Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Tag: inspiritational

  • Gems of Promise

    Gems of Promise

    It was later than usual when we headed out for our Sunday evening stroll.   Certainly there was some grumbling as we zipped up our warmer jackets and pulled our collars close against the chilly breeze. 

    Despite the calendar reading May 1st it felt more like early October and the joyful calls of the Canadian Geese overhead only added to the autumn feel.

    Perhaps it was due to the lessening day light or just the tiredness we each carried after a long day but without discussion we turned toward the “short cut” through the woods.  The melody of the Sydenham River carried us over tree roots and around the bare bushes.

    Looking upward I scoured the bare trees begging for any sign of spring be it a bud, a nest or better yet, a tiny new leaf. I was disappointed.  That is until we came around a small bend and beside the trail, among the decaying leaves and small sprouts of grass we discovered them.

    They were congregated in a graceful silence as though praying the very promise they represented.  I gasped and my husband turned back, he too bent down and together we were held in awe by their delicate beauty.

    Each tiny new trillium proudly held out three leaves in a curtsy and they stretched tall displaying their curled up petals with pride, as if to say, “Look here, look here! We are about to do something magical!”

    It was a sight to behold.  The promise of new life can be held back by cool breezes and stubborn snowfall but it cannot be stopped entirely.  As Martin Luther wrote, “Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.”

    We snapped photos wanting to capture this moment. Of course nothing can truly capture the wonder we each felt deep within; a reverence of God’s finer things.  These moments are fleeting, filling us with an awe that spurs us onward while also filling us with an undeniable awareness of God’s divine presence.

    Held by their charm we lingered until the day light was almost a whisper on the horizon.   We returned home trusting in their magic, knowing at just the right moment their beauty would carpet the forest.

    May God’s beauty also take you by surprise,   

    Rev. Heather McCarrel 

  • Easter Renewal

    Easter Renewal

    Easter Sunday is almost here!  This is the day we pause in the midst of all life holds and acknowledge the power of our great Creator to “do a new thing”.  It isn’t about knowing.  It is about faith.  We don’t know what “new thing” God is about to do but we have faith it will be good. Like the women who arrived to an empty tomb, we too acknowledge the wonder, confusion and even the trepidation that goes along with God’s “new thing”.

    If I have learned anything as a Country Preacher it is that country folks know better than most how to trust in God’s “new thing”.    As the muddy days of early spring turn into days of productivity the almost barren fields turn to shades of green as neatly planted rows of seeds bud.  The once barren trees begin to fill with tiny leaves and the mucky ditches are transformed by colourful spring flowers.  Yes, this “new thing” God is up to becomes evident with each new day.

    We will gather on Good Friday to witness the uncomfortable funeral of our Savior.  We will sing the hymns ‘The Old Rugged Cross’ and ‘Were You There?’ before snuffing out the Christ Candle and leaving the sanctuary in silence.  We will return in a jubilant mood two days later!

    Easter Sunday has always been a cause for celebration!  Extra decorations are placed in the sanctuary, the black cloth on the cross is replaced by white and folks arrive with an extra spring to their step and a joyful ring to their singing. 

    This Easter we will add a new decoration to our sanctuary; two Ukrainian blown Easter Eggs.  At one church I served there was a member who came from a Ukrainian family and he had the gift of creating these beautiful eggs. Over the years I served in his church he gifted me twice with these priceless masterpieces. They have a special place in my china cabinet, but this year, in honour of our prayers and concerns for the Ukraine people, they will be placed on the Communion Table.  May they be a reminder of those who are displaced and in great need of “God’s New Thing”.

    We will gather at sunrise on the shores of Georgian Bay at the base of a cross and together, with the waves and birds, sing of God’s newness. Later in the morning we will gather again in a stain glassed sanctuary ready to lift the roof with the traditional hymn, “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today”!

    May the renewal of life at Easter bring new blessings of love, hope, peace, happiness and good health to everyone!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • A Sweet Boil

    A Sweet Boil

    Picture by Nadine Primeaur/Unsplash

    It is maple syrup time!  Folks have been busy for weeks in preparation; wood has been stacked, trees tapped, buckets in place and now, as the days warm the sap has begun to flow.

    This afternoon I had the joy of watching a group of children tap a tree, then go to another tree and empty the bucket before finally arriving to the fire and watch as the watery sap evaporated into thick rich maple syrup.

    It seems to me the boiling stage is the most important part of the entire process.  And, depending on how quickly the sap is put to boil, the temperature of the boil, and how long the sap boils determines its quality.  Top quality syrup is classified as Grade A and is described as syrup with a light to medium amber shade and a delicate flavor while Grade B tends to be darker syrup with a stronger flavor.   Maple syrup is one of those rare things that sweetens and becomes beautiful after a boil. 

     As I watched the sap boil my thoughts turned to the long boil we all have been through these past 24 months.  It is exactly 2 years ago this week that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the pandemic and since then we all have learned how long a boil we each can withstand.

    Not everyone is up for a boil.  Some folks turn grouchy when life becomes difficult creating turbulence for all who surround them.  Others pull themselves up by the boot straps, square their shoulders and soldier on and then there are those who simply lean out of the difficulty and wait for it to pass.

    Peter, Jesus’ disciple, didn’t fare so well when he was put into a boil.  Merely days after promising he would never deny knowing Jesus,  Peter, while warming himself around a fire, was asked if he was a follower of Jesus and he answered, “no”.  Fearful an honest answer may cause him harm Peter lied, not once, not twice but three times as the fire heated up.

    Not everyone can handle the boil. 

    The good news is Peter had the opportunity to set things straight.  After the crucifixion, early one morning Peter was shocked to find Jesus on the beach cooking breakfast over a fire.  Peter takes this opportunity to admit his shame, ask for forgiveness and not only was he granted a new beginning he became the rock upon which the church is built.  It is never too late to start anew with the God of new beginnings.

    So?  How about you?  How did you manage the boil of the past 24 months?  Are there any fences you need to mend?  It is never too late to set things right and turn the boil into something sweet and beautiful.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Country “Curing”

    Country “Curing”

    Kemble-Sarawak Farm on Georgian Bay

    July 1st I arrived as the new minister at a country church: the Kemble-Sarawak, Zion-Keppel Pastoral Charge.   The ministry now runs out of two church buildings, Kemble-Sarawak United Church and Zion-Keppel United Church.  They are located along the foothills of Kemble Mountain, skirting the Kemble Mountain Management Area of the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority. Each morning I drive along panoramic views of Georgian Bay on my way to the churches and marvel at God’s beauty in the picturesque countryside.

    The folks of this pastoral charge have warmly welcomed me and my husband.  A masked Welcoming Party surprised me one morning presenting a wicker laundry basket filled to the brim with homemade preserves, jams, wines, ciders, breads, baked goods, Kemble Mountain Maple syrup, Big Bay ice cream gift certificates, and some wonderful books to read.  The basket was so large I could not possibly lift it. Each item given from different members of the churches. I was speechless.  Their generous and sincere welcome brought tears to my eyes.  It is good to be back among country folks! 

    Small country churches are big into curing!  All kinds of curing occur, the curing of loneliness, heart break, and illnesses.  They cure each other the best way they know, by the giving of themselves. 

    In one country church I served there was a woman who couldn’t tell the story of her husband’s death without crying.  This isn’t surprising except she cried more from gratitude then from her grief.  Now, don’t get me wrong, her husband’s death was the cause of profound pain for her and her family but when she shared how the folks of her country church responded to this death her tears of grief turned into tears of gratitude. 

    You see, she and her four children were new to Canada; they had arrived only 2 years earlier.  When her husband died suddenly she was left to raise her children alone in a foreign country.  When news spread of her husband’s death it wasn’t long and folks began to arrive at her front door with casseroles, homemade bread, baked goods and fresh vegetables.  And, it is in this moment of the retelling that she always begins to cry, when autumn arrived the men of the church arrived one morning without warning and by day’s end had brought in all her crops.

    She never forgot their generosity of spirit and even 20 years later, when sharing this story; her shoulders would shake from the sobbing. 

    Yes, country folks know how to cure, healing each other one loaf of bread or fresh baked pie at a time.

    In another church I served a young couple with 3 children had their house burn to the ground one morning.  It was early March and a spark from the wood stove caught something flammable in the kitchen.  By the time the flames were noticed they were jumping through the kitchen window.  Thankfully, the husband, wife and youngest child were in the barn while the two eldest were on the bus heading to school.  They lost everything except each other.

    We handed over the keys to our furnished manse, since I wasn’t using it.  Soon folks came from all around with what it took to “cure” this shattered family. Mennonites drove their wagons up the lane way and quietly dropped off roasts of beef, bags of potatoes and boxes of home baked goods.  Pickup trucks carrying new toys, clothes, bedding and even dog food for the two beloved canines arrived. Quickly a Saturday night dance was arranged in the town hall with all proceeds going to aid the family.   It was six months until they returned home; during that time I often witnessed “drop offs” as folks continued to support this family.  One Sunday morning the husband stood in my office door with tears running down his cheeks sharing his gratitude for all that had been done for him and his family.  He said God had saved his family from the fire and the community saved them from despair. 

    The author of 1 Peter 3:8 reminds us to “be like minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble” and by doing so, he writes we gain blessing. But, I would add that even more than being blessed we become blessing and by so doing we join God here and now in building up the Kin-dom of God!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Minister at Kemble & Zion United Churches

    I took the photo with this Blog just up the road from Kemble United Church; a view of Georgian Bay behind a farm (June 2021).

  • Bewildering Beauty

    Bewildering Beauty

    My daughter got married on Saturday! Despite the pandemic, severe thunderstorm warnings and the touch down of a tornado, it was a day of bewildering beauty.

    It was exactly 9 years ago Saturday, June 26th, that my daughter and her new husband had their first date.  Over a year ago, when they realized this date fell on a Saturday, they announced their intention to mark this most important anniversary with Holy Matrimony.

    A wedding liturgy was created by the two of them full of prayers, blessing and gratitude to their Great Creator. 

    After much deliberation, the ceremony was set to occur at a covered picnic shelter perched on a pier surrounded by Georgian Bay.  The morning of the big day we gathered and filled the picnic shelter with tiny white lights and loosely wrapped white netting to create a heavenly vibe. The green carpeting invited the green glow from outside in, while blue tables covered with white lace, topped with lit lanterns and flowers of many colours added a rich elegance. A white wicker table and matching chair placed with a pot of tall lavender added much to the already divine setting.  

    As the ceremony began, we stood inside the picnic shelter while an otherworldly mist hung over the water under a sky of swirling blue and grey tones. A small group gathered to witness this most special moment.  Only 10 close family members were inside the picnic shelter and others had paddled over in either a kayak or a canoe, each minding the COVID rules of distancing!  As the presiding minister, I purposely spoke loud enough so to be heard both on and off shore.

    With the aid of a cell phone and several Bluetooth speakers, lovely music could be heard during both the ceremony and the time of celebration that followed!  A local restaurant prepared a lovely meal, which was delivered in individual boxes for each guest, right down to the fresh berry-laden cheesecake.

    Each photo is enhanced by the moody sky, misty air and the ever-changing bay waters.  We did not have heavy rain nor were there strong winds; the Good Lord himself cupped his hands over and around the picnic shelter. We were greatly blessed.

    As the day began to draw to a close and the picnic shelter filled with laughter and dancing, I marveled at this young couple and knew they have all it takes to travel the many twists and turns life will present. For, as it is written, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, its learning to dance in the rain.”  

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

  • Safely Held

    Safely Held

    Our 20 year old cat has gone blind.  She has thinned down to a shell of what she used to be and her once beautiful blond mid-length fur is now somewhat tattered and knotted despite our best efforts.  She has eyes that we suspect sees only shapes and shades.  She maneuvers around our house out of memory and familiarity.  When we approach her, she leans in to smell who it is before commencing with her signature purrrr.

    Early one morning she wandered the upstairs hallway meowing loudly enough to wake us all.  I left my bed to sooth her.  As I reached down to pick her up; without hesitation she began to purr and snuggled into my housecoat. 

    I sat in a hallway chair petting her tiny head and cradling her fragile body and I marveled at her trust; she could not see me but responded to my presence with a kind of certainty that humbled me.  It made me wonder when I have leaned unwaveringly into the presence of God as trustingly as my blind cat leaned into my touch.  When did I cry out in the midst of my darkness with confidence that God would reach down and lift me up? 

    Her trust highlighted my doubt.  Does God really care about the battles we face, the insecurities we try to hide and the fears that keep us up at night?  Does a God of the universe even know we exist?  Are our problems even worth God’s attention when the world is so full of tragedy and pain?

    As I sat there in the darkened hallway the answer came to me; ancient words repeated through time spoken by a God whose love is timeless, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9).

    God is always with us, waiting to offer comfort and hope. How often do we miss experiencing God’s presence because we are so preoccupied with our own thoughts?  May you take time during this Lenten Season to pause from all the hustle and bustle long enough to be assured of God’s loving companionship.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Chris Abney/Unsplash

  • Hidden Promises

    Hidden Promises

    In my neighbor’s yard there are 3 milkweed plants that stand tall and stately against the snow and winds of a Georgian Bay winter.  Months ago most of the pods released their feathery seeds with the autumn wind scattering them about, but there are two pods which remain tightly closed.

    These two-snow covered and wind battered pods have become a powerful symbol for me.  Most of us are arriving to this Lenten season a bit battered; COVID-19 having reigned large in our day to day living for nearly a year now.  I feel we need a new and more contextual symbol for such a time as this and the milkweed pod is the perfect symbol!

    Each snow-covered pod contains immeasurable and unimaginable potential; each packed full of God’s promises of new life, new beginnings and of a faith-filled optimism.  These pods represent God’s hidden promises.

    As the Apostle Paul writes, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1).

    Lent is the journey of newness for all of us; it is a time when we rejoice that God is a God of promises.  And these promises are not empty but full of the power that comes from the Christ who comes back to life in resurrection. During Lent, we can have confidence that Christ is bringing us with him into a new and wonderful beginning.

    As the hymn, In The Bulb There Is a Flower, proclaims:

    In the bulb that is a flower;

    in the seed, an apple tree;

    in cocoons, a hidden promise:

    butterflies will soon be free!

    In the cold and snow of winter

    there’s a spring that waits to be,

    unrevealed until its season,

    something God alone can see. (Natalie Sleeth)

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel  

  • Spying On The Neighbors

    Spying On The Neighbors

    On December 26th, 2020 the Ontario government placed the entire Province of Ontario into a lockdown due to the pandemic.  There are few stores open, no recreation centres or gyms open and don’t even think about going to a movie theatre or a play.  We have been left to find our own COVID safe entertainment.  So, with binoculars in hand I stepped outside and began to watch my neighbors a little bit closer. 

    I have discovered neighbors I didn’t even know lived in my neighborhood and I have even snapped a photo or two without them knowing!

    It all began one rainy afternoon as I drove down the road.  There he was looking a bit miffed as he sat on top of a rather large fence post dripping wet.  I slowed so to get a better look and we held each other’s gaze for a second or two.  His cold eyes pierced right through me as I studied his plumage and decided with certainty that we had never met before.

    Later, with the help of Google Images I pinned down his lineage.  He was my first Rough-legged Hawk! 

    Two days later, while pumping gas I spotted a snowy owl on the light post and that very evening I stood transfixed listening to the deep hooting of what later was classified as a Great Horned Owl.  In the morning we were able to clearly see which tree he had spent the night; it is called “whitewashing” for a reason, all the way down one of the tall evergreens.

    Since then I have become enthralled with winter birdwatching.  I have now seen 3 Rough-legged Hawks, countless Red-tail Hawks (there is one who lives along the way between my house and the church.  Daily we nod to each other so I have named him Oscar!), a large flock of Redpolls, 2 more snowy owls, and two Emus (they were in a farmer’s yard but I decided to count them in my log book anyway)! And, the most magnificent of all neighbors, an Eagle!

    While walking along the shores of Georgian Bay I spied buffleheads, mallards and swans.  My birdfeeders have invited such neighbors as Juncos, Cardinals, Chickadees, Doves, Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, and Siskins.

    What has amazed me is how many impressive birds are right in my neck of the woods that I never noticed before.  It makes me wonder what else I am missing in all my hustle and bustle, what other beauty am I passing by.

    It has been a life changing lesson.  When this lock down is over I have promised myself not to pick up the pace so much that I forget to pause daily to glean God’s beauty.

    What beauty have you noticed recently?

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel    

  • 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