The 60-Second Sabbath

Growth

  • Fear Not

    The angel appeared."Fear not," he said. "You always say that," I said."Whenever you pop in,you always start with,'Fear not.'What's up with that?" He sighed."Because no one listenswhen they're afraid–not to spouses, neighbors, friends,family members, store clerks–they just don't listen.It's so… Continue reading

  • Sophia Again

    She stepped from the broom closetlike a dinner guest exiting the powder room."Missed me?" she asked. "Like gas pain," I answered. "You know I'm here to relieve the pain?" "Yes, I know that." She eyed the box of Russel Stovers… Continue reading

  • Pines

    This was my stand of pines,my sanctuary,my refuge from adolescent angst.Here I kneltand inhaled stability. Now they are stumps. Do slaughtered trees leave ghosts?I am haunted by the stickiness of pitchand the scent of sun-warmed needles. Text and image ©… Continue reading

  • It’s Over

    "Put the tinsel down,"she said. "But…but, I'm not ready,"I protested. "We have to put this stuff away.We've talked about this." "But why?Why do we have to put it away?Why not leave it up all year?" "Because if it were up… Continue reading

  • Scorecard

    God does not keep score. Why do we? Text and image © 2013 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading

  • Twelfth Night

    Now it is Twelfth Night.Beyond the windows,snow falls and darkness encroaches,but the lights of our treebeckon with welcome, joy and hope. Tonight we say farewell to Christmas;tomorrow Epiphany dawns. This year, what has Christmas taught you? Text and image © 2013… Continue reading

  • New Year’s Eve

    Out with the crappy,     the silly, the dumb,Out with what leaves us    so distrait and numb.In with the clearer,    the focused, the real,In with our opting    to be and to feel. Here's to less TV,   … Continue reading

  • Feast of Stephen

    Today, the second day of Christmas,    is the Feast of Stephen,the day, you may recall,    when Good King Wenceslas and his pageventured out to help a poor man,    who was struggling to survivethe wind and cold    of a particularly nasty winter night. When you hear or sing this… Continue reading

  • O Antiphons: Dayspring

        O come, thou Dayspring from on high,        and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;    dispense the gloomy clouds of night,        and death's dark shadow put to flight. We watchnot only through dark nightsbut also dark days.Who filled the worldwith… Continue reading

  • O Antiphons: Branch

        O come, thou Branch of Jesse's tree,    free them from Satan's tyranny    that trust thy mighty power to save,    and give them victory o'er the grave. You come to free us.Oh, and there is so… Continue reading