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  • 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

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  • 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

  • Once In A Blue Moon

    Once In A Blue Moon

    Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any stranger; October arrives!

    October begins this coming Thursday bringing with it a full moon and, in 31 days, leaving us with a full moon; two full moons in the same month. October 1st is the Harvest Moon, which usually makes its appearance in September, and on October 31st, just in time for Halloween, is the even more rare Blue Moon.

    The Harvest Moon is named as such because it is particularly bright and rises early. In the past, this allowed farmers to extend their working day under the light of the extra-bright moon, gathering in crops to prepare for the winter months.  For my family, this year the October 1st Harvest Moon will take on extra meaning as my one son’s girlfriend is teaching us a new tradition.

    Vi Van moved to Canada from Vietnam when she was 8 years old.  She grew up in a Catholic home rich with Vietnamese traditions and now she is teaching these traditions to us!  We have a tin of Moon Pies waiting to be opened on Thursday, October 1st and there will be a lantern lit for our evening meal with a menu of festive fare.   

    This new tradition has extra meaning. When my children left for university my empty nest was most uncomfortable.  Little did I know then that they would return with new partners and our family would grow in numbers, traditions and love!  It is this I will be celebrating on my first New Moon Festival.

    As for the Blue Moon; don’t expect the moon to actually be blue.  The colour “blue” has nothing to do with this event, the moon will be big, bright and beautiful as always, but it won’t be blue.  There are several definitions of a blue moon, but the most commonly known one is a second full moon that occurs during one calendar month in the year. On average, this coincidental event happens roughly every 3 years. Because of its rarity we have the expression, “once in a blue moon”.

    As COVID-19’s second wave crests over us, let us not despair for God has sent us a reminder to look up!  May the waning and waxing of these full moons remind us of the ageless healing of a great and wonderous God.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo used for this Blog was taken by Aaron Visuals, used with permission/Unsplash

  • Pumpkin Spice Season!

    Pumpkin Spice Season!

    Do you smell it?  The aroma of pumpkin spice is everywhere!  Pumpkin spice lattes, coffee creamers, muffins, cookies, pies, candles, oatmeal and even pumpkin spice flavored communion wafers (although I think that was supposed to be a joke!).

    Today, the first day of autumn, the day of unfolding the flannel sheets, taking inventory of sweaters, the hanging of autumn wreaths and garlands, dusting off the hearth while preparing the fireplace, and, the most dreaded of all autumn tasks, the donning of socks.

    I have waited until today to switch out the quickly fading summer flowers in my flower box and replacing the front door wreath with brightly coloured Flint corn.   The wheelbarrow will fill with all the summer annuals and the compost will be fed to its fullest.  The bird feeders will once again appear, filled and poised to welcome birds of many feathers.  Of course, these feeders will also feed the snippy little red squirrels, the playful black squirrels and adorable chipmunks. 

    This past month we have also welcomed, for the first time in 30 years, a beautiful grey squirrel and a rather loud night guest- a Great Horned Owl. 

    Supper will be chili with crusty buns followed with apple crisp.  By day’s end, my beloved puppy Abby and I will walk our daily tree lined path as she gaily chases after each leaf that falls and I soak in all the smells and sights of mother earth. The noisy Canadian Geese will gather overhead preparing for their annual trip south while the salmon splash about in the shallow Sydenham River, ending their final trip home.

    Each season is a cause for joy; each bringing gifts too beautiful to miss!  As author Stanley Horowitz writes, “Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all.”

    May you take time to savior the gifts of this most mosaic season!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo was taken by Alex Geerts, used with permission: Unsplash

  • Lessons From Trees

    Lessons From Trees

    These cool evenings seem to have signaled the start of the yearly transition from deep shades of green to brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange. Once this week, during my daily walk, I stopped to admire one small maple tree that donned in equal measure leaves of red, yellow, orange and green; it looked so unreal I almost thought it a fake!  

    Later, as I stood on a rocky uphill path I paused and turned to admire the panoramic view.  I tried to decide which was the most beautiful.  Was it that splash of yellow to the right or the deep red of the lower lying foliage straight ahead or perhaps it was the random touches of orange that were appearing in many of the taller trees; which was the most alluring?   After much consideration, I decided they all were magnificent in their own unique way and together they added much to the view.   

    The scene reminded me of words written by Michael A Singer, “When you walk through a beautiful botanical garden, you feel open and light.  You feel love, you see beauty.  You don’t judge the shape and placement of every leaf.  The leaves are of all sizes and shapes…That’s what makes them beautiful.  What if you felt that way about people?  What if they were like the flowers, and however they happened to be seemed beautiful to you?” (Untethered Soul, 288)

    As I continued my walk, I decided to accept Singer’s challenge and to view every person like those magnificent autumn trees; each beautiful in their own way.  This may seem a simple task but as my week went along, I found a few instances where I had to pause and remind myself what the trees taught me; everyone is unique and exquisite in their own way. Besides, if we want others to accept us then we must be accepting of them.

    And, of course this also applies to each of us, we each are beautiful and unique masterpieces by the Greatest Artist of all artists so we must be easy on ourselves. 

    As you take in the array of autumn’s beauty be reminded that with the same awe that you look at those trees God looks upon each one of us.   

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Chris Pagan, used with permission/Unsplash

  • That’s So 2020

    That’s So 2020

    The new neighbors moved in about a month ago filling our neighborhood with a new sound.  Each morning at about 7:00 a.m. they begin clucking like chickens and this continues for about 45 minutes, then silence until the next morning.

    The reason they cluck like chickens is because they are chickens!  Our new neighbors brought with them a chicken coop and so, for the first time in my 53 years of urban living, I have my breakfast to the soundtrack of chickens in my yard.  I am unclear why they cluck so loudly in the morning; I know nothing about chickens except that B-B-Q is my favorite!

    The chicken coop is located only 3 houses from the main thoroughfare of our town so each morning their clucking is mixed with the ordinary sounds of traffic, sirens, and distant church bells; the juxtaposition sums up 2020 perfectly.

    2020 will forever be the year when the extra-ordinary was blended abruptly with the ordinary. The year of working from home, carrying masks and hand sanitizer everywhere and the year the chickens began to cluck during my breakfast.  

    I now take comfort in their clucking; it has become familiar and homey. Even this morning I found myself smiling as their clucking filled my kitchen.  Similarly, there is a comfort I find in the wearing of masks and the use of hand sanitizer; I feel as though I am doing my part to end COVID-19 while also protecting myself and all those I love.

    As Albert Einstein wrote, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” and certainly 2020 has been a test to both!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with today’s Blog was taken by Hannah Oliver and used with permission/Unsplash.

  • What Lies Ahead?

    What Lies Ahead?

    Flight school is now in session and each morning I wake to the loud calls of Canadian Geese as they practice their flight formations readying themselves for their autumn trip south.  These young geese have no idea what lies ahead but they instinctively begin to prepare for this new journey, stretching their wings wide and learning when to pull ahead and when to ride on the tide of those ahead of them.

    The same is true for all the lovely butterflies who emerged this summer; they too are preparing for a new journey.  They truly are great explorers who after one transformational journey into and back out of chrysalids now, only a matter of weeks later, take flight to warmer climates.

    And we too are setting off in parts unknown.  This COVID-19 has set the pace, once again, and we follow into autumn not exactly sure what we will find.  We wonder what will happen when schools open, when some churches resume in-person worship services and office workers return to their cubicles. 

    It has been an anxious time, thankfully, there are some who have settled into this unknown rather stoically and like the Canadian Geese or butterflies seem to instinctively enjoy the unexpected.

    One thing we can be sure of is that no matter where this new journey takes us, we will not travel alone.  God, the one who is known to do new things, is with us and if we relax into that presence there will be many joyful surprises along the way.

    So, let us with trust and faith do as the Psalmist directs, “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalm 100:2)

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    (Photo by Grace Reany; member of Port Elgin United Church and used with permission)