Posts by Betsy Schwarzentraub
Lent in a New Key
Even those who have never been in a church probably have heard the same old song about Lent, as if it’s a time to give up something you love to show you’re serious about this “faith thing.” Perhaps it’s a time to give up a bad habit, to prove that you can white-knuckle the lack…
Read MoreMore Questions for Worship Seasons
Related to Tossed In Time by Betsy Schwarzentraub Advent 1. Looking back, when have I waited for a fulfilling event with positive expectations? What aspect of my current spiritual life or worship life do I want to strengthen with that same sense of excitement and joy? 2. What activities have I allowed to crowd out…
Read MoreDimensions of Holistic Stewardship
Stewardship is whatever we do by our actions with all that God has entrusted to us. For Example: Our Common Talents and Purpose – Love God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as [you love] yourself (Mark 12:30-31) Heart: the direction in which my life leans; our passion(s) for…
Read MoreEpiphany: Transfiguration Sunday
“Fear not.” Modern Bibles often say, “Do not be afraid.” Have you noticed how many times those phrases are in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Or in the Bible altogether? Many times they are the first words spoken by angels. Several times they are said by Jesus. The only reason to say,…
Read MoreCounting the Hours
It’s no wonder that so many people have found themselves unable to get a normal night’s sleep for months on end. For many of us, counting sheep just doesn’t do it anymore. For even the most well-adjusted folks among us, the usual stress of daily life has amplified exponentially by pandemic uncertainties. What used to…
Read MoreWays We Deal With Time
The Mystery of Time
“Time on my hands” may come to mind when we have a prolonged illness, are in virus isolation, or struggle with stuttered social re-openings. Those days can take on the gray smear of sameness. What a contrast it is from the old energetic days, when there didn’t seem to be enough time to get everything…
Read MoreThe Pattern Prayer
“I’ll pray for you,” people often say. But what do they mean by that? What is prayer, anyway? Prayer is a common term, but any room even of like-minded folks picture it in scores of different ways. Little children may imagine saying sentences out loud to an Old Man in the sky; older adults may…
Read MoreLent: Spring Cleaning for the Soul
People in this country’s Snow Belt## know the importance of spring cleaning when they can throw open their windows and invite fresh air in after the enclosed months imposed by winter cold. These days, with extreme weather changes and COVID concerns, many more of us can identify, after feeling locked in our stuffy homes. The…
Read MoreEpiphany: Seeing the Light
Have you ever had an “aha” moment when an issue suddenly becomes clear? All the details fall in line and the pattern finally makes sense. It’s hard to explain but a common experience. Sometimes people call it an “epiphany:” a Greek word that means “manifestation,” the appearance of a divine being, or a sudden intuitive…
Read MoreCovenant Sunday in Christmas
Happy New Year! Covenant Sunday comes at the very end of the Christmas season, on the Sunday closest to January first. Back in 1755, John Wesley, English founder of the Methodist movement, held his first Covenant Service of worship. Ever since then, Methodists have been encouraged to begin each new year with a portion of…
Read MoreThe Twelve Days of Christmas
In recent decades across much of the world, the phrase “the twelve days of Christmas” refers to the twelve days before Christmas – as in shopping days to buy presents before Santa’s Big Day. But from ancient times, that proverbial phrase has referred to the days after Christmas Day, together making up the worship season…
Read MoreAll Saints Day in Pentecost
One special day in the season of Pentecost is All Saints Day. Most Christians around the world celebrate it near the end of Pentecost on November 1 or 2.** So who are the “saints,” anyway? While some denominations have an official process of recognizing them, many Christians around the globe see saints as everyday people:…
Read MoreAdvent: A Blue Christmas
It seems odd that the New Year for Christians starts in the winter, not in the spring. Springtime would be a natural season for new beginnings when nature is filled to bursting with buds and blossoms of new life. For example, a branch from the Jacaranda tree would be an outstanding symbol of transformation to…
Read MoreMore About Those Easter Eggs
When you color eggs with your kiddos this year, you are making a long-time historical connection. In ancient times, both Egyptians and Persians dyed eggs to give to friends, much like many Muslims today give colored eggs to their Christian neighbors. In the Middle Ages, people who had kept themselves from eating eggs during the…
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