Kevin Burrell takes Jesus’s command, “Look at the birds of the air,” seriously. And also humorously.
Kevin, a pastor in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an avid birdwatcher. His monthly blog and newsletter, “Ornitheology,” is one of my must-reads. His writing is clever, informative, and just plain fun.
For example, he describes a swift as “a cigar strapped to a boomerang.” He tells of seeing thousands of flamingos clustered in a cove in Mexico. The birds were pink, he writes, “and when I say pink, I truly mean pink. Pink like a taffeta prom dress. Pink like a Barbiecore convention.” He describes Golden-winged Warblers as wearing “trendy U-2 wrap-around sunglasses.” He even describes his three children as “the Owl,” “the Magpie,” and “the Mockingbird,” and his wife as “my adventurous nestmate.” (They don’t seem to mind.)
Kevin is passionate about birds. But he’s even more passionate about God. As the title of his newsletter suggests, he combines these two passions into one magnificent, creative swirl of writing. In describing the beauty and behavior of birds, he reveals the wonder and glory of God. He draws his readers into an appreciation of Creation that feeds the soul.
I found Kevin’s newsletter delightful, a wonderful, readable respite from, well, life. So imagine my excitement when I found he has a book coming out! Considering Sparrows: What Birds Teach Us About Who We Are, Where We’re Going, and the Joy of Following Jesus, releases on March 24, 2026. The book is a “journey through the book of Philippians” revealing “timeless truths through the lives of birds.”
Kevin writes, “I wanted to package my usual random bird musings into something more anchored and methodical, camping out in a specific section of Scripture and writing my way through it a passage at a time, complete with pastoral application and whimsical bird-mindedness…. That’s involved over two hundred pages of fun content about ravens, sparrows, albatrosses, vultures, penguins, hummingbirds, eagles, parrots, scrub jays, ducks, terns, treecreepers, Australian bowerbirds, African honeyguides, Chilean torrent ducks, and plenty more. I’ve got every continent covered.”
African honeyguides? Chilean torrent ducks? Come on!
I immediately pre-ordered the book. You can, too, at one of the links below, or at your favorite local bookstore.
In addition to Kevin’s wonderful writing, in Considering Sparrows you’ll find an introduction by Joni Eareckson Tada and beautiful illustrations by Aedan Peterson (son of Andrew Peterson).
One of the things I love doing is introducing friends from one part of my life to friends from another (I’m looking at you, Marsha and Vickie!). So, my book friends, let me introduce you to Kevin Burrell. (I don’t get anything out of this except, well, a new book.) Check out Kevin’s blog, “Ornitheology.” And then join me in in learning about ducks, terns, treecreepers, Australian bowerbirds… and the God who made them all … in Considering Sparrows.
Christianbook.com
Barnes and Noble
Amazon (affiliate link)