Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Category: Christian

  • A Determined Hope

    A Determined Hope

    Photo by Maria Orlova/Pexels

    (Hello everyone, this is the second time you have received this BLOG this week. When I reread the original BLOG I noticed a big mistake. It is amazing how the positioning of two words can alter the meaning entirely. Perhaps you will notice the change….maybe you won’t! Thanks for joining us at Stainglass Lense!)

    When hiking the trails through Grey-Bruce Counties it is likely you will come across one of the most hope filled images in all of God’s creation, a tree growing out of a rock. With its roots stretching over the sides of the rock and sinking deep into the earth while its limbs reach up to touch the sun, each tree seems to embrace these large rocks.  This image has always encouraged me and I have pondered, is this an image of hope or is it an image of determination; perhaps, a determined hope?

    This is the image that pops into my mind each Advent when the words of the Prophet Isaiah are read, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit (Isaiah 11:1).”  In other words, out of a seemingly dead tree new life will emerge with a determined hope.

    Isaiah is speaking of the kingdom which began with Christ and continues to be realized through the Spirit of God. In this kingdom the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, justice will cover the earth as water fills the sea and peace will be maintained between all the nations (Isaiah 11:1-10). 

    Isaiah is speaking to those who know how to deepen their roots around hardship, embracing change while reaching upward.  He is reminding us that with God there is always hope for new life to emerge.

     This coming Sunday we begin our Advent journey.  And, as is tradition we will begin by lighting the candle of Hope.  I cannot imagine a better way to start any journey then with hope.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • God-Size Ambitions

    God-Size Ambitions

    Photo by Brett Jordan/Unsplash

    The world is packed full of ambitious people.  Those who want to make a name for themselves, who want to be admired for either their accomplishments or possessions.  Usually these worldly types are not so concerned about impressing us with their meekness, gentleness or humility as they are with their might; whether it be physical, financial or wit.

    Then there are those who live their lives with God-Size ambitions.  God-Size ambitions cannot be measured by any worldly scale.  Instead, those who live by these ambitions focus on such things that endure; “…love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5: 22-23). These folks are busy building a kingdom that no earthly hands can destroy. 

    They are the ones who take time to speak words of light, love and encouragement.  They are the ones in the world who work in the shadows feeding the hungry, visiting with the lonely and empowering the lost.  They are the ones who always have the time to listen deeply, pointing in the direction of God’s love.  They are defined by their truthfulness, kindness and humility.  

    The late Rev. William Carey often said in his sermons, “Expect great things from God.  Attempt great things for God!” What great things are you doing for God today?  What are your God-size ambitions?

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel  

  • At The Going Down of the Sun and In The Morning…

    At The Going Down of the Sun and In The Morning…

    Photo by Ian Taylor/Unsplash

    I hope the weather is lousy this Thursday.  A bit of cold rain and a chilly breeze that cuts right through us would do just fine as we stand at the cenotaph shielding our faces from the cold, stamping our freezing feet against the hard ground, and rubbing our cold hands together. Then and only then, will we be in the proper stance for a Remembrance Day ceremony.

    There should be a certain level of unease at a Remembrance Day ceremony. It is a reminder of the tragic sacrifices made by those we are honouring.  We all are so tremendously blessed with comfort, luxury, and security, that we easily forget how deeply grateful we ought to be. We are indebted to those who bravely went into the unknown and fought against all that would take our freedom and comfort away: some returned silenced by the carnage they witnessed, others shared heroic tales, while many never returned.

    Even as we gather for Remembrance Day this Thursday, there will be those in other countries battling for everyone’s right to freedom.  They stand stoically before injustices and demonstrate sanctuary and strength for those who cannot fight for themselves.  Some have returned torn and deeply discouraged, and most struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) haunted by the loss of their friends who will never return; all are heroic in their selflessness.

    On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, may we stand in silence as an act of respect, gratitude, and pride of those who gave their all for each and every one of us.  To neglect one minute of your time is a deep disrespect and only minimizes you – not them.

    And when the trumpet sounds, may we turn our eyes skyward, thanking the great Creator for such brave souls.

    We will remember them,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel    

  • Selah.

    Selah.

    Photo by Josh Hild, Unsplash

    The lawn furniture is tucked away; the bird baths wiped dry and the rain barrels emptied and standing upside down.   

    The vegetable garden has been raked bare, the flowerbeds snipped back and the flowerboxes removed. The firewood is stacked; the hearth scrubbed with a basket of new unread books waiting upon it and the fruit cellar is full of sustenance. 

    Our winter sweaters, mittens, toques, scarves and jackets have been aired on the cloth line while our boots now line the back hall. It has been a busy week but never before have we been so ready for the arrival of winter!

    On Sunday, we paused from all the busyness to take a leisurely hike down some familiar trails. As we crested a small hill the wind blew strong enough to loosen hundreds of leaves which rode the breeze in descent; they danced gracefully towards us. We stopped and reached upwards to receive. The leaves fell like confetti around us.

    This awe-filled moment was so brief yet it refreshed us beyond measure; to be able to stop all the busyness and fill up on God’s presence is a divine gift indeed.  These are “Selah” moments.   

    Selah is a Hebrew word with various meanings all relating to pausing long enough to venerate God’s holy presence and to reflect on these holy moments.

    The author of Psalm 46 wrote of Selah, “When the mountains quake and the waters roar, the Lord is my refuge and strength….Selah. (I will pause and reflect on this)!  God makes wars to cease and breaks the bow… the Lord of hosts is with us…Selah. (I will pause and reflect on this)! Be still, and know that I am God…Selah. (I will pause and reflect on this)!”

    May you too have many Selah moments that amount to days enlightened by God’s quiet and beautiful presence.       

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Strange Happenings In a Country Cemetery

    Strange Happenings In a Country Cemetery

    Photo by Scott Rodgerson/Unsplash

    It was a cool and rainy morning following a cool and rainy night.  He arrived to the cemetery just as the birds were beginning their morning song.  As he scanned the cemetery he noticed the lid on the wooden box behind the shed was a bit askew.  This box is used in the winter to hold salt and in the summer it holds large bags of grass seed.  He cautiously approached wondering what it was this time; a raccoon or a skunk that had slipped inside?  What he found was far more shocking!

    If it had been anyone else that opened the box they would have screamed, ran and dialed 9-1-1, but not this guy.  This retired Funeral Home Director, Pete, had seen countless dead bodies over his career, what was one more?

    Thing was, this body, although found in a wooden box in a cemetery, wasn’t dead. As Pete fully opened the box the shoe-less figure stirred a bit but didn’t wake until the one holding the lid said in a rather loud and booming voice, “Hey! What are you doing in there?”

    Startled the young man tried to get to his feet but was jammed pretty good inside the box.  Pete helped him to his socked feet then aided him in getting out of his cramped quarters.  They quickly walked to Pete’s pickup truck where he turned the heat on full blast and began to ask questions, many questions.

    Since retiring up to “cottage country” this Funeral Director had become active on a couple of country cemetery boards and had taken on the role as Grounds Keeper.  It was in this role that he arrived early that morning prepared to cut some grass, trim some weeds and put down new grass seed, instead he retrieved a tired soul from inside a wooden box.

    As the young man attempted to explain how he ended up inside that box Pete turned his truck around and headed for home to retrieve an old pair of shoes and a warm jacket for this wayward guest.  Pete then drove this young man back into town all the while listening to his not so happy tale.

    Apparently, he had been enjoying an evening at the local Pub when a group of guys suggested he join them for a bush party. Young, foolish and feeling a bit adventurous he agreed to join the group as they jumped into a car and headed out.  Before he knew it he was down a country road he hadn’t ever seen before and after a few more drinks he couldn’t possibly find his way home.   The same group of guys decided to head back into town but tired of his company so they took his shoes and dropped him off at a cross road.  He managed to walk as far as the cemetery, found the box, crawled in and the rest, as they say, is history.

    Pete dropped him off at a Tim Hortons while passing him a couple of bucks. The young man thanked Pete profusely before getting out.

    Jesus tells us that when we feed the hungry, cloth the poor and visit the lonely we are feeding, clothing and visiting him.  He assures us that when we serve the least among us we are serving him; what he doesn’t tell us is that these opportunities to serve will, at times, arrive rather unexpectedly.

    That morning Pete may have done more than just cloth and feed this young man but may have also restored this young man’s confidence in humankind; and modeled a loving response to life.

    I wonder, what would you do if you found a body in a wooden box in the cemetery?!

    Happy Halloween Everyone!

    Rev. Heather McCarrel   

  • A Kernel of Gratitude  

    A Kernel of Gratitude  

    Photo by Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash

    Every year at Thanksgiving, whether there are only two around the table or twenty-two, each plate has 3 small kernels of un-popped colourful dried corn placed upon it. Before the meal is served we each take our place around the table and together share three things we are thankful for in the past year.  Then we place the kernels in a glass bowl which is placed in the middle of the table.  It is a thing of beauty to see the many different coloured kernels knowing each represents gratitude. 

    Tevye the Dairyman in the play Fiddler On the Roof sings a ‘tongue–in-cheek’ song about the importance of traditions and he concludes that without traditions life would be as shaky as a “fiddler on the roof.”  I tend to agree with Tevye; traditions help to steady us in an otherwise unstable world.

    It is important to me that my children witness traditions that tether them to faithful living and teach them to find hope in a difficult world.  By demonstrating gratitude we are living what the Apostle Paul teaches, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (Thessalonians 5:16-18)

    This year, as my family gathers for Thanksgiving we do so with three less family members; it has been a difficult year.  And yet, we will keep the Thanksgiving tradition of ‘Counting the Kernels of Gratitude’ because each small kernel reminds us of God’s presence, providence and promises.  As Henri Nouwen writes, “Gratitude goes beyond the ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift.”

    May everyone take time this Thanksgiving to pause and count enough blessings until you too are confident that life is pure gift!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • The Fluttering of Wings

    The Fluttering of Wings

    Photo by Javardh/Unsplash

    There are angels among us; I know this to be true because I have seen them. 

    It wasn’t easy to make out their faces as they kept their identity well hidden behind protective glasses and face masks.  Most of them had tucked their hair up in tight caps on their heads.  These colourful caps had a large button sewn on each side and from what I could tell these buttons were used to hold up their glasses and face masks, a most ingenious design.

    My mother had been taken by ambulance to the local hospital and was later admitted.  She had been bravely battling cancer and due to some complications of her treatment was in need of some special care.  Definitely the angels that surrounded her bed were offering a compassionate and dignified care.

    One afternoon, as a couple of these angels were tending to my mother in her hospital room, I stood in the hallway with my back up against the wall.  From this vantage point I witnessed as they swirled about pushing folks in wheel chairs, aiding others to walk steadily with their canes and in one case aiding a young man with his broken arm; they were in constant motion.

    A few days later, after my mother had been moved to the local hospice I again witnessed the gentle yet strong energy of these otherworldly beings.  They tended to my mother and in equal measure took time to care for our grieved and saddened souls.  My dad, who was helplessly watching the love of his life fade away, was tended to by these angels in such a way it ministered to us all.

    What I cannot understand is how can there be both atheists and angels among us?  How can one witness the selfless care of nurses; their willingness to step fully into people’s pain, illness and messiness and not see the divinity of their presence?  They step forward when most of us purposely run in the opposite direction.  Only a great and loving God could create such beings as nurses; those both skilled and called to help others.

    I cannot watch the care of a good nurse and not turn to God and say, “Thank you!”.

    After my mother had taken her last breath and all the arrangements had been made one last nurse came to offer words of comfort and as she turned to leave the room I am almost 100% sure I heard the fluttering of wings.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Neighborhood Terror

    Neighborhood Terror

    Photo by Mathyas Kurmann/Unsplash

    There is a new addition to my backyard garden, a sculpture of sorts.  It isn’t pretty, kind awkward if truth be told but it has a most important purpose. 

    It all started mid-summer when I was startled early one morning to discover a neighbor sitting rather comfortably in my backyard.  To be exact she was sitting proudly by the bird feeders looking rather pleased with herself.  Without hesitation I opened the back gate and made it clear she wasn’t welcome, “Be gone!”  I yelled while waving my arms. 

    She just looked me up and down then returned to studying the bird feeders. 

    Again, I said, louder than the first time, “I said be gone!” and to make my point clearer I stepped closer and clapped my hands.  Again, she simply ignored me.  So, I picked up the hose and with one squirt made my presence hard to ignore.

    She ran just far enough to be beyond the spray of water, she wasn’t going to leave easily.  I then found myself chasing her down the side of the house spraying the hose wildly.  Anyone looking on must have wondered what I had for breakfast that morning.  In hindsight, I am now certain I heard some snickering as I rounded the house and found this neighbor back under the bird feeders.  I knew this meant war!

    Thing is, only a week earlier I had caught my next-door neighbor doing the exact same thing and giggled at how silly she looked.  Now, I knew the nature of her yelling, running and waving of her arms.

    Within a couple of days this unwelcomed neighbor returned several times.  One deterrent I discovered was putting on the sprinkler; this pleased the birds and kept this unwelcomed neighbor at a distance, but my water bill was climbing.  

    One afternoon while weeding the flower bed under our front window this neighbor happened along, I stood up offering no words of welcome.  As she walked past another neighbor crossed my lawn saying, “Her name is Buttons and she has been the terror of the neighborhood all summer.”

    Terror doesn’t even come close to describe Buttons! A couple of days earlier, upon hearing yells, I looked out my front window and witnessed a woman with a rather large dog on a leash; both were being chased by Buttons down the street. 

    Jesus said we are to love our neighbors as ourselves but Buttons wasn’t making it easy!

    So, a couple of days ago when I discovered Buttons back under my bird feeders, I knew something different was required.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love cats, but Buttons is like no cat I had ever met.  

    Do you know that cats are the number one killers of songbirds?  Well, not on my watch!  This time I grabbed the hose and didn’t try to scare Buttons, but instead planned on giving her a thorough soaking.

    As she darted away, I kept close pursuit and soaked her backside good. Then I devised a plan. Remembering an unused metal shepherd’s hook plant hanger in the shed, I knew what to do.

    I put this shepherd’s hook in the ground positioned strategically between all the bird feeders, which happens to be about the middle of the yard and hung the hose sprayer on it.  Even with the hose off, just the sight of that sprayer is enough to keep Buttons away.  I watched as she rounded the garage, spied the sprayer, sized up the situation and decided to turn tail.

    It would seem Buttons and I have come to an understanding.

    So, standing up in my back yard is a large metal shepherd’s hook with the garden hose and sprayer poised for battle.  It looks rather ridiculous but as Lord Polonius said in Hamlet, “There is method in my madness!”

    Later, as my husband came through the back door from work, he just looked at me, shook his head and said, “I am not even going to ask.” 

    Thankfully, Buttons hasn’t returned!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • One Tuesday Afternoon…

    One Tuesday Afternoon…

    Photo by Forrest Moreland/Unsplash

    The Season of Creation has arrived! Do you know what the Season of Creation is?  Just as there is the Lenten Season and the Season of Advent there is within many denominations a Season of Creation.  For some denominations this Season runs from September 1st to October 4th while for others, such as the United Church of Canada it is called “Creation Time” and runs from September 12th to Thanksgiving Sunday, October 10th, 2021. 

    Although we may differ in the exact dates of this liturgical season we all agree on its focus; our God-given role as care takers of God’s wondrous and amazing creation.  We are called to awareness, prayer and action to strengthen our response to God’s presence and glory in all creation.

    And what an introduction to Creation Time we have had this past week in Grey-Bruce! Late on Tuesday afternoon darkness overtook the usual commute home which was followed by large hail stones, wicked winds and a torrential rainfall.  Trees were toppled, roofs torn off, fences and sheds scattered about as if they were simply children’s toys, and hydro wires downed that would take days to repair. And, just as the Creation Story begins in the Bible, there seemed to be chaos everywhere.

    This sense of chaos can leave us bewildered, exhausted and lost but that is not the end of the story; it is only the beginning!  Some have asked, “Where was God in this storm?” 

    God was right where God always can be found, with us in healing and helpful ways.

    Before this storm hit we were warned.  My cell phone sounded an alarm at 4:50 p.m and again several minutes later telling me to take cover and stay still until the storm had passed.  God has gifted us with those who have the knowledge of such meteorological events and the means to communicate warnings to us all.  With thanks to God for such gifts no one died during this storm.

    God’s presence was witnessed in those who jumped into action and began to ensure everyone’s safety.  The first responders such as the police, emergency crews and the hydro workers who immediately began to fix the downed wires; the following two days the sounds of chain saws and tree shredders echoed throughout Saugeen Shores.   

    One way God brings order out of chaos is by using us.  God created us to be the care takers of creation which includes each other.  We are called to aid others, those with the knowledge provide warnings, those with means provides the funds, those who can swing a hammer help to rebuild, each of us gifted in one way or another to aid our brothers and sisters through their chaotic times.

    May we all look around and see clearly the presence of our Great Creator even in the storms and seeming chaos.

    Blessings,  Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Flights of Fancy

    Flights of Fancy

    At first I didn’t notice the cause, only the effect.  As I carefully folded each sheet from the clothesline, birds dove around me, dancing overhead.  One little nuthatch stopped mid-air, made a 180-degree turn, then darted back into the treetops.  There were robins, at least 3 blue jays, a couple of orioles, a cardinal, about half a dozen chickadees and a handful of nuthatches displaying a choreographed routine.

    After all the laundry was folded, I sat down in a lawn chair enthralled by the show.  It was remarkable!  More than once a Blue Jay dove so close I could have reached out and touched him. And the best part: when the orioles joined the dance!  Their orange plumage added much to the display.

    I silently tip toed inside to get my son who, upon arrival, immediately assessed what was happening.  A nest of flying ants must have hatched in the soil under our patio stones and were marching in a straight line across the stones, through the lattice and up to the top of the fence post, which is positioned directly under the clothesline.  By bringing in the laundry I had startled them into flight, triggering the neighborhood birds into a feeding frenzy.

    We sat back and watched with fascination as the seemingly thousands of flying ants marched up the post and took flight, only to be nabbed inches away.  However, we soon realized that some were making it high into the great blue yonder because several sea gulls began to dip, dive and turn above the tree tops. 

    Later we reflected on the plight of the flying ants, having barely hatched and already were someone’s evening snack.  However, I must admit, the blackened top of my fence post thick with flying ants disgusted me. I fought the urge to get the hose and wash them away!  Thankfully nature once again amazed me with its balancing act. 

    My boring evening of house work and laundry turned into something exciting; life is such an adventure!  One moment I was mindlessly folding laundry, and the next looking up in awe at God’s creation.  As the Psalmists declare, “How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” (Psalm 104:24) 

    May you too be awed by God’s glorious creation.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Jack Bulmer