Debra Rienstra, Author at Debra Rienstra

Episode 24 The Arc of Movement History: May Boeve on Bridging Refugia through Global Connection, Leveraging Prophetic Speech, and Looking into the Abyss with Faith

So much of the social change we need to make to confront climate change requires community structures, requires people working together to make change. And you can create new structures, and a lot of people do, but there are also a lot of existing structures,…

Debra RienstraSeptember 25, 2022

Refugia Podcast Uncategorized

Episode 23 Purple Zone Refugia: Leah Schade on Creation Crisis Preaching, the Prophetic Church, and the Trickster Christ

People who are in power want to silence the prophetic voice and the prophetic function of churches. But that is actually one of the reasons the church came into existence in the first place——was to challenge the power structures that victimized and profited and oppressed…

Debra RienstraSeptember 18, 2022

college life spirituality

We’ve Forgotten How to Read

Our brains are altered by swimming in digital media, its allures and distractions. And our lives of continuous partial attention make deep concentration more difficult. We can still do it, but it’s harder.

Debra RienstraSeptember 3, 2022

memoir

At What Point Do I Get Rid of This?

I did not realize that carpet replacement would be a spiritual experience, but it turned out to be a massive exercise in crap management.

Debra RienstraAugust 6, 2022

review

New Wine from The Porter’s Gate: The Climate Vigil Album

With their just-released album, Climate Vigil, The Porter’s Gate aims to help the church wake up to “one of the greatest moral challenges of our time.”

Debra RienstraJuly 23, 2022

cultural commentary politics theology

The Best Story Wins

I want to focus on the power of meaning-making narratives. In the wearying events of the last few years, we’ve seen two tiny little denominations struggle to figure out (once again) what narrative we are living into. Is the future of our denominations a game…

Debra RienstraJuly 9, 2022

Calvin events college life cultural commentary

Lies We Tell Young People

It's a modern day Cinderella trope, isn’t it? The long-suffering, virtuous-and-talented high schooler is visited by a talent agent/scout/special teacher/fairy godperson who provides them with the means to zing through the Dress Ball of Admissions and be whisked off to Handsome Prince University, which of…

Debra RienstraApril 30, 2022

liturgical year nature

Jesus the Gardener

Believing in the resurrection of Christ is a little bit easier when you’re standing in the middle of a garden. Which may help explain the long tradition of depicting Jesus as a gardener.

Debra RienstraApril 6, 2022

silly

Overheard at AngelPAC: Conference of the Angels of the Churches

In a vast, blazingly bright atrium, crowds of church angels mill about, carrying tote bags emblazoned with the AngelPAC logo. A huge banner draped across the entrance to the auditorium reads “Angel Protectors in Action for Change: Nth Annual Symposium.”

Debra RienstraApril 2, 2022