Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Category: Inspirational

  • A COVID Christmas

    A COVID Christmas

    Like everyone else around the globe we are having a COVID Christmas this year.  For those of us living in Ontario the government has set guidelines for our gatherings, only those who live in our household or those in our “Bubble” can celebrate Christmas together.

    For my husband and I it means this year we won’t be pulling the dining room table to its fullest length and fitting in all the leaves.  It means we won’t be going around the house gathering all the available chairs and placing them snugly around the dining room.   It means we won’t be preparing a meal for 17-20 folks or cleaning up all the dishes, cutlery and stemware of 17-20 folks!

    We won’t be spending time this holiday season lined up in stuffy stores to either purchase unnecessary gifts or return them. 

    In fact, I have so fully embraced the simplicity of this COVID Christmas I didn’t even get out any Christmas decorations; not one!  Instead I went to the local Walmart and bought a pre-lit 3 foot imitation tree, which, after some garland and plastic decorations looks mighty nice sitting on top of a table in my living room. The plastic decorations will make it easier to put this tree away.  One clear plastic garbage bag should do the trick: cover the tree and away it goes.  Next Christmas when we return to a house full of decorations and a table full of guests this little tree will be used to brighten up a small corner on our second floor.

     If I dwelled on it I would be sad during this COVID Christmas; missing my children, wider family, church services and all the busyness of a typical Christmas season. But, what good would that do me?  Instead I have decided to embrace this COVID Christmas. While at the grocery store I purchased a few extra treats and my husband and I were reminiscing on how romantic it will be.  Like our first few years of marriage when it was only our dog, cat and the two of us.  Now, three children, three dogs and four cats later we have arrived full circle to a quieter Christmas!

    It also helps to remember we are not alone, everyone is having to pare down their Christmas this year and we are certain next Christmas we will be celebrating enough to make up for two Christmases!

    And, as for all the money we will be saving this Christmas.   In every community there are opportunities to donate to worthy causes, families that haven’t fared well during this pandemic and front line workers who are exhausted to the point of burnout.  The opportunities to be the hands, feet and heart of Christ are everywhere. 

    How about you?  Have you decided to embrace this once in a lifetime Christmas?  And, despite COVID have you found ways to mark this holiest of seasons? I certainly hope so!

    Wishing you the spirit of Christmas which is peace, the blessing of Christmas which is hope and the heart of Christmas which is love!

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog is of my COVID Christmas tree !

  • Patching Joy Together One Stitch At A Time

    Patching Joy Together One Stitch At A Time

    Joy arrived in my office last week in a clear heavy plastic bag. 

    With it came a few instructions that were a delight to follow.  I could have waited a few days but instead I set aside my work, pulled on my jacket, grabbed my car keys and set out to share some joy.

    There were three individuals on my list to see.  Each was well acquainted with difficulties and sadness; each deserving some joy and love.  Thing is, as I dropped around to their homes it was I who received just as much as they did, perhaps even more!

    Each received a comfort quilt that had purposely been created for them.  Each quilt uniquely designed with the recipient in mind and I was amazed by how perfectly each quilt fit the one receiving it. 

    There is a small group of 5 joy bearers in Saugeen Shores and I was blessed to be asked to do a small part in sharing the joy they created.  They call themselves the Comfort Quilters of Saugeen Shores.

    Each quilt is created out of donated new fabric. They create one of a-kind masterpieces for individuals undergoing medical treatments, to families who have been displaced due to house fires, and to community groups such as the Second Stage Housing, the Salvation Army, Community Living, Special Olympics, the Living Hope Center, and to 3 local churches. 

    From January to November of 2020 this little group registered 123 quilts of various designs and sizes – quite a feat for five members!   And, as of December 10th, the Comfort Quilters of Saugeen Shores will have distributed 90+ quilts.  With each stitch bringing joy and comfort that is a lot of joy to be shared!

    When I spoke to one of these crafters of joy she humbly told me, “It is important to note that our members get as much out of making these quilts as the recipients do when they receive them.”

    Well, one thing I know for sure is that the three quilts I was blessed to deliver certainly lifted my spirits and filled me with such joy that even now, a week later I am still feeling deeply grateful. 

    I thank these five women for fully embodying what we all are called to do in 1 Peter 4:10, “Every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many-coloured tapestry of God’s grace.”(1 Peter 4:10, TPT)

    May their needles never dull, their threads never knot and may their hands never tire as they go about doing God’s work.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The Photo with this Blog was taken by Dinh Pham/Unsplash

  • Basking In Divine Light

    Basking In Divine Light

    Have you ever stood at the tipping point of the day?  It is a fleeting moment of stillness steeped in otherworldly peace.  One doesn’t go out seeking this moment with calculations, maps and directions. This moment is given as a gift from the Great Spirit; a gift to be held in our hearts as a reminder that God is always present.

    It was late in the afternoon when we headed off for a hike through familiar fields within view of the rocky escarpment and the soundtrack of the Sydenham River rushing past.  It had been an emotional week beginning with the death of my husband’s father. A week of funeral arrangements, phone calls, and uncomfortable decisions such as which 30 family and friends should be invited to the funeral (COVID-19 rules in our area allow for only 30 people to a funeral). We knew the next day would start early as we traveled from our peaceful spot on Georgian Bay into the hustle and bustle of the city so the idea of a quiet hike pleased us.

    As the trail led through an open field, up a slight incline and back toward the car my husband whispered, “Hey, look over there do you see the sun?”  To our right the round brilliant sun was setting beautifully silhouetted by a row of tall bare trees; its glow of orange and yellow hues was awe inspiring.  Then, as if tapped on our shoulders we both looked to our left and just as magnificently, a round full moon was rising over the rocky eastern horizon.  The sky held in equal measure both the sun and the moon; each full and round yet only half exposed by the horizons.

    We stood transfixed between the two. If I had stretched out my arms it would have appeared as though I was touching the sun with my outstretched right index finger and at the same time touching the moon with my outstretched left index finger.

    It seemed these two ancient globes paused long enough to gaze at one another; a moment of Godly symmetry aglow with divine light.

    May we all find moments this Advent Season to experience God’s unexpected miracles and may we all bask in God’s divine light.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog I took at Sauble Beach on Lake Huron , Ontario one warm July evening.

  • Gathering Light

    Gathering Light

    The counter culture of Advent is that as the nights grow longer and the hours of daylight diminish the holy days of Advent gather light with each new candle lit; this accumulation of light crescendos with the birth of the one True Light that no darkness can extinguish.

    Much like the Jewish season of Hanukkah, Advent is dubbed the “Season of Gathering Light.”

    This year, 2020, the idea of gathering light has taken on new meaning for me.  Instead of just lighting a new candle each Sunday it now entails the gathering of God’s light in each day; each moment.  My commitment to the Advent Journey is to glean as much of God’s light out of each and every day.

    I will linger longer with those who speak words of hope, peace, joy and love.  I will dedicate myself to discerning God’s divine light, whether it is in a stranger, friend or foe.   I will take note and add each new spark to my Advent jar.  Much like a child catching fire flies and placing them in a mason jar, I will capture God’s light by writing it down on little strips of paper until my mason jar is brimming.   

    It will be a difficult Advent with the ever growing concerns over COVID-19 and the distancing of friends and family.  It will be an Advent and Christmas we won’t soon forget; I am determined to wring out God’s goodness from every moment.

    Will you join me?  Together we can light a path for others to tread.

    Gather with us at Port Elgin United Church as we mark the beginning of Advent this Sunday, November 29th, 2020 during our online service.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

     The photo with this Blog was taken by Garidy Sanders/Unsplash.

  • Living Like A Sparrow

    Living Like A Sparrow

    On my desk sits a little silver dog and he has one job and one job only; to remind me not to worry and to instead put my trust in God. 

    This dog’s name is Aaron, named after Moses’ brother.  Perhaps you recall the story when Moses had left Aaron in charge of the wandering Israelites as he sojourned with God?  When it seemed to the Israelites that Moses had been gone too long they began to worry he had abandoned them so they begged Aaron to create a new god for them; a quick and easy solution to all their fears. (Exodus 32)

    They busily melted all their gold and shaped it into a calf; they had created a god of convenience.  However, as the story goes, when God the Creator saw what they had done he wanted to “smite” them for their stupidity (apparently God called them “Thick necked” a.k.a. stupid!).  Moses interceded on their behalf and with thanks for God’s love of Moses these people were saved.  Moses arrived back to the Israelites while they were in the midst of celebrating their new god and quickly ended all the festivities and laid down the 10 Commandments!

    We as humans tend to make bad decisions when we are over whelmed by anxiety, fears and worries.  We all need something to remind us to calm down and don’t look for easy and quick solutions but instead trust that God has a plan!

    Jesus knew of our tendency to worry, so he asks, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:26)   Then he teaches we are to look to God for guidance and to look around ourselves for the wisdom of God’s kingdom; “look to the birds, look to the flowers: do they toil?” He asks.  Of course not and as God provides and cares for them so will God provide and care for each of us.  (Matthew 6: 25-34)

    As the old hymn “God’s Eye Is On The Sparrow” reminds us:   

    Why should I feel discouraged,
    Why should the shadows come,
    Why should my heart be lonely,
    And long for heaven, heaven and home,
    When, when Jesus is my portion,
    My constant Friend is He;
    Oh, oh-oh, his eye is on the sparrow,
    And I know He watches, watches over me.

    I sing because I’m happy (happy)
    I sing because I’m free (free free free)
    For His eye, his eye is on the sparrow,
    And I know, I know He watches over me.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel 

  • Be An Isaiah

    Be An Isaiah

    It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning when we stood in line at the local Hardware Store.  In front of us was a rather large gruff man who, with his jacket half open stood impatiently shifting from one work boot to the other.  As he stepped forward to take his turn he loudly said, “Well, that took long enough!  I don’t have all day.” With his face mask slipping he grumbled, “can’t you move any faster?”  He paid for his item and before leaving took one last stab at the young cashier, “You ain’t the brightest one around here are ya?”  and with that he stomped out the door. 

    My husband and I stood there looking at this young woman as her eyes filled with tears.  “He is an idiot” my husband quickly offered, I nodded in agreement.  The cashier tried to smile and then I added, “His comments were not about you at all, he came in angry and mean spirited, he left angry and mean spirited and he is now driving down the road angry and mean spirited.  It isn’t about you.  Try not to let it bother you.”

    The longer this pandemic lasts the more and more anxious people are becoming.  Daily there are news stories of fights breaking out in Walmart parking lots and road rage is on the rise. What are we to do with all the anxiety in the world?

    Truth is, each of us are not responsible for what others say or do. We are only responsible for our responses and our own words.  We each must decide how we want to respond during this difficult time.

    I found a perfect solution; be an Isaiah! 

    You see, Isaiah was one who lived in a highly anxious time.  He knew of war, exile, illnesses and death but he didn’t let it stop him from being one who spoke words of life.

    Every Remembrance Day (November 11th) here in Canada the words of Isaiah echo as a reminder of God’s vision of peace,

    “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
        to the temple of the God of Jacob.
    He will teach us his ways,
        so that we may walk in his paths….”
    He will judge between the nations
        and will settle disputes for many peoples.
    They will beat their swords into plowshares
        and their spears into pruning hooks.
    Nation will not take up sword against nation,
        nor will they train for war anymore..” (Isaiah 2:3-4)

    The Isaiahs of the world hold the hope not the hatred, they spread visions of peace not hurt, they remind us of the way home to God….they point to the pathway up the Mountain Top, above all the unrest to a place where we can better find God’s presence. They live their lives on a higher level, above all the petty activities that anxiety lures us toward.  

    What the world needs are Isaiahs, so be an Isaiah.

    Be one who has the wisdom, courage and faith to speak words of life into a world of pain.

    Be an Isaiah.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Joshua Earle used with permission/Unshplash

  • We Will Remember Them…

    We Will Remember Them…

    In the three years I served as their Student Minister we only sang the hymn Amazing Grace once and that one time taught me a powerful lesson. By the time we got to the second verse,“’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved;” only my voice could be heard.

    I looked up from the pulpit and saw an unforgettable sight.  Some had sat down while others grabbed a tissue from the passing tissue box, many were wiping tears from their eyes or blowing their noses.  The pianist and I exchanged nervous glances as I continued to sing; part way through the third verse we stopped all together.

    Later, during fellowship, I gently inquired about their response to this hymn.   One of the older women quietly said, “To this day I can still see that small jeep that would drive through the village.”  The others nodded and another woman shared, “I recall the day that jeep came and parked in front of our house; my mother started crying before she even answered the door.”

    “Yes, the day we heard about Max it was that jeep.  That day they came about the Smith’s son and the McGregor’s son as well.  It was a sad day indeed.” This from one of the old timers who usually didn’t say much, then while wiping a tear from his cheek he added, “That hymn, Amazing Grace, takes me back to the war years and the news that jeep would bring.”

    After a pause he said, “It was just before supper and I recall standing by the stove to mind the potatoes while my Mother answered the door, I can still hear her scream.  We ran down to the garage to get our Father but he was half way up the lane, he had seen the jeep stop at our house, he knew what we had feared.”

    Looking straight at me one of the women shared, “Everyone would freeze with fear when that jeep came into the village; afraid it would be their family receiving the bad news.”

    She added, “Then we would gather in the cemetery and old Alec would play the hymn “Amazing Grace” on his trumpet as we added names to the war memorial. A village our size never forgets this kind of grief.  We almost lost an entire generation of young men by the time the war ended.”

    The room fell silent as I pieced together this collective memory of my parishioners, a military  jeep that delivered death notices and the grief relived as we sang the hymn “Amazing Grace.”

    I turned to one of the granddaughters who was savvy with computers and asked, “If we were to get photos of the young men who died could you create a power point for us?”  She was excited by the challenge, so the next two weeks was spent gathering the photos and, on the Sunday, closest to Remembrance Day we all came to see what she had created.

    1940’s band music played in background while uniform clad youth smiled back at us, many of them standing in front of familiar houses. 

    This time I was ready with Kleenex boxes in each pew and tables set up at the front of the sanctuary to hold framed pictures of beloved family members who had served in the armed forces or air forces.  One family brought in an entire uniform which was laid out while another family brought in cherished letters from the front lines.

    There was no sermon that day; valuable time was spent in hearing the stories of each young man and there were plenty of sacred pauses as we read off the Rolls and listened to the Last Post and Rouse. 

    I have made a point to honour Remembrance Day every year since, no matter which church I serve.  It is important to honour the lives and sacrifices made by those who laid down their lives, so we can live so freely and abundantly. Jesus tells us, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)

    Join us this Sunday at Port Elgin United as we take time to honour those who have served and those who are serving.  We will not have time for the full Legion Service but will join them, via YouTube on November 11th, 2020.  This Sunday we will sing of peace, pray for understanding and pause to share in a PowerPoint presentation of those who have served. Plan on joining us!

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The Photo with today’s Blog was taken by Ian Taylor

  • Meshed Hope!

    Meshed Hope!

    One of the most hope filled actions is to plant spring bulbs on a cold, windy and wet autumn afternoon.  With dark clouds overhead and whispers from the approaching North wind I set out with spade in hand ready to plant 2 dozen tulips and 20 daffodil bulbs.

    Remembering the advice of one of my rural parishioners I didn’t use my bare hands but instead wore gloves caked with mud.   As I bent down by the flower bed there was a slight shake of the maple leaves in the tree behind me, I didn’t pay it any mind.  After the 3rd bulb was carefully placed in the soil a high pitch nattering began.  At first, I carried on and planted a couple more bulbs but soon the nattering changed to a more excited pitch and I turned to see what was causing the commotion.  That was when everything went quiet.  From where I knelt on the wet grass I could not pinpoint exactly where the racket had been coming from.

    So, back to planting I went and soon stood up proud of all that I had accomplished.  The newly planted bulbs were safely nestled under the rich dark soil.  All that was left for me to do was wait patiently for their spring debut.

    Or so I thought.  This naivety lasted only 2 hours!  By then my husband was home and as supper baked in the oven we went to look at the flowerbeds.  To my horror, I discovered only holes where each bulb and been laid.  The interesting thing was not all of the soil was dug up, just the spots that had held a bulb. 

    I turned to my husband and in awe said, “It’s as if someone watched me and knew the exact spot of each bulb.”  Then I remembered the high pitch nattering.  It must have been those squirrels yelling out to each other the exact location of each bulb, “Latitude: 44°34′01″ N, Longitude: 80°56′36″ W and Elevation above sea level: 180 m = 590 ft” or perhaps these cheeky little pests use GPS (I wouldn’t put anything past them).

    “Game on!’’ I muttered.  The next morning I returned home early from Home Hardware with heavy artillery.  A new bag of bulbs, heavy woven metal mesh and some tent pegs!  With much relish I planted each new bulb taking time to hold them up, admire their beauty and then carefully tuck them away for a deep winter’s sleep.

    Once completed and after cutting the mesh to the right dimensions I pegged it over all the innocent bulbs.  As I shook the dirt off my gloves a black squirrel in the maple tree caught my eye.  He had been watching me all the while.  

    Try as he may, he can’t take my hope of spring flowers away this time!

    The entire ordeal reminded me of the words of Anne Lamott, “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come…. You don’t give up.”

    So, during these pandemic days may we all mesh in our hope so nothing in all the world can steal it from us until the dawn breaks and these COVID-19 days are behind us.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The Photo with today’s Blog was taken by Mayank Gaur, used with permission/Unsplash

    Top of Form

  • Comfy Escape

    Comfy Escape

    Do you have a favorite place to escape when life becomes a bit overwhelming? 

    I recently rediscovered old stomping grounds that have brought me much enjoyment.  During my first return we celebrated a birthday and the second was even more exciting as we searched for Heffalumps and Woozles!  The 100 Acres Woods hasn’t changed in the 20 years since my last visit; Pooh Bear, Piglet, Christopher Robin and the rest of the gang were still up to their silly antics and they welcomed me back as if I had never left.

    One friend of mine retreats to Walnut Grove at least once a year and revisits Laura Ingles-Wilder while another returns to Jan Karon’s Mitford series every November and another has a shelf of books she re-reads yearly. This shelf holds favorite books that were her mother’s and when she sits in the pool of lamplight it is as though her mother sits with her sharing in the adventures of Gladys Taber on her rural farm filled with dogs, wild life and gardens. 

    It is not only healthy but essential we find ways during these pandemic days to fill our soul with comfort and familiarity.  Recently, I discovered a radio station that plays only music from the 1970s, music from the simpler days of my childhood.  These tunes transport me back to summer days of lazing in the sun and hanging out with my girlfriends reminding me of a carefree life that once was mine.  Some have taken to creating their own play lists filling their lives with music that brings happiness and peace.

    Ann Lamott, author and essayist, writes of the island she retreats to when life becomes overwhelming, her couch! With her favorite blanket, cup of tea and a good book she settles in for a long stay putting the world on hold while she safely floats on her island of calming comforts.

    Meik Wiking in his book, The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well, writes about the importance of creating a hyggekrog which roughly translates as ‘a nook’ in your home. This comfy place is a place where you relax away from the world; it does not have a TV and should not be confused with the TV or living room. Wiking created a hyggekrog in his kitchen window seat by adding cushions and a blanket. We decided to follow Wiking’s lead and created a hyggekrog nook in our home. With the purchase of a new love seat and the rearranging of some other furnishings the space in front of our fireplace was transformed and it has become our favorite place in the house.

    Whether it be a book, piece of music or a safe location I encourage you find your own island of comfort that beacons you to smile, relax and trust that all will be well.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Paige Cody, used with permission/Unsplash

  • Thankful Joy!

    Thankful Joy!

    This week is Thanksgiving in Canada.  For us this usually means a long weekend full of family gatherings, fine foods and long walks under colourful canopies.

    But not this year.

    This year, a 2nd wave of COVID-19 has swept over us.  We are under a tidal wave of record-breaking case counts, unnecessary death losses and sturdy warnings to stay safe at home.  Only those who are in our “bubble” can dine around our Thanksgiving table.

    Thankfully, that hasn’t stopped God from blessing us with endless beauty that cleanses our souls and fills us with enough gratitude to last all year.

    The autumn colours have arrived and it is as though a spell has been cast, leaving us in a state of awe. The mystical beauty of autumn is causing traffic jams as folks, drawn in, leave their cars behind and step into the scenery.  I saw a photo yesterday of the highway through Algonquin Park, there were so many countless cars pulled over it forced the closure of the park!  

    Gladys Taber wrote of this luring of autumn in her book , Still Meadow Seasons, “I would be hard put to think of anything better on earth or in heaven than October…the world is lit with splendor, there are surely more colours than on any artist’s palette, and you can walk down the shining glory of the lanes breathing deep of an air that is cool wine to the lungs.” (153).

    May you decide to have a joyful and thankful Thanksgiving despite the COVID-19 restrictions and may God’s shining glory fill your days with awe and wonderment.

    Happy Thanksgiving,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel 

    The photo with this Blog was taken in Algonquin Park by Chelsea Lin, used with permission/Unsplash