The 60-Second Sabbath

Humility

  • Abandonment

    Many of us find great comfortin the assurance that God will never abandon us,but let's examine the record here:she did abandon her only Child,whose chillingly anguished cryfrom the cross to which she was nailed–"My God, my God, why have you… Continue reading

  • The Poetry Group

    "May I point something out?"she asked,fingering the fringe on the pillow's edge,her feet curled beneath her in the corner of the couch.She'd been silent thus faras the others–with great intensity–critically dissected a poem written by another member.Her small voice startled… Continue reading

  • Imagination

    Within each of usa piece of the Divine burnsthat many–including in the church–would like to reduce to ashes;I speak of the imagination. Let us grace it with a capital "I":"Imagination." Here is God untamed, unscripted,unfettered, untethered–God allowed to be God,no… Continue reading

  • Jacob

    What if Jacob,sleeping that night in the desert,running in desperation from his deceit and dishonor,had slept with a pistolstashed beneath his stony pillow? What if,suddenly attacked by the angel(or God or whatever–it's left deliciously vague),Jacob had pulled out his gunand… Continue reading

  • Stop Trying So Hard

    "Stop trying so hard,"says my cat,pausing while grooming,left hind leg still extended upward."We're not going to love you any lessbecause there's dust on the credenza." Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.  Continue reading

  • Credo

    I do not believe in hell, nor in the efficacy of war. I believe greed destroys and fear creates monsters where none exist. I believe in humility, the resilience of the human heart, and the revelatory nature of our nightly… Continue reading

  • My Mystery

    Blind me,that I may see.Deafen me,that I may hear.Mute me,that I may whisper your name. What must I loseto unite with you, my Mystery? Text, image and audio © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.  To listen to this… Continue reading

  • Always Home

    In frustration,I jam the wrinkled, unfolded mapinto the back seat,crank the key in the ignition,and jerk back onto the highway. "I'm lost," I mutter."Hopelessly…" From the passenger seat comes the response,"With me, you're always home." Text and image © 2011… Continue reading

  • Amazing Grace 2

    "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,that saved a wretch like me…" These words, by English poet John Newton, cause some people to cringe when they sing them; who wants to refer to themselves as a "wretch"? Modern hymnals even change… Continue reading

  • Amazing Grace 1

    Nancy's favorite hymn,"Amazing Grace,"was what she wanted sungat her funeral. Several days after her deaththe family sat downwith a patient funeral directorto settle on the details. "No," my father said,"That's such a cliche;there are better hymns." No doubt there are,and… Continue reading