Elk rutting season has just ended in Colorado, and thousands of spectator-filled cars lined the roads of parks and wildlife preserves to watch the show.  I simply had to look out the window: witness this photo I took in my backyard. Elk are large hoofed mammals—like deer on steroids—that can weigh up to 700 pounds.  … Read more

On average, I take four international trips a year.  For example, I’ve just returned from Spain, where I spoke at a conference of youth pastors.  My travels have given me a snapshot glimpse of the church in some eighty different countries. I remember my first Russian Orthodox service, designed to express mystery and majesty.  The … Read more

The National Park Service celebrates its 100th birthday on August 25, 2016.  Ken Burns, producer of a PBS television series on the parks, explains why he chose to title it America’s Best Idea: “…it doesn’t matter whether your ancestors came over on the Mayflower or your parents just arrived in this country, whether you’re from … Read more

Amid all the bleak news about America’s racial divide, I came across a remarkable video on a spiritual awakening in the largest maximum-security prison in the country.  The documentary, produced by The Atlantic magazine, takes thirteen minutes to watch, and I hope you do so.  (Click on this LINK and look for the large white “Play” … Read more

I just returned from a week at the Frederick Buechner Writer’s Workshop in Princeton, New Jersey. Buechner has always been a model for me, an author who expresses the essentials of faith in beautifully crafted prose, creating new forms as he writes. Spending a week with other presenters and prospective writers got me thinking about … Read more