Worship And Wonder

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James 5: A Community of Stewards

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | May 3, 2011

Daily devotions often bring surprises. Take James, chapter 5, for example, which I encountered recently as if for the very first time. In verses 13-20, James describes the basics of Christian community. Pray in your suffering, he says. Sing songs of praise. Pray for the sick. Confess your sins and pray to be forgiven. Pray…

Our Language for Offerings

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | January 18, 2011

Written 1/18/2011 for the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church This Sunday in worship, we received a special offering for Human Relations Day as well as our ongoing offerings for God’s work through the local and connectional (worldwide) church. This act reminded me of a conversation I had this week with a…

Basic Training

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | January 11, 2011

Written 1/11/2011 for the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church       After an extended time off, my spunky horse needed to go back to basic training. For horses, this instructional time includes ground work, safety issues, and fundamental cues for mutual respect and attentiveness. It emphasizes communication and affirms our core relationship…

Covenant Sunday

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | December 29, 2010

Positive change can happen when we are intentional, but it is still not easy. Many people have followed the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions for the year to come. But the problem we have with resolutions is that they last only a week or two — a month or two at the longest —…

First Fruits Living

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | June 10, 2010

Okay, so our financial lives have been stretched greatly in this worldwide recession – and some people a whole lot more than others. But here’s one lesson hopefully all of us have learned: Whatever money we do have, we can choose to put it on God’s priorities instead of into greedy speculation, tight-fisted hoarding, or…

Nine Ways We Change the World

By Betsy Schwarzentraub | April 1, 2007

Table Reflection Questions: Stewarding God’s Multifaceted Grace            1 Peter 4:10-11 Choose any of the following questions to spark your reflection together at your table: 1. Recall a time when your presence, words or actions were a gift to someone. 2. How can you live as a steward of the “precious jewel” of God’s…