“I have witnessed the fragility of life too closely and too often to believe in a ‘reason for everything.’ But how can I forget the themes I’ve learned from trauma: disappointment and readjustment, joy in the midst of grief, and the strange way that suffering can make our eyes more open and our hearts bigger than before?”
“Bye Bye Baby: A Mother Considers the Hard-Earned Lessons of the NICU”
-Beth Waltemath
Artwork: “Fallen Angel” by Patricia Watwood, All images used with permission
Beth Waltemath is a writer, an editor, a teacher, a pastor and a spiritual director.
She has interviewed best-selling authors in person and in print including Barbara Brown Taylor, Margaret Renkl, Mary Laura Philpott, Jennifer Pastiloff, Glennon Doyle, Scott Stossel, Andrew Solomon and Chelsea Clinton among others.
She has taught at Columbia Theological Seminary and Candler School of Theology and served as editor in 2016 of ONScripture.com, a weekly resource for preachers and scholars which paired biblical insight with current events and documentary film. She serves on the program council of the Decatur Book Festival, where she curates the spirituality and religion track. Her written work has appeared in The New York Times, chapter16.org, The Nashville Scene, Knoxville News Sentinel, and Memphis Commercial Appeal. She has a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and worked on the editorial side of publishing at Random House and Hearst magazines.
Writing Coach
I offer coaching services to those for whom writing is a necessity either for personal growth or for professional identity.
The best time to hire a coach is near the beginning of your journey with a new project or writing practice. However, coaching can be helpful at any point.
Spiritual Direction
I offer spiritual direction to individuals and to groups. With individuals, I offer 45-60 minute sessions in person or online through video conferencing.
In March-June 2020 in response to the economic uncertainty of our global pandemic, I will offer sessions that are free to those with financial hardship or to those who wish to make a donation to various relief organizations. Contact me for details.
I begin with a centering prayer that silences the mind and engages the body. When the directee is ready, they will offer whatever situation or ponderings feels significant in their life and is asking for attention.
Rituals and Weddings
Life is full of transitions that deserve to be honored. We live more fully and freely when we take time to mark the shifts in our identities.
Naming ceremonies, house blessings, divorce rites, even an interfaith feminist quinceñera are some of the creative ways I officiate rites of passage.
Exchanging vows is a sacred act. It is something people have done for centuries and for all kinds of reasons but it is also something that you are doing together for the first time. Together, you and your beloved are speaking something new into being.
Future Events
The Enneagram as Resource for Communities of Faith
November 17 @ 9:00 am at North Decatur Presbyterian Church
Past Events
The Enneagram as Spiritual Resource
October 19, 2019 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm at Mountaintop Inn and ResortWriting for Publication with a Spiritual Voice, in person writer’s workshop
September 4, 2019 – September 5, 2019 at Columbia Theological Seminary, Center for Lifelong LearningWriting Together in Creative Community
April 19, 2019 – May 31, 2019 at Columbia Theological Seminary, Center for Lifelong LearningDevotional Writing: An Online Workshop
May 1, 2017 – June 9, 2017 at Columbia Theological Seminary, Center for Lifelong Learning
Testimonials
