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 enjoy leisurely conversations with other elders. Sometimes in our chats, a word or phrase can suddenly become unavailable. The mutual sharing can come to a halt. One among us seems caught in temporary forgetfulness. At those moments, embarrassment can insert itself into the relationship. When that phenomenon lasts for more than a few seconds, the rest of us wonder: “How can we help?” OneMORE...
Today might be a good time to start thinking about this coming Holy Family Sunday: Imagine how it might have felt for Mary and Joseph after the shepherds had headed back to their flocks. This new family was alone once again. Their makeshift maternity ward was still a stable. They were still political pawns in Rome’s bean-counting census. They were still strangers in this village far away fromMORE...
One Advent theme that doesn’t get much attention comes from the idea that we live in the last times. That the world will end, perhaps soon and perhaps suddenly. The connected thought: As we head toward the end of our lives, there will be a host of “last times”—final events, thoughts and relationships that have graced our lives. Examples: The last Christmas involving your whole family; yourMORE...
I’ve always liked the idea of praying without ceasing. But this ideal can be different from the reality. Sometimes it can be difficult for me to maintain focus or direction. Thoughts don’t always come easily. That’s when I try to pray without getting stuck—to pray without seizing. An experience with one of my address books has helped me find a new way to explore this prayer practice. Recently IMORE...
A Reformation Day thought: We might carry the same passions as prophets or reformers in the past. Those Christ-following people noticed something that needed correcting. Perhaps it seemed small, but it was connected to larger matters. By calling attention to and resolving a perhaps-minor problem, these believers hoped eventually to affect wider change. They started simply, marshalling theirMORE...
After all these years, you’d think I know a lot. All my life experiences, all the training, all the reading and writing, all the interactions with people in the know—you’d think that would give me a leg up on this “knowing” thing. I’ve wished for some assurance about what’s true right now, but too many of the polls, algorithms, pundits and editorials aren’t reliable. There’s too much toMORE...
I’ve known lots of pastors like you over my life. Your work has always been difficult, but recently it may have become tougher to fulfill your sense of purpose. Maybe you and I can step back here, and remember together what God offers to the world because of your vocation. That calling may be hard to describe, but it’s work that’s vital to fulfilling God’s will right now. You bring God’s wisdomMORE...
I didn’t used to think I was vulnerable. I tried to fortify my capabilities so that I could defend myself—and those I love—from dangers that might come along. I was young then, and those were different times. I don’t think that way any more. In these later decades, I have come to see that, along with everyone else, I have always been exposed to perils. Lately it has occurred to me that myMORE...
For too many months, my anxiety about large-scale problems in the world has blinded me to a reality much closer: People dear to me are quietly carrying significant personal burdens. All this time they’ve been dealing with chronic problems in their families, their health or their work. They’re doing the best they can, but things don’t always get better. Their anguish doesn’t leave much room forMORE...
Occasionally, Sunday mornings at our congregation approach transcendence—as in “beyond here-and-now,” or “burrowing into our souls.” This past Sunday was one of those times. The texts for Pentecost 26 (Cycle C) matched the parable of Lazarus—a rebuke of clueless wealthy folks—with Amos’s condemnation of those whose lifestyle rendered them blind to the plight of people who are poor. That familiarMORE...
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.