How closely do you look at birds? There are some birds that are our easy for me to identify, often just by their shape. With other species, I rely on…

House Sparrows

Timing is a critical skill in taking wildlife photographs (and in telling the lame jokes I so enjoy), and I was thrilled to capture this image last …

Timing is everything

In the late 1600’s in colonial Boston, the celebration of Christmas was against the law. Indeed, anyone evidencing the “spirit of Christmas” could be…

Put the Dickens Back in Christmas

How often have you heard the platitude that you should cultivate an attitude of gratitude? Many of us will nod our head in agreement when we hear …

Thanksgiving Day 2020

The Pilgrims and Indians make a great tableau to consider for Thanksgiving, but the peace between the two groups didn’t last long. Massasoit and …

A Civil Body Politick

With the pandemic postponing May 2020 General Conference, many Methodists are wondering, “Will our denomination split? Will the pandemic inhibit the …

Will our denomination split?

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Normally when I see a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) catch a fish, it is a grab-and-go affair. The eagle reaches out with extended talons, …

Swamped eagle

American fans of Monty Python will be familiar with the opening lines of William Blake’s poem, “Jerusalem” (and I apologize to my British readers for…

The Gospel of Progress – and the New Jerusalem

As I was exploring in Huntley Meadows Park last Friday, I heard the unmistakeable rattling call of a kingfisher. After a bit of searching, I located …

Kingfisher and fish

A great cry went up from Orthodox throats across the globe earlier this year when the Turkish government repurposed Hagia Sophia from museum to …

Museums, Churches, and My Back Yard