this many decades, I’m fairly certain that a narrow view of life just doesn’t cut it. I know that I have a better chance of living well—even prospering—when I expand the framework of my thoughts and actions into a larger way of thinking. “InsideMORE...
For a couple of weeks, salvage has been following me around like a kitten looking for a home. Sometimes unobtrusive and at other times almost in my face, this word has gradually wormed its way into my conscious thoughts. Some of them follow here. Salvage is derived from salvare, the Latinate root for salvation. The 17th century noun form first designated the payment offered for saving aMORE...
One section of First Corinthians seems especially fitting for these times. In Chapter 10, Paul muses about idolatry—and the temptations to yield to its influences. His examples come from the times when the Children of Israel set up idols—e.g., the golden calf fashioned for worship when Moses didn’t come back from Mt. Sinai. According to Paul, these idolatries were punished in various ways. HisMORE...
Today I want to talk to you face-to-face. The situation in which I now find myself—in which you might also find yourself—has pulled me away from any well-intentioned writer’s façade. This feels like a propitious moment for me to take off my mask, so that you can see what’s going on inside of me during these times. I don’t’ think I’m handling this situation like the spiritually centeredMORE...
My wife and I are mask-wearers. When we cover our faces in public, people may wonder, “Who’s behind those masks?” *The Lone Ranger, one of my all-time radio favorites, got that same reaction; people wanted to know who he was under that disguise. This pandemic may set up the same question about us. At first glance, our face coverings identify us in two ways: On the one hand—as senior citizens—weMORE...
One task I face almost every day: To hold onto or regain my emotional moorings. To be wise. These are stressful times, and stress can work against wisdom, so the work of wisdom-ing is sometimes tough for me. A few years back—when I was gathering source material for my Stewardshift book—I came across a considerable amount of research about wisdom. *One author named delayed gratification as aMORE...
It’s hard to ignore what’s right in front of me in these times. Good news: Self-sacrificing essential workers, wise governors, scientists and inventors. Not-so-good news: A world-wide plague, stubborn injustice, invisible danger and dangerous people, economic troubles. News, opinions, testimonies, stories, hard questions—all of them front-and-center at almost every waking moment. What’sMORE...
Today’s entry started as a presumptive blog about how our observance of Holy Week this year might just match early Christian worship in Rome’s catacombs. When I read the historical background about this underground cemetery, though, I realized that my supposed good idea had no basis in fact. The early Christians used the catacombs less as settings for meetings or worship, and more often asMORE...
Today’s entry continues a series of short musings about lectionary texts that may soon appear in your line-of-sight. These thoughts may be helpful in interpreting the appointed lessons with sensitivity to the realities faced by those who are older. APRIL 2020 Background This month brings worshippers into full contact with a pandemic whose character calls out even more strongly for theMORE...
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.