Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Tag: Isolation

  • Sanctuary

    Sanctuary

    Recently, I had the privilege of visiting a lovely church.  Its sanctuary is full of stain glass windows and this ministry has a rich history of being a beacon of God’s love for over 140 years.  As I stood, masked, at one side of the sanctuary, a church member stood at the other side sharing beautiful stories of this beloved faith community.  When it came time to leave, he looked longingly around and honestly admitted “It has been too long since I have been here. I don’t want to leave.”

    I deeply understood his sentiment.  Each Sunday, like so many others, I join worship virtually via the live stream from my church.  Thankfully we can “chrome cast” the service to our TV screen, and together my husband and I join with others to sing, pray, and reflect.   There are some advantages to gathering for virtual worship. For example, at my church the chat bar is open allowing those who join worship to share a “hello” and a bit of fellowship prior to and following each service. We can also freshen up our coffee during the service without anyone knowing!  But it isn’t the same as being in the church’s sanctuary.

    This pandemic living has me wondering where sanctuary can be found when one cannot go into the church building.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines sanctuary as “a place of refuge and protection.”  Some have told me their place of sanctuary is a special spot in nature- either the sandy shores of Lake Huron or Georgian Bay, while others enjoy the forest canopy and accompanying birdsong. There are a few I know who find sanctuary in their gardens, watching the antics of the chipmunks while tending to God’s beauty.

    Michael A Singer, author of The Untethered Soul and The Surrender Experiment, teaches that there are actually two worlds: one that goes on all around us, and one that goes on within us. He teaches that there is a power within us that pulls us upward. If we focus our inner self towards God, others, and eternity, we can create a refuge; we begin to create our own inner sanctuary.

    Where do you find your sanctuary?  Where is your refuge?  If you haven’t developed one, maybe this pandemic is the perfect opportunity to do so!  

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Lua Valentia used with permission/Unsplash

  • Backyard Concert

    Backyard Concert

    These “Stay at Home” days can be pretty quiet and even a bit boring at times, that is until we open ourselves to new experiences.  An unexpected “new” experience occurred just the other morning. I was waiting, ever so impatiently, for my morning coffee when I went to the back door to let the dog out and was awed by what I found.

    The morning sun was just starting to lighten the sky behind the tall bare trees. I stood in my slippered feet with the coffee percolating behind me as the wide-open door beckoned me to the fresh dawn.   As I stepped outside, I closed my eyes trying to count all the different songs echoing from the heights: one, was a robin the forbearer of warmer days. Two, was a chickadee who had visited all winter. Three, was the unmistakable low hum of the mourning dove. Four, was a cardinal, the same one who made a mess of the bird feeders this past winter. There was five and six both of which I did not know and seven, sounded somewhat like a cardinal but I wasn’t sure.

    Making the commitment to learn each of their songs I opened my eyes just as the rays of dawn were returning the colours to the earth and the melodies of my winged neighbors treated us all to an early morning concert.

    As I closed the door it occurred to me how very full my bare trees actually were on that cool and damp April morning.

    May you also be blessed by new experiences right in your own backyard!

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken by Gilberto Dimpio used with permission/unsplash