Posts by Betsy Schwarzentraub
The Lure of Hope and Whisper of Joy
With real-world events getting more and more terrifying and dystopian, I am drawn to the lure of hope and wistful for a sense of joy. With mounting human injustice, my first response is to remember the 1970s song by Jim Strathdee.1 It says, “What we do while we wait depends on what we’re waiting for.”…
Read MoreBenedict of Nursia and his Rule
I didn’t grow up with official “saints,” but if I had, St. Benedict of Nursia (in Italy) would be one on my list. For those Christian denominations that do have saints, July 11th is the day to commemorate him. He lived about 480 to 550 C.E., when much of Roman society was breaking down. He…
Read MoreAnnual Conference prepares for the future
I found many highlights at our Annual Conference Session this year, when ministers and lay leaders of all our United Methodist churches in CA-NV gathered for worship, visioning, and planning for this year ahead. Bishop Sandy’s sermons were empowering, inspiring, and on the mark as our Christian call to action in this political world. We…
Read MoreJames Weldon Johnson poet and more
Why weren’t great artists and activists like James Weldon Johnson in my school textbooks years ago? James Weldon Johnson (whose birthday is June 25th) was a musician, poet, civil rights leader in the early 20th century, and more. He wrote several poetry collections including “God’s Trombones: 7 Negro Sermons in Verse” (1927) and also books…
Read MoreThe Music of the Spheres
I read a devotion recently by a former music minister. He said that with certain passages of Scripture, “the music makes the words come to life, and I descend to a deeper level of consciousness that tunes my soul to the frequency of the Holy Spirit’s song.” That’s so beautiful. In my post-pastor life, I…
Read MoreAldersgate Day, May 24th
For United Methodists and members of other Wesleyan Communions around the world, each year on May 24th is Aldersgate Day. That’s when John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, felt his “heart strangely warmed” by God the Holy Spirit. Wesley had been on a ship returning to England from the American colonies, when a huge storm…
Read MoreLewis Thomas
November 25th is Lewis Thomas’ birthday. He was an American essayist, poet, physician, and more. Two of his books, “Lives of a Cell” and “Medusa and the Snail” were both subtitled “Notes of a Biology Watcher.” They sparked greater wonder in me, as he wrote about the amazing life and development of our natural world.…
Read MoreHonoring the Rt. Rev. Richard Allen
Today is a great day to honor the life of Rt. Rev. Richard Allen, founder and first Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was one of the most active Black leaders of the U.S., as a n abolitionist, pastor, educator, writer, and conductor on the Underground Railroad. Born a slave in Delaware in…
Read MoreMaria Tallchief
Do you ever watch the Nutcracker Ballet for Christmas? Maria Tallchief was the ballerina dancing with George Ballanchine at its premiere in 1954. Tallchief (1925-2013) was America’s first Native American prima ballerina. She revolutionized and popularized American ballet, and spoke on behalf of her Osage heritage all her life. She was known for known for…
Read MoreA Modern Take on Mozart
Who knew? The classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart did breakthrough work, creating the underpinning for much of the music we know today. Yes, music for orchestras and chamber music, but also for rock, pop, and even electronic music. For example, his quick key changes and complex harmonies inspired the music of Beatles star Paul McCartney.…
Read MoreIda B. Wells
Here’s a great heroine for Black History Month. Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) is an extraordinary model for justice from whom we can continue to draw energy and inspiration. She was an American investigative journalist, sociologist, and leader for women’s rights and civil rights. Born a slave and freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, she co-founded the…
Read MoreGregory of Nyssa
March 9th is the special day to remember Gregory of Nyssa, an early Christian theologian who served as the Bishop of Nyssa in Turkey, from 372 to 376 and from 378 until his death in 394. He, his younger brother, Bishop Basil of Caesarea, and their friend, Gregory of Nazianzus, are known as the Cappadocian…
Read MoreRosa Parks
December first is Rosa Parks Day. — Yes, as a child I knew about Rosa Parks’ refusal to sit in the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama back in 1955. But I did not know she was not old and tired at that time. “I was 42,” she said. “No, the only tired I…
Read MoreDuke Ellington
My dad loved the big band, jazz sound, especially Duke Ellington. When I was little, he’d put his music on and turn up the volume, so the whole family could feel the beat and move with it. Like his signature song “Take the ‘A’ Train” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got…
Read MoreFrederick Douglass
February 18th is the birthday of Frederick Douglass (1817-1895), social reformer, articulate writer and statesman, and the greatest orator for the nation-wide abolitionist movement. Born a slave in Tuckahoe. MD, for 8 years he was a houseboy for the Auld family. There he learned just enough reading and writing to complete his formidable education on…
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