Blog - Debra Rienstra

By Debra Rienstra In cultural commentary

The Enemy Within

Read Article

By Debra Rienstra In nature

On Cicadas, Parasites, and Creepy, Slimy Things

Read Article

By Debra Rienstra In memoir

The Remnants of Their Lives: An Ancestry Adventure

Read Article

Uncategorized

A Vote is Not a Valentine–Or a Virtue Test

It seems to me people have all kinds of unhelpful notions about what a vote means. And that can lead to them choosing not to vote, usually for either (or both) of two reasons. 1. They don’t think their vote matters. 2. They want to…

Debra RienstraMay 4, 2024

climate change spirituality theology

What Can the Church Offer to a World in Crisis?

What distinctive gifts does the church bring to the table? What can we offer, right now, in this moment in history? What gifts of the church are suited well for what we need?

Debra RienstraApril 6, 2024

cultural commentary pop culture

Messiah Complex

The cinematography is amazing! The production design incredible! The acting top-notch! The directing visionary! Eh. I was bored.

Debra RienstraMarch 23, 2024

liturgical year

Unless a Seed Falls: John 12:20-36

Even I have to admit, it looks terrible: broken, rotting stalks, bare dirt, no happy winged visitors. I tell myself there are over-wintering insects in there, that native roots are strong, that spring is coming. But right now: stillness, death.

Debra RienstraFebruary 24, 2024

liturgical year Pious Petunia silly

Pious Petunia Lifts Us Gently Over a Candy-Coated Lenten Threshold

Miss P recommends relaxed bemusement at the strained and unnecessary efforts of some Christians to claw back holy meaning for Ash Wednesday out of the lacey pink clutches of commercialized romance.

Debra RienstraFebruary 10, 2024

arts theology

Blessed Unrest

We often wonder what God is calling us to do in a particular moment or passage of life. Could we ask ourselves, in such moments, “What is my blessed unrest here?”

Debra RienstraJanuary 27, 2024

Uncategorized

Podcast Basics for Guests

What is the podcast all about? The Refugia Podcast explores how Christian spirituality and practice must adapt to prepare for life on a “tough, new planet.” Refugia (re-FU-jia) is a biological term describing places of shelter where life endures in times of crisis, such as…

Debra RienstraMay 1, 2020

cultural commentary memoir pop culture

Six Letters, Starts with a P

Can we enjoy the process of puzzling things out when we’re not sure, at the end of it, that there’s an answer?

Debra RienstraMay 1, 2020

climate change nature silly

Conference of the Creatures

“Creatures, our free forty minutes are almost up. So I just want to encourage you all and review our mission objectives. It’s been great to have some relief from the humans for a while, but this is all for a bigger purpose."

Debra RienstraApril 18, 2020