The 60-Second Sabbath

voice

  • How God Speaks

    We strive and struggleto hear God speaking,when we ourselvesare God speaking, our very existence,God's shout of "Yes!" to creation,our very selves, first and foremost,an invitationto divine dialogue.  We are the prose and poetry of God,God's sonnet and soliloquy,God's laughter and passionate… Continue reading

  • The Raid

    "Drop the pen.Step away from the notebook.That's it…nice and slow…easy now…keep your hands where we can see them." I comply.They frisk meand find two blue Uniballshidden in my left sock,but that's it. After a search of the house,they leavewith a… Continue reading

  • For Those Who Rise at Night

    I rise at night,wander empty rooms–the cats remain asleep at the foot of the bed,black fur blending to darkness. I listen for the voice–listen in vainfor the voice I knowcan shake me,awaken meto freedom. Perhaps tomorrow nightI will rise againand… Continue reading

  • Two Types of People

    I've come to believethere are two types of people,the divisiveand the unifying. Pay attention to those around you–    what they say,    how they act:do you conclude your interactionswith a greater sense    of common struggle,    of essential… Continue reading

  • Pridefest 3

    If I am not being authentic,not speaking my mind,voicing my opinion,being fully, absolutely myself,then I am denyingwho and what God embodied me to be. Hesitating,hiding,holding back,harbors death. Text and image © 2012 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading

  • Rain 2

    Thomas Merton speaks poeticallyof the "voice" of the rain:"…all that speech pouring down,selling nothing,judging nobody,drenching…" I delight in rain's intentional purposelessness. "I am here for my own sake,"says the rain."I am eternal.I am life. "Close your eyes and listen:hiss, plash,… Continue reading

  • I Am Dreaming

    I am dreaming,but the reality of lifetendrils through it: In an open, echoing sanctuary,a handful of us plan an upcoming service,but my unorthodox beliefsand unconventional practicesaren't the right fitfor the expected worshipers. They ask me to leave. I go without… Continue reading

  • My Words

    The words I write(what you read in this moment)gestate for days–weeks–months–in some cases for decades,never spring from my writer's womb formed and ready to stand. I lick them clean.I nurse.I wean.  Then comes the day(for a few, but far from all)when… Continue reading

  • The Edges of This World

    The edges of this worldare often slippery and unstable;I lose my balanceand fall within…to the voice of God,the sound of the thinnest silence. Text and image © 2012 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved. Continue reading

  • Little Words

    Little words, most effective.Simplest truth, the one enacted.The occasional voice, most clearly heard.Purest heart, most impacted. Text and image © 2012 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.   Continue reading