Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Category: Spring

  • Why Write?

    Why Write?

    A few folks have asked me recently why I had stopped writing.  Perhaps it was the darkness of winter that had seeped deep into my bones resulting in a tiredness that weakened me.  Or, perhaps it was a winter sleepiness that, like a cloud of scentless poison, had lulled me into a dull haze.  I am not entirely sure.  It just felt that my small voice was no match for the looming issues facing us all.  

    Such issues as homelessness which seems to have grown into a global pandemic matched only by the surreal number of accidental overdoses and both pale in comparison to the global environmental catastrophes reported daily.

    It all had silenced me.

    Until early in spring, before dawn one morning I heard this lone bird singing a thin melody.  I stepped out in the predawn darkness searching skyward; no other bird had joined the song and yet, it continued to sing. Something in its refrain struck a chord deep within me, encouraging me to rise again and join my simple voice against the darkness.

    This courageous birdsong reminded me that there is still some worthiness in this worn out world.  There is beauty, kindness, and goodness still to be found; the world hasn’t gone entirely to rot.

    My voice may rise in a whisper offering little wisdom except the observation of what beauty I find.  As I recently read, “We do not see the world as it is, we see it as we are.” 

    May we all reside within a place that hears the little bird singing in the darkness of a beautiful world.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by lil artsy/Pixels

  • June’s Arrival

    June’s Arrival

    The arrival of June was announced several days prior to June 1st.   Perhaps it was the excitement of this most happiest of  months that spurred the flowers to celebrate a few days earlier or maybe they just could not hold off any longer.

    The unmistakable fragrance of June seeped into the bedding drying on the clothsline and found its way into the mudroom perfuming our garden gloves and hanging raincoats.  It is a powerful elixir, causing one to stop dead in their tracks, distracted by its unexpected beauty wiping clear any former intentions.

    I stood transfixed in the driveway, forgetting why I had even ventured out.  It was as though a fog overtook me, a mix of Lilly of the Valley, Lilac, Crabapple blossoms, and Hyacinth aromas, combined to such a heavenly scent I stood, eyes shut,  smelling the air like a drunken fool. As British author, Beverley Nicols, writes, “To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat.” 

    May we all be defeated by this most rewarding fragrance, rendering us useless with its calming and satisfying effects and may we all pause to bask in all that June has to offer.

    Happy June Everyone,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Tina Sara/Unsplash

  • The Long Weekend

    The Long Weekend

    Finally, the May long weekend has arrived!  Three days of rest, relaxation and time spent with family and friends.

    We deserve a few days of spring celebration after what has been dubbed, “The darkest winter in 80 years” by the United States National Weather Services.  In fact, Southern Ontario saw the least amount of sunshine than just about anywhere else in all of North America.

    Couple this with the chilly north wind which outstayed its welcome this past spring and we all are due for a few days of warmth and sunshine.

    Friday began calm with a warm breeze and a hint of sunshine.  By noon folks appeared with rakes, hoes, and flats of bedding plants eager to get started on beautifying their yards.  It was a productive day with happiness not witnessed in months. 

    Then, as if on cue, just as the workday was ending a dark ominous cloud slowly made its way over the Bay and by early evening the rainfall had begun.

    We sat listening to its steady drumming commenting on the beauty of its rhythm; grateful that the dry lawns and gardens were receiving warm sustenance.

    Two hours later this rain seemed less romantic and by bedtime we knew the long weekend was a bust.   The weather forecast shared news of rain and lots of it for the next 24 hours. 

    However, it is the early dawn as I write, and the view is remarkable. A soft mist has settled in some low-lying spots and the hours of warm rain encouraged the maple leaves, stunted by the cold north wind, to fully realize their growth.  There is vibrancy all around.

    The maple trees have filled in making it difficult to see through to the other side and a green carpet stretches across the yard dotted with happy dandelions.  The crabapple trees are in full bloom adding a celebratory brightness while the pastel shades of magnolia blossoms deepen the beauty.  Perhaps this won’t be the long weekend we had hoped for, but it may just be the long weekend we need.

    Whatever the weather in your part of the world, may this be a blessed time of growth, greening and renewal.  

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Mateusz Stepien/Unsplash

  • Tiny Trilliums

    Tiny Trilliums

    These past few days the trilliums have begun to take over the hillsides and sunny patches along the forest floor and beside the park trails.  These beauties are the cause of bottlenecks as folks stop to snap photos or simply to enjoy their elegance.  There is one notable difference in the trilliums this year, at least where I live, although perfect in every way they are much smaller then usual.

    Curious about these miniature trilliums I did some reading on the topic and learned that the cooler winds and near freezing evening temperatures are causing a stunted growth in many spring flowers this year.  This certainly would be true in my own backyard as the north wind blows off Georgian Bay causing myself and my neighbors to don wool sweaters while out in our gardens.

    As I stood in the late afternoon sun admiring the loveliness of a hillside covered in trilliums a certain respect for their tenacity began to take hold. Despite the cold winds, duller days and near freezing rainfall these little gems doggedly took root, fought to grow as tall as possible and proudly display their best efforts at blooming.  Could God be speaking to us all through these little flowers?  Is it possible that the great Creator notices the courage and determination found in a simple wildflower?

    Medieval Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas asserted that God is not just a being but Being itself, “present everywhere in everything,” not just confined to a supernatural heaven above but existing even in nature. If Aquinas is to be believed, then it is possible God not only notices these tiny trilliums but is cheering them on!

    Perhaps, they are the teachers, and we are the students; learning how to withstand the chilly winds of life. The lesson being: no matter what chilly breeze is blowing through our lives right now, we are to be like the trilliums and take root, stand tall and dare to show our beauty for all.  We may not always be at our best, but perhaps just the effort to grow and be present is enough.  The trilliums teach that we cannot let the chilly winds stop us from blooming exactly where we are planted.

    It is a marvelous thing to belong to a God so great that even small wildflowers are used to point us in the direction of a meaningful life. May we all be wise enough to pay attention!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by David M. Chambers/Unsplash

  • When The Cold Returns

    When The Cold Returns

    After having days of sunshine, warm spring temperatures and budding flowers winter has returned.  In a matter of one day we went from sundresses and shorts back to mittens and wooly toques.

    We could be discouraged by this return of cold gray days or we could be grateful for the week of warmth we enjoyed.  Often life brings us to moments of choice, moments when we stand at the cross roads of doubt or faith, hope or despair, gratitude or regret.  How we respond determines a lot on our situation.  There are times of despair and regret just as there are times of hope and gratitude.  How long we linger in each is entirely up to us.

    At first I was grumbling as I dug out warm socks and a sweater but realized these grumblings only left me feeling sad and discourage.  So, I decided to try a different outlook. I silently offered a prayer of gratitude for the morning spent sitting under the empty maple tree watching the birds, the first BBQ supper of the year and the evening when we reclined on the back deck admiring the stars.  What wonderful memories to warm these chillier days.

    Besides, we know these chilly days are numbered.  These are the days we enjoy our last bowl of chili or beef stew until autumn, the days that afford us time to switch out our winter clothes with the summer fair.  Each moment holds so much to cherish.  As Matt Haig writes, “We just have to close our eyes and savor the taste of the drink in front of us and listen to the song as it plays.” (Midnight Library).

    May you find reason to rejoice on these last dull days of the northern breeze trusting that warmer days are just around the corner.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel  

    Photo by Jack Blueberry/Unsplash

  • The Waiting Place

    The Waiting Place

    These late days of lent and early days of spring are known as the ‘in-between’ days or as Dr. Seuss dubbed them the “Waiting Place”.  This is a place in between what was and what will be.

    We are in the days when the calendar tells us spring has officially arrived and yet we wait for true spring weather; warm days filled with birdsong and blooming tulips.

      These are days after the snow shovels have been placed back in the garage but before we can get out the garden spades or lawn rakes, days of restlessly waiting. 

    We also are in the days of the Lenten journey; days of waiting to sing our hallelujahs.  

    We tend to busy ourselves in this ‘waiting place’ with mindless tasks. We call it spring cleaning when we empty all the kitchen cupboards and wipe them down, or we go through all the winter mittens, scarves and hats sorting them into piles.  These are unnecessary tasks invented to keep us busy during these waiting days.

    Instead we should simply pause and allow ourselves to be quiet before God.  This “waiting place” is ripe in opportunity to hush the constant racket and still our ever restless ambition long enough to sense the Divine presence in the air around us. 

    This is a time to put down the phone, turn off the TV or close the laptop. 

    Perhaps God has created this “Waiting Place” as an invitation to sit in awareness of God’s peace, healing and love.  I suspect this divine prompting is for our own good, a time to slow our pace and clear our spiritual vision; a practice that sharpens our ability to witness the divine dance that happens around us daily.

    May we all hold space this Holy Week to be quiet before God and may this be a time of deep renewal.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Serkan Goktay/Pexels

  • Spring Has Stepped Outside The Door!

    Spring Has Stepped Outside The Door!

    Spring has stepped outside the door! And, in spite of the persistent north wind and accumulating snow it dances defiantly to the rhythm of birdsong, celebrating the lengthening of daylight while leaving crocuses and snowdrops in its wake.

    Signs of spring’s frolicking can be seen everywhere: Canadian Geese loudly announcing their return, Robins and Red Winged Black Birds bringing splashes of red to the dull tree tops and pussy willows courageously standing tall in the cold breezes.

    Spring is the most optimistic season of the year. It heralds warmer days, bright sunshine and fields of colourful wildflowers during the fickle days of March.  As columnist, Doug Larson writes, “Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.”

    May everyone whistle a happy tune confident of spring’s stubborn tenacity.   

    Happy Spring Everyone,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel 

  • Flowers of the Hours

    Flowers of the Hours

    Photo by Chulpan Gallyamova/Unsplash

    Have you ever noticed how the twelve months of the year line up with the first twelve hours on a clock? 

    Midnight to one a.m. is January with its quiet darkness followed by two a.m. the equally dark month of February; these are the restful months of deepening as roots do into the soil. 

    New life begins to appear in March, the 3rd month of the year; the quiet hour of three a.m.   This is the time of sprouting and breaking free from the soil.  The slight rays of the sun begin to lighten the sky around 4 a.m. just as April, the 4th month of the year, carries us into the dawning of spring bringing with it Snow Drops, shy little Crocuses and tiny new leaves on each tree. 

    By May we arrive to the celebration of Tulips, Daffodils, and the highly perfumed Hyacinths followed by the brilliance of June which explodes with colour from the top of each tree down to the tiniest wild flower among the grasses.   

    The monthly pace of each hour occurred to me this past week as the Tiger Lilies filled the gardens and waved from alongside the roadways.  The Lilacs, Bleeding Hearts and Peonies have come and gone signally the early summer’s passing and now we are in the time of Daisies, Delphiniums, and Columbines; which means we are at half past July already!

    Before we know it the hour of the Poppies, Black-Eyed Susans and Foxgloves will arrive filling the garden with whimsy while quietly drawing us closer to “a quarter to autumn” and, without much fanfare the Chrysanthemums, Sunflowers and Purple Fountain Grass will usher in the tenth hour and we will find ourselves in the roar of autumn colours.

    Each month is part of a whole; a bouquet of beauty.  May we all pause long enough and often enough to capture the beauty of each hour.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • 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