Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick Episode 377 - Bette Dickinson, "The Art of Vinemaking"
Dec 8, 2025
In this conversation, Bette Dickinson, an author and artist focused on spiritual formation, shares her insights from her book, exploring the metaphor of vine making as a pathway to spiritual flourishing. She highlights her friendship with a vine dresser, illustrating how quality and relationship matter more than mere productivity. Bette contrasts the importance of rest and dormancy in spiritual growth with our culture's push for constant output. They discuss the beauty of surrendering productivity in favor of embracing God's love, emphasizing that true flourishing comes from nurturing relationships.
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Meeting The Vine Dresser
- Bette Dickinson met vine dresser Dave Boss to learn real vineyard practices that illuminate John 15.
- Their six-year friendship informed her book and shaped her understanding of spiritual formation.
Quality Over Quantity
- Focusing on vine health and quality naturally produces good fruit as overflow.
- This contrasts with cultural habits of valuing quantity and measurable output above depth.
God As The Attentive Vine Dresser
- God is portrayed as relational, attentive, and repeatedly tending us rather than a one-time fixer.
- The vine metaphor highlights ongoing contemplation and responsiveness rather than punitive control.
