Yellowstone …

Last week was a delight … I was part of the Ich-theology gathering (a small group of folks who love theology and love fly fishing) in Yellowstone National Park. Highlights included …

A close and funny encounter with a black bear (more details may follow if photos become available) and the chance to enjoy other wildlife (bison, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, coyote, otters, beavers, eagles, etc.).
Lots of beautiful cutthroat trout … plus the perhaps once-in-a-lifetime achievement of catching four kinds of trout in one half-day – cutthroat, rainbow, brown, and brook.
Learning more about fly fishing from the many experts in our group – especially Dick, Rich, Jeff, Jim, and Pat
Too many good conversations about theology and the spiritual life to count.

A suggestion … if you’ve never been to Yellowstone, plan a vacation there. Spend at least four or five days, and spend most of your time in the north half of the park. Roosevelt or Mammoth Hot Springs would be great places to stay in a cabin. Hike. Fish. Ride horses. Drive and stop whenever you see something interesting. Take a lot of pictures. Write poetry. Draw pictures of what you see. Go outside at 3 a.m. and watch the stars. Be inspired. Eat every meal picnic-style at a different place alongside the road or trail. Swim in the Gardiner River at the hot springs. Don’t be in a hurry. See how your view of God is expanded from the vantage point of Yellowstone’s sacred grandeur.