Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Tag: environmental

  • 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

  • God In the Chaos

    God In the Chaos

    It was a warm June afternoon; the week after school had ended so I was in an especially leisurely mood as I lay on my back looking up into the far-reaching branches of an ancient chestnut tree.  For as long as I could remember in my 9 years of living this old tree supplied plenty of shade over the summer and the best chestnuts conkers in the autumn.

    I stretched out my right arm and drew in one of the long dandelions that had gone to seed.  Holding this wispy plant inches above my face I began to look closely studying the tiny rows and rows of seeds.   Within seconds I was sitting up barely able to breathe at what I found in that dandelion.

    In the symmetry and beauty of a weed gone to seed I had met God, it was a life-altering moment.  From that moment on I have known without a doubt that there is a great Creator. No one then, or now, could convince me that the tiny and perfect design of a simple weed happened randomly.

    Since that moment I have been blessed to experience the wonder of God’s creation daily. It has been easy trusting in a God who creates order out of chaos, who has little ducklings follow their parents in a straight line, geese who fly south in a perfect V formation or who create snowflakes to be so darn beautiful.  There are God’s flowers, leaves, and the design of the human body that are awe-inspiring.

    But, now in the second half of life, I find myself seeking God where chaos seems to reign.  Where disease takes innocent lives, hatred is the accepted norm, and money is valued over human lives.

    It was in the midst of such chaos that I went for a walk.  With thoughts full of questions and prayers full of doubts I came across a field of dandelions that had gone to seed.  It didn’t take long for the 9-year-old in me to pause, smile, and decide to stay awhile.  I sat down and just enjoyed the beauty of that simple weed gone to seed.  Later, as I was getting up to leave the words of the Apostle Paul ran through my thoughts, “….faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrew 1:11).

    It is easy to find God in orderly neat situations but our faith must mature to also trust God in the worldly chaos that we reside.  As mature people of faith, we must not lose hope, instead, we trust even when we have no evidence of God’s presence.

    I arrived home with a fist full of dandelions that had gone to seed and peacefulness I hadn’t felt in weeks.   So, if all the news is getting you down, go out and find a dandelion that has gone to seed and take a close look at one of God’s masterpieces!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog is a photo I took in that field of dandelion.

  • Ears of the Earth

    Ears of the Earth

    Just about the same time every day I walk my dog down the same path.  This idyllic tree-lined path runs along a babbling brook and with the changing seasons, the landscape fills with flowers, grasses, and little critters that entertain me daily.  It is a routine time of prayer and reflection that roots me in God’s presence.

    Last week I saw something that stopped me dead in my tracks.  It was a disturbing sight!  At first, I thought it was human flesh and when I bent closer it actually looked exactly like a human’s ear was lying to the right of the pathway.  Startled I jumped back and grabbed a long stick, with the stick, I poked the dead ear. I tried to pick it up but it wouldn’t budge, it was stuck to the ground.  The one son who was with me turned and came back to see what I was grimacing at. He said, “Oh mom those are just mushrooms,  commonly known as Wood Ear Mushrooms and some even use these in soup recipes.”

    Of course, I thought he was joking, using all his fancy education to trick his mom!  He pointed out others that were lying deeper off the trail and soon a large patch of these mushrooms was discovered.  My imagination took off!

    “These are the ears of the earth!”  I said excitedly.  “We should bend down and confess our wanton ways.  Here is our opportunity to apologize; to ask for forgiveness and to pledge a new beginning.”

    I then went into the litany of apologies we could share.  We could apologize for our lack of respect for the earth, admit our greed, our foolish exploitation of all the earth has provided and our ignorant raping of the earth’s resources.

    With a look of pure horror, my son quickly began to walk away, he isn’t always sure if I am joking or not.  He would not have been at all surprised to see his mother down on her knees confessing, on all our behalves, to a bunch of mushrooms.

    However, I do wonder if we haven’t been given an opportunity for some self-reflection during these quieter and slower pandemic days.  If we started to confess our mistakes to nature, vowed to not return to our old greedy and selfish ways and began to plan now how best to start the “new normal”; we could heal not only ourselves but also our relationship with the earth.  If we each look deeper into our old habits and commit to changing just one or two into new sustainable habits we could become a blessing instead of a curse to the very planet that sustains us.

    What are you going to commit to?

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

     

     

     

  • Looking Up

    Looking Up

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

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

    Trees, one of God’s earliest creations that have a key role in our Christian faith.  Dr. Matthew Sleeth in his book Reforesting Faith, writes, “Other than God and people, the Bible mentions trees more than any other living thing.  There is a tree on the first page of Genesis, in the first psalm, on the first page of the New Testament, and on the last page of Revelation.  Every significant theological event in the Bible is marked by a tree.  Whether it is the fall when Eve shared the apple with Adam, the Flood, or the overthrow of Pharaoh, every major event in the Bible has a tree, branch, fruit, seed, or some part of a tree marking the spot.

    Jesus himself declared that the kingdom of heaven is like a tree (Matthew 13:31-32).  The only thing that Jesus ever harmed was a tree (Mark 11:12-14, 20-21), and the only thing that could harm him was a tree.  After Jesus was resurrected, he was mistaken for a gardener (John 20:15).  This was not a mistake.  Jesus is the new Adam who has come to redeem all of creation. Heaven is a place where the leaves of a tree heal all the nations (Revelation 22:1-2).  As if to underscore this forest of metaphors, Jesus’ last “I am “statement is “I am the root and the descendant of David” (Revelation 22:16).

    From Genesis to Revelation God has blazed a trail of trees through the Bible.”

    Even during these “safe at home” pandemic days we still can gain strength from trees.  If you have a tree in your yard then pay it a visit and to gain the full extent of its grounding power one must lean on its trunk or run their hands along one of its limbs.  I know it must sound silly, but by holding onto a limb, even for a moment, is like holding the hand of an old, wise and calming presence in the universe.

    If you do not have a tree then go online and search pictures of trees and let the beauty of these ageless creatures carry your soul heavenward.   Sometimes, there is only one way to look and it is up; let the trees show you how.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel