Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Tag: Community Building

  • Easter Memories

    Easter Memories

    The very first country church I served was an hour and 20-minute drive from my home which, on Easter Sunday meant I left home at 5:30 a.m. so to be on time for the 7:00 a.m. Sunrise Service.  The drive was one of my favorites all year with the morning mist rising out of the quiet fields and the soft choral music of CBC Radio playing in the background.

     We would gather in the church basement with the coffee percolating, tea brewing and a long table laden with Easter treats awaiting our return.   As the piper warmed up his bagpipes we would tighten the scarves around our necks, pull up our hoods and quietly follow  “Amazing Grace” across the road, through the cemetery and up the hill to where the statue of a soldier had been erected. 

    The cool air would warm enough to rise from our singing lips and the view of rolling country hills dotted by trees was the perfect view for this most sacred sun rise. 

    Years earlier, just after WWII, the congregation had started this Easter tradition.  It was started with the belief that Jesus’ resurrection meant all who had died would also rise some day, especially those young men lost to war. So, each Easter began with a sunrise service in the cemetery; a traditional celebration of the promise of resurrection bridging many generations.

    We would bring ourselves into worship with a prayer followed by fiddle and banjo accompanied hymns. One of the youth would read the resurrection scriptures, the minister would offer a short reflection and finally one last “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” chorus before following the piper back down to the church basement for warmed hot cross buns, homemade jam on a freshly baked tea bisque and a cup of strong coffee. 

    This year, as we celebrate our second COVID Easter, may we all be warmed by fond memories while rejoicing that the resurrection cannot be stopped even by a pandemic!

    May the power of Christ’s resurrection and the promise and hope of Easter go with us into the days ahead.  May we sing, pray, live, love, act and serve all for the glory of God. 

    May everyone have a joyous Easter, 

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Hugo Fergusson used with permission/ Unsplash

  • Sunrise on New Year’s Day

    Sunrise on New Year’s Day

    There are some who can party well past midnight, staying up to ring in the New Year under starry skies and a full moon.  And, there are others like myself, who instead wake well before dawn so to celebrate the New Year as its first rays stretch over the horizon.

    It was a beautiful sunrise in a cold blue sky with just enough wispy clouds to reflect the pink and peach shades of this virgin sunrise of 2021.  I watched in silence thanking God for the gift of new beginnings and fresh starts.

    Last year was well worn and tatty; it needed replacing. There had been too much difficulty in 2020, a world caught in the snares of COVID-19, anxiety levels that spilled over to violence, racism, and the rise of fake news and unaccountable gossip and bullying. 

    I wonder what we will carry forward from the past year.  What lessons were learned and which habits have taken root.   It is my hope we have learned much about the need for each other and we never again take for granted the power of community, the touch of a hand or a comforting smile.  I hope we value more enduring things such as hope, faith, love and respect.  I fear the habit of “fake news”, misinformation and devastating gossip has become a pandemic hobby, one that keeps bored folks busy providing a sense of power and authority and has filled Facebook pages.  Have you ever noticed the very word gossip hisses?  Kind-a like a snake luring folks into temptation that leads to darkness and depravation.

    As the sunrises on this new year I am looking forward to sharing smiles more with others (when we can again go without masks), I plan on hugging longer holding close those who are dear to me, I plan on making the most of each day, rising above those who want to waddle around in muddy gossip and not once will I allow such words to pass my lips.

    This year is a new beginning like I have never experienced in my lifetime; a year of healing, rebuilding and readjusting to new priorities.  Sure, it will take time, true healing always does but it will be worth every little step forward.

    What are your plans for 2021?  What path will you tread in this New Year?

    Blessings,

    Rev.Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Vincent Ledvina/Unsplash

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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.

  • Enchanted Wonders!

    Enchanted Wonders!

    We went out to our backyard late in the evening on July 4th, lit up a campfire, set up the telescope, and after applying a few generous layers of bug repellent sat back to view the night sky.

    We had gathered to witness the lunar eclipse but were held in awe by so many other “hosts” on that enchanted evening.

    The full “Buck” moon graced the sky as it silently kept its course toward other horizons.  We slowly readjusted our chairs several times to keep a clear view hoping not to miss the moment that the sun and moon met but were distracted by the skilled aerodynamics of the bats.

    And, just as the light of the moon was dimmed by the treetops a few flickering lights appeared in the lilac bush.  A group of Fireflies had joined us and were putting on a most magical light show!

    The smell of the fire, the warmth of the summer air, the star-filled sky, the magnificent moon moving ever steadily toward an unseen sun, the antics of the bats, and the enchanted fireflies made for a most blessed evening.

    As I sat there savoring every bit of it the words of Psalm 8 came to mind,

    “When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
    what is humankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?”

    Like the Psalmist, I asked, ‘why would a Creator who has put so much detail into star-filled skies, full moons, and magical eclipses be mindful of me?’

    As the bats entertained and the Fireflies charmed I decided God created me to offer praise and worship in response to such beauty.  I suspect God is deeply praised by my wonder and awe. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when he said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  (Mat 18:3)

    As the author and Theologian G.K. Chesterton wrote,  “We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.”

    May your summer be filled with childish awe at the sight of God’s countless wonders!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Patrick Hendry

  • The Wave of the Wild Flowers

    The Wave of the Wild Flowers

    They seemed to have appeared overnight; tall bunches of wild daisies, blue chicory, and delicate yellow buttercups waving as though they had an important message.  I slowed and listened closely as they called me to bright mornings full of birdsong; shady afternoons under my old maple tree, and warm star gazing evenings.

    These roadside beauties heralded summer’s arrival as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened in the past few months!  Perhaps their unawares is part of their charm; reminding us that despite whatever befalls, summer still arrives.  They call us to clear our minds and settle ourselves to the melody of the summer breezes, the refreshing refrain of the babbling brooks, and the playful dance of the butterflies.

    This Saturday summer will slip in where spring once resided leaving behind all that spring 2020 held.  It will be a new beginning; an opportunity to calm down, rejuvenate, and gain some perspective.

    The wildflowers wave to remind us to get out the lawn chairs, load up on firewood, and find last year’s sandals; summer is almost here!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Chris/Unsplash