Debra Rienstra, Author at Debra Rienstra

I Was a Christian Camp Dropout

I wasn’t a great swimmer, I had never shot a bow or paddled a canoe, and lights-out readings of The Giving Tree didn’t impress me even at the innocent age of almost-ten. Meanwhile, it seemed as if everyone else had inherited camp-related skills from their…

Debra RienstraJune 16, 2012

cultural commentary pop culture review

Desire and Its Discontents

After all, this is a show about advertising, the industry that trades on desire—evoking it, creating it, exploiting it.

Debra RienstraJune 1, 2012

nature silly theology

Matthew 2.0

Therefore everyone who hears these words and puts them into practice is like the wise woman who followed the instructions on the internet when she built her retaining wall.

Debra RienstraMay 19, 2012

liturgical year memoir spirituality

The Resurrection of the Mind

ln the section on the Holy Spirit, we profess our faith in “the resurrection of the body.” Familiar, precious words. A couple weeks ago it occurred to me, though: do we believe in the resurrection of the mind?

Debra RienstraMay 5, 2012

arts Calvin events

Postcards from the Festival of Faith and Writing

I report to you late on Friday night after two exhilarating days at the Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College. I’m exhausted and happy and there’s still a whole day to go.

Debra RienstraApril 21, 2012

liturgical year spirituality

Holy Saturday: the Liturgical Blank

But then what? In most of our worship contexts today, the church gives us nothing particular to do until Sunday morning, when it’s all trumpets and lilies and pastel Easter frocks. Between Friday at 3 and Sunday at 10 (or 7 if you’re unlucky enough…

Debra RienstraApril 7, 2012

cultural commentary silly

Back in My Day, We Just Didn’t Know Stuff

I admit there’s something romantic about wood stoves and typewriters and horse-drawn carriages and other technologies of the past. For about ten minutes. Then, get me back to my central heating, my laptop, and my minivan. And definitely, definitely: give me the internet. There’s nothing…

Debra RienstraMarch 23, 2012