We drove over 200 miles on Thanksgiving day to watch tundra swan and snow geese. We heard they would be at Bombay Hook on the Delaware bay, along with lots of other water birds and ducks like gadwalls and shovelers and pintails. I peered through binoculars. Rick snapped photographs. We watched them fly in formation and began to recognize their distinct calls.Each pond we … [Read more...] about Taking for granted
Archives for November 2009
Welcoming the Wise One
I am sitting in my living room thinking about what to say about advent this Sunday. The house is quiet while Rick has gone out to rehearsal. The sky has just grown dark; the computer screen is the only light in the room. That is when, in the trees across the road, I hear a conversation of two Great Horned Owls: Who cooks for you, who? Who cooks for me, well.... Chester (my … [Read more...] about Welcoming the Wise One
The end of the John year
It is with good sadness that I end this liturgical church year today. For the last year I have led the congregation in riskily departing from the wiser tradition of the Revised Common Lectionary, and following our own lectionary through the Gospel of John. Since I had worked on memorizing John on my 2008 sabbatical, I told most of the gospel scriptures this past year for … [Read more...] about The end of the John year
What time is it?
What time is it?It is 6:11 p.m., November 17, 2009. Tonight I am supposed to write a newsletter article for December, focusing on the advent season, but it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet, and it's hard to get in the mood. Next week the time will come, though, when we will have worked our way through the endless varieties of turkey leftovers, and the congregation will then … [Read more...] about What time is it?
Spreading generosity
Here's a story that Jesus told. Most people don't like it, or they think it doesn't make sense. A few people have questioned whether it even belongs in the Bible because it sounds like Jesus is praising a dishonest manager. Actually, I think he is:There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought against him that this man was squandering his property. So he … [Read more...] about Spreading generosity