Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Tag: religious

  • What’s A Weed?

    What’s A Weed?

    Once I read that the best way to keep your lawn weed free was by keeping it thick with grass; by seeding regularly it keeps the lawn too thick for weeds to land, root and take over.

    So, I seeded my lawn yesterday.  There was no fertilizer or hours spent replenishing the soil before seeding. I simply walked the length and width of my yard with a hand held seeder releasing the seeds as evenly as I could. Once the seeds were down I then stomped around my yard pressing the seeds into the soil so they would stay put.  As I did so several neighbors drove by, honked their horns and waved, presumably mumbling, “What is she up to now?”

    Thing is, I actually like weeds!  To me there is nothing more beautiful than a lawn taken over by dandelions and I have a rule, if it is green it can grow on my lawn.  However, my neighbors feel differently.

    One summer a neighbor, who has an obvious green thumb, was discovered standing in the middle of my front lawn remorsefully looking around. I watched from my front window knowing it could not be good news.  Sure enough a plant by the name “Creeping Charlie” had taken root in my lawn and was now creeping over to his lawn.  I was handed a tub and instructed upon its use so to end Charlie’s travels.

    I handed it back courageously and said, “Charlie is welcome here!”  Apparently my neighbor isn’t as inclusive!  (I have a hard rule against chemical warfare)

    To be fair this neighbor’s yard and flower beds are so impressive his house has been on the “Tour of Gardens” and he spends many a summer evening giving ‘wanna be’ gardeners lessons.   My yard is “the vain of his existence” but, I would like to offer a re-framing.  Anyone can grow beautiful flowers in perfect conditions.  My yard is like the ultimate challenge; it proves what a pro he really is.  He should be thanking me!

    He is a good and kind neighbor and as Jesus so clearly instructed, the most important commandment is to love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Matthew 13:29-31)

    So for my neighbor’s sake I seeded my lawn yesterday.  As I marched up and down my front lawn I did so with a bit more gusto then required with hopes all would notice my efforts at keeping Charlie and the dandelions out!

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    Photo by Steven Cordes/Unsplash

  • Never Go Negative!

    Never Go Negative!

    When we bought our home it came with a few extra treasures such as an armoire in the attic, gardening tools in the garage and an old thermometer screwed into the outside kitchen window frame facing inward.

    For over 20 years this thermometer was checked daily indicating whether a jacket was needed or not.  That was until mid-February 2020 when a huge chunk of ice fell off the roof taking the thermometer with it.   

    A few days later we replaced it with a brand model from Home Depot and things have never been the same since.

    After a few days of waiting for the new thermometer to kick into action my husband went outside and gave it a hardy shake – that seemed to do very little.  A couple more days later I went, unhooked it and brought it inside.  As I leaned it on the counter the little arrow sprang into action and within no time it read +22o Celsius.

    We decided after a night or two inside it was time for it to go back out and do its job.  Even before we were done hooking it into place the little arrow went to 0o Celsius, wobbled and settled into place.

    By mid-March the days warmed and we discovered this thermometer would follow the temperature upward but never below 0o; as if taking a stand against any kind of negativity, it simply would not read any temperature below 0o!

    As the COVID lockdown moved from weeks into months and autumn returned we once again began depending on this thermometer.  And yet, each morning it refused to share any negative news!  So, a few weeks before Christmas, while at Home Depot, my husband and I found ourselves standing in front of a row of shiny new thermometers and I ask, “Do you want to get a new one?” 

    After a long pause he replied, “I kinda like the one we have.”

     I nodded, “Me too.”

    And we left all the obedient thermometers behind.

    In these mid-January days of chilly weather our stubborn thermometer has been reading 0o even on the coldest of days.  

    It has become a daily reminder for us to “Never Go Negative” but instead find ways to buoy our spirits.  I have discovered one little ditty that lifts my spirits well above 0o:

    “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a-dee-ay.

    My, oh, my, what a wonderful day.

    Plenty of sunshine headin’ my way,

    Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!”

    May you find ways to lift your spirits so that you “Never Go Negative” until the spring birds return singing of snowdrops, daffodils and tulips.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog was taken one evening this week of the thermometer. 

  • 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

  • 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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