Posts by Betsy Schwarzentraub
Three Steps for Victory
Who ever thought that doing planned giving could be like performing a triathlon? While swimming, bicycling and running sounds a whole lot harder to me, when I read “The Three Parts of Victory”1 it made perfect sense. When someone wants to compete, he or she needs to do three things: • Commit to a plan,…
Read MoreRest and Labor
Happy Labor Day to you! The U.S. holiday reminds me of the Bible’s commandment to rest, particularly on the Sabbath, the heart of Jewish Law. For Christians, Willy Rordorf’s book Sunday continues to be a resource from my seminary days. In it he lays out “the history of the day of rest and worship” for…
Read MoreBreathing Our Gratitude
It’s a wonderful experience when people clap and celebrate the fact that you’re alive! I got to walk the Survivors’ Lap again this weekend during our county’s Relay for Life: something I plan to do annually for the rest of my life. While I celebrated 3½ years healed from cancer, there are cancer fighters, survivors…
Read MoreCommunion Community
For many years now, whenever I’ve celebrated Holy Communion I’ve silently prayed for each person by name as they come forward to receive the bread and dip it into the cup. I started this early on as a pastor and have continued it as my personal participation worshiping in the congregation. Ever since doing research…
Read MoreGenerous Care in Fire Crisis
Before I moved to a wooded rural area I was aware of forest fires, but they were more of a news item than a personal issue. Since moving to the Sierra foothills, fires have become the biggest potential danger to us, our critters, and our home. But now, with the new normal of California crispiness,…
Read MorePatient Love
“Planned giving is patient love,” says Phyllis Bowers, Executive Director of the U. M. Stewardship Foundation (Susquehanna Conference, Pennsylvania). “[It is] active sharing beyond life through a purposeful legacy.” Most of us are blessed to have loved ones in the here and now, but we also care about our children, grandchildren, and those who will…
Read MoreWhat Deserves Your Time?
What Deserves Your Time? I know from personal experience: it’s tempting to give away every bit of your time if asked, reserving nothing for yourself to simply be present to God – or for God to lead you into unexpected places of generosity and blessing. Over-giving our time can be a seductive habit, especially if…
Read MoreThe Big Secret of Giving
By William C. Green, United Church of Christ, 2007 The Big Secret of Giving: Hidden Treasures in Life and Church is a booklet of 27 devotions related to financial giving, but grounded in a holistic understanding of stewardship as our response to God’s generous grace. While the booklet was written in part to encourage giving…
Read MoreDerailing Destructive Debt
How easy it is to carry a little debt – it almost seems like an inevitable part of the American way of life. But most of us know how quickly that can become a runaway train! The key is to start living the new way, even as we go on a debt reduction plan, so…
Read MoreGratitude and Resilience
“If you must look back, do so forgivingly. If you must look forward, do so prayerfully,” said poet and activist Maya Angelou. “However, the wisest thing you can do is be present in the present . . . gratefully.” Citing this phrase, church historian, consultant and author, Diana Butler Bass wrote a marvelous article on…
Read MoreSeven Ways to Increase Your Church’s Income
Denis Greene is a stewardship author and Executive Director of The Church Development Foundation. He gets right to the heart of things in his article, “Seven Ways to Instantly Increase Church Income.” Here are the highlights: 1. Conduct an annual stewardship campaign – Surprisingly, more than half of all congregations don’t conduct an annual stewardship…
Read MoreVolunteers Benefit, Too
We’ve known for a long time that volunteering doesn’t only help the people where you donate your time. But now it’s been proven to benefit the volunteer in a whole slew of ways. And it’s not just an attitude difference, either. In an article called “The Generosity Effect,” 1 researchers reported a number of positive…
Read MoreBaptism, Connection, and Christ
Is interdependency a strength or a weakness? I remember hearing the old adage, “up by my own bootstraps,” as if self-sufficiency were something to be proud of. And as if it were actually possible, too. In this interconnected world it’s hard to even imagine being raised all on one’s own and finding one’s own way,…
Read MoreRecovery, Symbols, and Gratitude
It’s been two-plus weeks now since coming home from hip replacement surgery. Needless to say that’s major surgery. I was hugely grateful that my immensely popular surgeon (whose operations are routinely booked several months in advance) slipped me into a cancellation, after a year of increasing pain. Each day is an improvement in minor but…
Read MoreBilly Graham
On February 21 of this year, the American evangelist Billy Graham passed into heaven, after 99 years of life and more than sixty years of Christian ministry. In that time, he reached more than 210 million people (face-to-face and by satellite feeds) in 185 countries and territories on six continents. Those efforts began in 1947…
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