Congregational Stewardship
Vibrant Rhythms Exploring spirituality in daily living June 2026 issue, Vol. 1:1 Here is the third issue of my bimonthly newsletter, to help us explore the “spiritual white space” on the pages of our lives. I hope it speaks to you in a helpful way. – Betsy Schwarzentraub Finding New Rhythms Creation…
Vibrant Rhythms Exploring spirituality in daily living August-September 2026 issue, Vol. 1:2 Dear friend, I hope this bimonthly newsletter will help us as we explore together the “spiritual whitespace” around the text of our lives. Betsy Schwarzentraub Grace Notes “Let my first thought today be of Thee; let my first impulse be…
Vibrant Rhythms Exploring spirituality in daily living June 2026 issue, Vol. 1:1 Dear friend, I hope this bimonthly newsletter will help us as we explore together the “spiritual whitespace” around the text of our lives. – Betsy Schwarzentraub Grace Notes “Prayer is a serene force at work within human beings, stirring them up,…
Overusing God? What could that mean? A momentary struggle with that phrase led me to wonder and to worship. I learned a long time back that our language not only reflects our thoughts, but also shapes them. For example, if we think “friend” as our default language, we’ll begin with a positive attitude toward another…
This is a big deal! It’s been decades in the making, and the first new liturgical season in 500 years. This new period is the Season of Creation, beginning September first. And it’s the first time the Western Church (Catholics, Protestants, the World Council of Churches and others) have adopted a worship practice from the…
What unnecessary things and mental clutter do you have in your life? What steps can you take to get rid of it? Today (August 11th), Catholics remember St. Clare of Assisi (1194-1253), at age 18 renounced her noble background, committed her life to Christ, and took a vow of radical poverty. A spiritual friend of…
On August fifth every year, Christians who have saint days honor two amazing artists who lived in the same epoch, called the German Renaissance. One is Albrecht Durer (1471-1528), known for his woodcuts, engravings, paintings, and printmaking. His paintings such as “Young Hare” (1502) come alive, with detail all the way down to the…
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.”…
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…
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…