Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Category: Christian

  • Saucer Moments!

    Saucer Moments!

    Photo by solod_sha/Pexels

    He was sitting in the dirt, covered in his burlap cloak with his hand out stretched hoping someone would drop in a coin, a piece of bread or in the very least acknowledge his presence. Then he heard the name being spoken. The Healing Rabbi was finally walking past and without hesitation he yelled, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

    “Oh, you just quiet down.  Jesus doesn’t want to hear from the likes of you!” They hissed at him.  Ignoring their taunts, Bartimaeus shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

    All the footsteps stopped, silence.  One singular voice spoke, “Call him.”

    A chorus rang out, “On your feet! He’s calling you.” 

    Throwing his cloak aside, Bartimaeus jumped to his feet and reached out.

    “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

    “Rabbi, I want to see.”

     “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately Bartimaeus could see.

    It is written that once receiving his sight Bartimaeus “followed Jesus along the road.” But I imagine he didn’t follow quietly and sedately but instead twirled, danced, and sang all the way to Jerusalem.   

    What joy and gratitude must have filled his soul!  The sheer exhilaration and celebration! 

    Have you ever experienced this kind of joy?  Perhaps at a new baby’s birth?  When you were told the cancer was gone?  Holding the winning ticket? Or, that moment you looked up at a tree ablaze in autumn finery?

    These are saucer moments; moments when we drink from our saucer because our cup runneth over.    

    That is what I imagine Bartimaeus sang as he danced behind Jesus, he sang about drinking from his saucer because his cup runneth over!

    May we all have countless saucer moments this coming week and may these moments open our eyes with such vision we see clearly the presence of the divine in our midst.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel  

  • A Secret Worth Knowing

    A Secret Worth Knowing

    Photo by Anna Tarazevich/Pexels

    There sure is a lot to worry about these days. The threat of nuclear war, increasing COVID cases, rising costs to just about everything and too many environmental disasters to count.

    How do we find peace of mind at a time like this?  Rev. Darlow Sargeant writes, “To be perfectly at peace amid the hurly-burly of daily life is a secret worth knowing. What is the use of worrying? It never made anybody strong; never helped anybody to do God’s will; never made a way of escape for anyone out of perplexity.  Worry spoils lives which would otherwise be useful and beautiful.” 

    It would seem Jesus agrees, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25) 

    As the stoics teach, it is never wise to worry over things we cannot control. 

    What we can control is how we live our daily lives in our own little worlds. Why not trust in God’s presence and God’s call to serve others?  We have the power to help those around us.  As Mother Teresa wisely said, “I can’t help thousands.  I can help only the one who stands before me.”

    Why not spend our days counting our blessing and offering back to God our praise and gratitude?  If we are doomed anyway, why not spend our days doing and thinking that which adds beauty and comfort?  Perhaps as we do so we will draw closer to the presence of God, and as Rev. Sargeant writes, “Scale the heights of a life abandoned to God, then you will look down on the clouds beneath your feet as you rise above all the worries.”

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Grateful Reverence

    Grateful Reverence

    Photo by Pexabay/Pexels

    I was run over by the Holy Spirit this past week, it was a most disturbing experience!  One minute I was going about my business and the next I was left a speechless mess fully aware of God’s amazing presence.

    It happened while out walking my dog, Abigail, one warm afternoon early in October.  I looked up to the Canadian Geese who were practicing their V formation overhead when it happened, a humility so overwhelming I felt light headed with awe.

    I will never be able to fully understand or articulate the grandeur of God in that moment. As I looked around God’s glory shone through the salmon noisily splashing up steam.   To think God created something as remarkable as a salmon whose instincts know to return home every autumn to propagate the next generation or butterflies who began life as caterpillars are now winged beauties prepared to fly south.  This same God put into the hearts of birds to gather on hydro wires so together they may migrate and also instilled within the Canadian Geese to fly in perfect formation.  And then, one final touch God decided to have all the bushes and trees burst into celebratory colour!  

    If all of this wasn’t enough, God also created me, and you, so we can witness this beauty; an audience to God’s amazing creative genius.  The profound awareness of God’s closeness stunned me into a deep humility and gratitude that could only be expressed through reverence; a reverence for something much bigger, wiser and deeper than I could ever perceive.

    As John Milton, English Poet, wrote, “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.”

    May your Thanksgiving be so full of gratitude that it results in a deep reverence that tunes you into God’s closeness.

    Happy Thanksgiving,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Autumn Aroma

    Autumn Aroma

    Once autumn arrives it is pumpkin spice everything.  I even saw an advertisement last week selling pumpkin spice brake pads!  Of course the service station was just having some fun with this pumpkin spice madness.

    For me the perfect aroma for autumn is not pumpkin spice but a bouquet of sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, basil and oregano.

    With the threat of the first frost upon us the time had arrived to harvest my herb garden.  I cut each plant leaving the roots in place with hopes that next spring they may sprout again. Each herb released an intoxicating scent when cut, a means of departing the garden with one final farewell.

    Some of the herbs were delicately tied and hung upside down on a wooden rack in our mudroom, welcoming all who enter with a savory fragrance.  Others were prepared for a faster drying process in the oven.  With the oven warmed to 170 degrees and the necessary supplies gathered: reclaimed glass jars, parchment covered cookie sheets, and a mortar and pestle, I was ready to start.

    Soon the house filled with the best aroma autumn can offer. Not only does this process fill my home with a warm and delectable perfume it also adds a touch of summer to each winter dish. 

    Sure, pumpkin spice is nice but the signature smells of my own home grown herbs is a reminder of warmer days that help carry me through another cold Grey-Bruce winter.

    May we all find simple ways to honour this most rewarding season!

    Happy autumn everyone,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel  

  • Thou Art With Me

    Thou Art With Me

    Painting by Canadian artist, Cecil Henry Greenhow ( January 27, 1935 – July 7, 2017)

    There is a painting that hangs in our upstairs hallway; it is oil on canvas in shades of blue depicting a city street on a blustery winter evening.  Among the snow fall and along the snow packed street two figures walk, their backs to us, one taller than the other, both huddled against the seemingly cold north wind.   

    This painting reminds me of the 23rd psalm. 

    The 23rd Psalm is a psalm for those times when life takes twists and turns leading us through the shadows of darkness.  There is no suggestion that we can take a detour around the dark valley; it is a path we all must travel.  But there is a promise that we will never travel the darkness alone. As Rev. Dr. Limburg writes, “Like a good shepherd who cares for the sheep, like a loving parent who holds the hand of a child, the Lord promises to be with us on that way through the darkness.” 

    The tall figure in the painting reminds me of God’s presence walking beside us all the way; even through the blustery storms of life.  As Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:20 “Surely I am with you always.”

    The same everlasting God who cares for us today will take care of us tomorrow and every day.  As the 23rd Psalm teaches, either God will shield us from suffering or God will give us the strength to bear whatever befalls.  As Saint Francis De Sales writes, “Be at peace, then, and set aside all anxious thoughts and worries.”

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Worth Keeping

    Worth Keeping

    Photo by Clay Banks/Unsplash

    Recently, while on holiday, I had the opportunity to attend worship at different churches.  Each service was meaningful in their own ways. One thing I noticed was that the wearing of masks was optional at all the services and only at one of the churches did the majority of those in attendance wear masks.

    While drawing my mask out of my pocket I looked around wondering what the difference was in this church compared to the others. 

    After the service I was told that there were a few folks from a group home who attended and the only way they can attend worship is if everyone masks.  This is done out of an abundance of concern around one individual who has a serious lung disease.  This faith community would rather all mask then have that one person not attend worship. What a beautiful act of belonging and love!

    This faith community has become one of my favorite churches as a result of this selflessness. 

    There are a few things worth keeping from pandemic living.  For example, I do hope the live-streaming of funeral services is here to stay.  This has made it possible for family members across the country to attend funeral services.  

     I also hope ZOOM meetings are a permanent change.  Given the long and nasty winter months we encounter here on Georgian Bay I rather like simply turning off my computer at the end of a meeting instead of white knuckling it through snow drifts and white outs. 

    There are many other changes the pandemic has taught that hopefully will remain but the one I witnessed at that worship service is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful changes; to do for others instead of selfishly taking care of only ourselves.

    When we look beyond ourselves and find ways to live that enhance life for others, we make a peaceful world possible.  

    The pandemic was a universal experience; people of all races, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status and age were touched by it and perhaps the best response is for us, without bias, to show selfless regard for each other by sharing respect, acceptance and patience. As the song goes,

    I’d like to see the world for once,
    All standing hand in hand.
    And hear them echo through the hills,
    For peace throughout the land.

    I’d like to teach the world to sing,
    In perfect harmony.
    And I’d like to hold it in my arms,
    And keep it company. (I’d Like to Teach The World To Sing by The New Seekers, 1972)

    Let’s all join in!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Belonging

    Belonging

    Photo by Tim Mossholder/Unsplash

    There is a memorable lesson I have done with the children at church on Sunday mornings. I invite all the children to come forward and sit in the front pew. I hand each of them a stick and after the count down, “3-2-1 go!”  They all break their sticks in two.

    This is always followed by laughter! 

    Then I have them bring me the broken sticks and together we gather them into one bundle and bind them with a string before asking, “Do you think we can break these sticks now?”  And, no matter how many tricks we try that bundle of sticks will not break.

    The moral of the story being, we are stronger in community then when we try to do life all on our own.  We all need to reach out to others both in giving support and in receiving it; this is how we become strong together.  As Mother Teresa said, “We all belong to each other.”

    I thought of this lesson recently as I witnessed a widow move from the home he and his wife shared.  After 60 years of marriage she had died rather suddenly and in his grief he decided to go it alone.  However, after 7 months he was ready to step back into community.  After touring many lovely options he chose the right one for himself.  So with help from family and friends he moved his most cherished belongings into a smaller place inside a retirement community.

    At first he felt lost and his grief seemed to deepen.  However, those already living in this community were quick to knock on his door, invite him out for conversation, coffee and one afternoon for musical entertainment. 

    It was this afternoon that changed everything.  The musical guest stopped part way through her performance and from the stage she noticed him.  They made eye contact and with his smile and nod of the head she knew it was him; a fellow musician whom she had shared the stage with many times in the past.  She quickly introduced him to everyone and shared a few memories of their performances.

    Before leaving that afternoon this man was asked if he would help pull together a “home band” for the residence since there already was a pianist, guitarist and a singer.  What they needed was a drummer and a manager; would he mind being both? 

    He entered his apartment later that day and knew he was home. 

    Henri Nouwen, a Dutch Catholic Priest, author, theologian and best known for his ability to create and foster community for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities wrote, “The best of community does give one a deep sense of belonging and well-being; and in that sense community takes away loneliness.”

    May we all be blessed with a sense of belonging and may we foster belonging for others,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Soaking In The Green

    Soaking In The Green

    Photo by Heather McCarrel, Harrison Park in Owen Sound

    In his book, The Little Book of Lykke, Meik Wiking explains Shinrin-yoku as a means of refreshing our souls and resetting our psychological health by getting a good dose of forest bathing! 

    During these late spring days I highly recommend you try some forest bathing.  All one needs is a good set of walking shoes, perhaps a walking stick and some comfortable clothing (just in case you got the wrong idea!).  Then find a patch of forest to “bathe” in. 

    This kind of bathing involves taking in everything around you with all your senses. Breathing in the fresh clean air, pausing to touch and focus your sights on every detail of the green foliage and at times closing your eyes to listen deeply to the birds, babbling brook or the wind through the leaves.   It is a mindful hike that may take your soul to great heights but you may physically not travel far.  In fact, even if one took a chair out to a group of trees and sat under them breathing in the entire experience, one would be forest bathing. 

    Wiking writes, “There is existing evidence of a positive relationship between happiness and exposure to green or natural environments in our lives.”  

    The forest, one of God’s earliest creations is full of divine mystery and undiscovered healing.  Many have said that they do not need church so long as they can walk in nature; that it is in nature where they meet God.  For me the mystical beauty of the forest is enhanced by my deep reverence for God’s church.  Without one or the other it would be a lopsided life.

    Even Job, despite all his hardships knew where to find comfort, he spoke of the wisdom of nature, “…ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In God’s hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being.”(Job 12:8-10)

     So, why not make time this week to go forest bathing either by a mindful walk in the forest or simply by sitting near a garden or a tree and rest long enough to hear God’s small whispers?

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The Photo with today’s Blog I took while forest bathing exactly this time last year at Harrison Park in Owen Sound 

  • Refreshing Truth

    Refreshing Truth

    Every spring it is an event to set up the birdbaths in our yard.  There is the most recent one, a teal green porcelain birdbath that goes in the front flower bed by the roses, second is the birdbath gifted to me by my sister-in-law that goes in the flower bed beside the driveway and the most meaningful birdbath goes in the same spot it has stood for the past 25 years.

    It was a big deal the day we purchased this birdbath; we made it a family event!  With our three young children in tow we drove all the way up to Walter’s Falls where a young man was trying to make a living creating birdbaths, statues and flower urns out of cement.   He allowed my three children, all toddlers at the time, to carefully walk among his creations until they finally decided which birdbath we would call our own.  Once home, they helped to place it and each added a cup full of water.

    The week prior to the purchase of this birdbath I had preached at a church in our hometown and the congregation insisted on paying me.  It was the first time I had gotten paid to preach and, as far as I knew, it may have been the last time. So, my husband and I decided these funds should go to something special; something that would honour all it represented. 

    This past week I set up this birdbath.  Within minutes a Robin stopped by to try it out.  I stood back and watched as the bird was refreshed both by a sip of water and by the bath that followed.  This is what I had hoped, that the birdbath would welcome and refresh those who came to it. The same was true of the sermon I preached that Sabbath day so long ago.  

    As I watched the Robin, difficult questions arose in my mind, “Why do I preach?  Why do people come to listen?  What should I preach in these post pandemic days? Has the message changed over the past 25 years?”

    In the bottom left drawer of my desk is a tape of that very sermon from 25 years ago; the AV guy had recorded it.  I listened and discovered the message that day was the same message I had prepared for this past Sunday based on a sermon the Apostle Paul had preached close to 2000 years ago.

     Paul preaches that our one true God is always near to us, ‘For in him we live and move and have our being….and this God calls us kin.” (Acts 1:28)   We have a God who wants to be in relationship with us.  Who loves us unconditionally and who offers us new beginnings daily.

    That message is the same today as it was 25 years ago as it was 2000 years ago.  The truth doesn’t change; the good news of the Gospel remains the same. 

    May we all be refreshed by deepening our relationship with this God of love; a crazy love that chases after us every day.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel   

  • The Teachings of Spring

    The Teachings of Spring

    Photo by Oyster Haus/Pexels

    Spring is the season of new beginnings; a time when all the harshness and bitter cold of winter is forgiven.  This is a season that teaches the relevance of letting go of the past and embracing the gift of new life.

    The cold north wind slowly turns southward bringing with it seeds of growth and melodies of promises fulfilled.  These are the promises of newness but only for those who are brave enough to reach out with wide open hands, daring to let go of what has been ready to grasp the new thing about to happen.       

    It is the same in life; either we decide to let go of those things that hold us to the prickly past or we end up with a bitter winter chill deep in our souls.  It isn’t easy to let go, to forgive those moments of pain and move on.  As Mahatma Gandhi said, “The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.”

    It takes strength to forgive and let go, but we do it for our own freedom.  This freedom leads to warm breezes, unexpected sunshine and moments of pure divine joy!  Spring doesn’t wait for winter to apologize, instead, with spunk and a bit of grit spring brings forth new life daily.

    Perhaps this is why spring is so adored.  It has the audacity to embrace life despite all the darkness of the world, not allowing the shadows to dim its light

    May we all embrace this divine light.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel