Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Category: COVID-19

  • Bewildering Beauty

    Bewildering Beauty

    My daughter got married on Saturday! Despite the pandemic, severe thunderstorm warnings and the touch down of a tornado, it was a day of bewildering beauty.

    It was exactly 9 years ago Saturday, June 26th, that my daughter and her new husband had their first date.  Over a year ago, when they realized this date fell on a Saturday, they announced their intention to mark this most important anniversary with Holy Matrimony.

    A wedding liturgy was created by the two of them full of prayers, blessing and gratitude to their Great Creator. 

    After much deliberation, the ceremony was set to occur at a covered picnic shelter perched on a pier surrounded by Georgian Bay.  The morning of the big day we gathered and filled the picnic shelter with tiny white lights and loosely wrapped white netting to create a heavenly vibe. The green carpeting invited the green glow from outside in, while blue tables covered with white lace, topped with lit lanterns and flowers of many colours added a rich elegance. A white wicker table and matching chair placed with a pot of tall lavender added much to the already divine setting.  

    As the ceremony began, we stood inside the picnic shelter while an otherworldly mist hung over the water under a sky of swirling blue and grey tones. A small group gathered to witness this most special moment.  Only 10 close family members were inside the picnic shelter and others had paddled over in either a kayak or a canoe, each minding the COVID rules of distancing!  As the presiding minister, I purposely spoke loud enough so to be heard both on and off shore.

    With the aid of a cell phone and several Bluetooth speakers, lovely music could be heard during both the ceremony and the time of celebration that followed!  A local restaurant prepared a lovely meal, which was delivered in individual boxes for each guest, right down to the fresh berry-laden cheesecake.

    Each photo is enhanced by the moody sky, misty air and the ever-changing bay waters.  We did not have heavy rain nor were there strong winds; the Good Lord himself cupped his hands over and around the picnic shelter. We were greatly blessed.

    As the day began to draw to a close and the picnic shelter filled with laughter and dancing, I marveled at this young couple and knew they have all it takes to travel the many twists and turns life will present. For, as it is written, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, its learning to dance in the rain.”  

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Luminous Moments

    Luminous Moments

    “Do you have time to go for a drive?”  He added, “There is something really cool I want to show you.”

    Within minutes we were driving out of town, up winding country roads and down narrow one-lane goat trails until we arrived at our destination.  As we closed the car doors, he explained that what stood before me was most likely one of the oldest tree I will ever see.  It was remarkable!  A tall, wide and stately Elm, which in itself is a rarity in these parts. Did you know Elm trees can grow upwards to 120 feet tall?

    Reverently we walked toward this ancient tree and as I laid my palm upon the bark my son explained how, by chance, he came upon this old tree tucked in the edge of an untouched ancient forest along the curve of an old country lane-way.

    My son had spent a summer working for the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority, and it was the wee creek that ran beside that tree that had brought him out to this forgotten place.  He was tasked with the job of gathering water samples from all the little, out-of-the-way waterways.

    The tall grass and over grown vines told me that not many had traveled by this marvelous tree, which made me admire it even more; a hidden gem!   Perhaps its hidden place had protected it from the dreaded Dutch Elm Disease.

    This old tree has grown so old it is now starting to part in two. Down the middle of its trunk was a large dark cervix measuring somewhere between 4 feet high to 2 feet wide.  With a tone of wonder I said, “Look, it is a doorway to another dimension.  Perhaps we would find Narnia if we dared to enter!”

    My son’s days of such fantastic play are well behind him; I hope only for a time.  He turned and got back into the car but I didn’t want to leave quite yet- the tree and I had just met.  I tried to walk the width of the tree but could not due to the bushes and vines that have grown up around it. I stood in silence trying to imagine all the history this tree had lived through and then, as a final gesture, I ran my hand through its large rippled leaves.

    As we drove away I thanked my son for introducing me to this fine old tree and he shared that the day he discovered it he too stood in awe of its beauty and size, “isn’t nature full of amazing surprises?”

    John O Donohue, Catholic Priest and poet, was wide awake to God’s beauty in nature.  In his book,  “The Invisible Embrace: Beauty” he writes, “Every life is braided with luminous moments.” 

    As we move back into the busyness of life may we remember to pause long enough to look around for God’s beauty and to be moved by God’s luminous moments!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • The Handbook on Lock Down Living

    The Handbook on Lock Down Living

    In his book, The Little Book of Hygge: the Danish Way to Live Well, Meik Wiking from the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen shares research on what brings enduring happiness.  Interestingly, what he discovers would make the perfect handbook for those of us still living these pandemic days in places of government regulated “stay at home” restrictions. 

    The very word, hygge, according to Wiking, means “as creating a feeling of home.  A feeling that we are safe, that we are shielded from the world and allow ourselves to let our guard down.”  Wiking has discovered that what brings lasting happiness isn’t material possessions and job promotions but instead the simple things of life that create hygge in our home- lit candles, coffee and dessert, a good book, a quiet nook for reflection, sitting by the window with a good cup of tea watching the weather change, and enjoying a crackling campfire.

    Thankfully, this book came into my possession just as COVID-19 was arriving back in March 2020.  After reading Wiking’s findings I decided to create hygge in my home.  That night at supper I announced we were about to embark on a new experiment.  We were going to purposely cultivate happiness in our home despite the pandemic.  Then immediately after grace was shared, I lit a candle. Every evening since a candle has been lit at our dinner table. Apparently, true hygge cannot be reached without candle light!   

    Also, as instructed by Wiking, I started to brew coffee just before supper with the aroma filling the kitchen. And as instructed we began to have dessert every evening.  It was mandatory for this experiment to be complete, so dessert has been served daily. Sometimes it is just a store-bought cookie or, more recently, a seasonal treat as we make our way around a strawberry rhubarb pie.

    The post-supper coffee has been scaled down to merely a ¾ cup as we discovered our aging bodies do not tolerate caffeine in the evening so well, keeping us up well beyond our usual bedtimes.  However, that small cup of coffee has become a routine part of watching the evening news, a warm comfort as I listen to all the happenings around the world.

    We also created a comfy nook in our home, a hyggekrog.  This simple space was created around our fireplace and as instructed there is no technology. Instead, just comfortable chairs and a table covered with excellent books.  This small space has become big in our home; a place of conversations and quiet reflection. 

    As we are coming to the end of this third and last lock down and nearing the “new beginning” of vaccine living, I have wondered if it is necessary to continue our hygge habits.   One afternoon, while sitting around our hyggekrog, I posed the question and after some conversation it was decided that hygge living is here to stay. These simple every day practices anchor us in the decision to be happy.  Happiness, much like joy, doesn’t happen by accident.  It is a deliberate practice to be happy.

    Besides, I think the best way to praise God is to spend our days happy with what we have been given. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes us happy.”

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo was taken by Margaret Jaszowska used with permission/Unsplash

  • Sanctuary

    Sanctuary

    Recently, I had the privilege of visiting a lovely church.  Its sanctuary is full of stain glass windows and this ministry has a rich history of being a beacon of God’s love for over 140 years.  As I stood, masked, at one side of the sanctuary, a church member stood at the other side sharing beautiful stories of this beloved faith community.  When it came time to leave, he looked longingly around and honestly admitted “It has been too long since I have been here. I don’t want to leave.”

    I deeply understood his sentiment.  Each Sunday, like so many others, I join worship virtually via the live stream from my church.  Thankfully we can “chrome cast” the service to our TV screen, and together my husband and I join with others to sing, pray, and reflect.   There are some advantages to gathering for virtual worship. For example, at my church the chat bar is open allowing those who join worship to share a “hello” and a bit of fellowship prior to and following each service. We can also freshen up our coffee during the service without anyone knowing!  But it isn’t the same as being in the church’s sanctuary.

    This pandemic living has me wondering where sanctuary can be found when one cannot go into the church building.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines sanctuary as “a place of refuge and protection.”  Some have told me their place of sanctuary is a special spot in nature- either the sandy shores of Lake Huron or Georgian Bay, while others enjoy the forest canopy and accompanying birdsong. There are a few I know who find sanctuary in their gardens, watching the antics of the chipmunks while tending to God’s beauty.

    Michael A Singer, author of The Untethered Soul and The Surrender Experiment, teaches that there are actually two worlds: one that goes on all around us, and one that goes on within us. He teaches that there is a power within us that pulls us upward. If we focus our inner self towards God, others, and eternity, we can create a refuge; we begin to create our own inner sanctuary.

    Where do you find your sanctuary?  Where is your refuge?  If you haven’t developed one, maybe this pandemic is the perfect opportunity to do so!  

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Lua Valentia used with permission/Unsplash

  • One of God’s Lost Boys

    One of God’s Lost Boys

    It has been one of my greatest privileges to serve as a chaplain over the years.  My first position began in 2006, and since then I have served in several Long Term Care settings, hospital settings, a hospice and, within my own denomination.  This week’s story took place during the 18 months I served as a Student Chaplain in a Mental Health Unit.  It is with permission that I share this story.

    I met up with some of God’s lost boys this week, those tossed aside by society but tenderly held in the palm of God’s steadfast grasp.  One has dubbed me “The Spiritual Lady” and is always prepared for prayer each time our paths cross.  This week he yelled from halfway down the hall, “Hey Spiritual Lady!  Do you have time to pray with me?” 

    “Of course”, I respond and we found a quiet corner.

    Before we started I asked, “Is there anything specific you want to pray about?”

    “I will start the prayer and you can finish it off” he said before bowing his head and folding his hands on his lap. I too closed my eyes and settled back into my chair.

    With a serious and quieted tone he began, “To whom it may concern.”

    My laugh was audible but when I looked up to his earnest posture and continued prayer I knew it meant he wasn’t joking.  He was set to have a serious conversation with whoever would listen.

    I again closed my eyes and folded my hands.  What followed was one of the most honest prayers I have had the privilege to eavesdrop upon. He shared his hopes, fears, regrets, and asked for forgiveness for a list of wrong doings.  Before ending he shared in a joke with God saying, “And now I end with “eh-man” instead of “ah-men” (amen) because I am Canadian, eh?!”  Then he laughed at his own joke.

    All that was left for me to pray was to thank God for the gift of being present to witness the connection between God and this beloved son of his.  I too ended with “Eh-Men” and we parted with a smile at the private joke shared between the three of us!

    May we all take time during these “stay at home” COVID days to find a quiet corner and converse with our ever present Creator, sharing our joys, fears, regrets and wrong doings; may this prayerful time end with such a joy that it fills our days with laughter. 

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Andrew Neel used with permission/Unsplash

  • To Touch The Wisdom of the Universe

    To Touch The Wisdom of the Universe

    Whenever life becomes overwhelming, I go outside and stand under my maple tree and lookup.  Whether it is day or night, sunshine or rain, I always gain courage by standing under my maple.

    I look past the tall trunk and through the upward reaching limbs and gaze at the timeless sky. Knowing that under this sky the human story has unfolded for generations, it has been the canopy of our existence as a species.

    That moon I see is the same moon that led the Israelites in their 40-year journey to the promised land.  The same sun that shone down on Jesus as he traveled from town to town, shines on us today.

    It isn’t enough to just stand under the maple, to gain the full extent of its grounding power one must lean on its trunk or run their hands along one of its limbs.  I know it must sound silly, but by holding onto a limb, even for a moment, is like holding the hand of an old, wise and calming presence in the universe.

    If you have never stood under an old stately tree and leaned into its soothing presence, then I highly recommend you do so, right now, no matter the time of day or the weather, just go and touch a bit of the grounding wisdom of the universe.

    Photo by Kevin Young/Unsplash

  • Stillness

    Stillness

    It began as a daily observation but became a source of great healing. I first noticed little green tips pointing out of the cold, hard ground. They grew tall seemingly right before my eyes.  Then the buds appeared, growing slowly to reveal their hidden gems.  At last my flower beds are full of their yellow, white, pink and purple celebration, perfuming the air with promises of sunshine, warmth and joyful days ahead.

    These slowed-down COVID days have afforded me the time to sit still and capture all the life around me.  This life has been happening all along unnoticed.  Now I have charted the ever changing growth of the flowers, the budding and growth of the maple trees (have you noticed the bobbles they are now donning?) and the dramatic brightness of the forsythia bushes. 

    I have sat in silence enjoying the building of new nests and the refurbishing of old ones.  Many giggles have been shared over the amusing antics of the red, black and grey squirrels.  And I had no idea how many visitors there were to my backyard until now: midnight visits from raccoons and owls, followed by a chorus of morning birds rising alongside the spring sun on the backs of rabbits, skunks and the neighborhood cats.

    The ongoing affairs in my small piece of God’s Creation promises to entertain me in the weeks ahead.  I anticipate the lilac bushes bursting with colour, the blueberry bushes exploding with sustenance and the rhubarb growing tall and unyielding.  The vegetable garden has been tilled and waits to receive the peas, beans and tomato plants that now fill my window sills. And I can’t wait to see how many chicks the robins produce.

    The great Stoic Markus Aurelius wrote that having stillness allows us to “concentrate on living what can be lived (the present moment).” Only then, he said, “can you spend the time you have left in tranquility. And in kindness. And at peace with the spirit within you.”   (Daily Stoic: Ryan Holiday)

    May we all appreciate the gift of stillness which these Stay-At-Home days afford us and may we glean tranquility, peace and beauty with each and every day.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Melissa Askew used with permission/Unsplash

    P.S. With gratitude to Sandy Lindsay requesting that this BLOG continue in the Saugeen Times and with permission granted from my denomination it has been decided Stainglasslens will continue to part of this online newspaper.    

  • Backyard Concert

    Backyard Concert

    These “Stay at Home” days can be pretty quiet and even a bit boring at times, that is until we open ourselves to new experiences.  An unexpected “new” experience occurred just the other morning. I was waiting, ever so impatiently, for my morning coffee when I went to the back door to let the dog out and was awed by what I found.

    The morning sun was just starting to lighten the sky behind the tall bare trees. I stood in my slippered feet with the coffee percolating behind me as the wide-open door beckoned me to the fresh dawn.   As I stepped outside, I closed my eyes trying to count all the different songs echoing from the heights: one, was a robin the forbearer of warmer days. Two, was a chickadee who had visited all winter. Three, was the unmistakable low hum of the mourning dove. Four, was a cardinal, the same one who made a mess of the bird feeders this past winter. There was five and six both of which I did not know and seven, sounded somewhat like a cardinal but I wasn’t sure.

    Making the commitment to learn each of their songs I opened my eyes just as the rays of dawn were returning the colours to the earth and the melodies of my winged neighbors treated us all to an early morning concert.

    As I closed the door it occurred to me how very full my bare trees actually were on that cool and damp April morning.

    May you also be blessed by new experiences right in your own backyard!

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Gilberto Dimpio used with permission/unsplash