Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century

Tag: spiritual

  • 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  

  • Unexpected Delight

    Unexpected Delight

    There are moments in life when the unexpected happens and we are taken by surprise.  Such moments as a fender bender, spilled coffee, or when the bottom gives way on our grocery bag half way to the car! These moments cause us dismay, aggravation and stress.

    Thankfully, these are not the only kind of unexpected moments.  All around us is the presence of a Great Creator who delights in surprising us with beauty and awe.

    Such was the case early one morning last week when an unusual light caught my eye. It was the light of a full moon shining through a row of icicles hanging across our upstairs window.  Have you even seen moonlight through icicles?  It is a sight to be held; their gilded edges glimmering with an otherworldly glow. I stepped closer trying to capture this magical light in my palm, full of gratitude that I came along when I did. This was a gift given to awaken a part of my soul that was slowly closing off due to days of boredom as I obediently stayed “safe at home.”

    Later that same day I again was captured by God’s unexpected beauty.  This time it was along the shores of Georgian Bay as I stood captivated by a strange music of ice, waves and rocks.  We stood along the water’s edge, each trying to find the words to describe the mesmerizing sound of small ice pieces riding the cold waves back and forth from the jagged water’s edge.  A stranger, drawn in by the melody, joined us and she too cocked her head to listen and before walking on quietly said, “It sounds like a thousand pieces of broken glass. “ 

    It reminded me of a wind chime that hung in my bedroom window as a child; clear plastic rectangles that held pressed dried flowers and filled my room with a cascade of melody with each breathe of the wind.  I haven’t thought of that wind chime in years; funny how a sound or a scent can carry us back to places long forgotten.

    These unexpected moments of God’s beauty fill us with all we need to carry on during these pandemic days; reminders that we are not alone and there is much more to our living then just the daily routine.

    Rev. J.R. Miller wrote, “We are meant as Christians to live amid all circumstances in quiet calmness and unbroken peace, in sweet restfulness of soul, wholly independent of the strife’s and storms about us…” and we do this by keeping our hearts open to receive God’s unexpected gifts and to delight in God’s abiding presence.

    May you be surprised by beauty today,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The Photo with today’s Blog was taken by Oleg Gaspodarec used with permission/Unsplash

  • 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    

  • 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

  • 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

  • Basking In Divine Light

    Basking In Divine Light

    Have you ever stood at the tipping point of the day?  It is a fleeting moment of stillness steeped in otherworldly peace.  One doesn’t go out seeking this moment with calculations, maps and directions. This moment is given as a gift from the Great Spirit; a gift to be held in our hearts as a reminder that God is always present.

    It was late in the afternoon when we headed off for a hike through familiar fields within view of the rocky escarpment and the soundtrack of the Sydenham River rushing past.  It had been an emotional week beginning with the death of my husband’s father. A week of funeral arrangements, phone calls, and uncomfortable decisions such as which 30 family and friends should be invited to the funeral (COVID-19 rules in our area allow for only 30 people to a funeral). We knew the next day would start early as we traveled from our peaceful spot on Georgian Bay into the hustle and bustle of the city so the idea of a quiet hike pleased us.

    As the trail led through an open field, up a slight incline and back toward the car my husband whispered, “Hey, look over there do you see the sun?”  To our right the round brilliant sun was setting beautifully silhouetted by a row of tall bare trees; its glow of orange and yellow hues was awe inspiring.  Then, as if tapped on our shoulders we both looked to our left and just as magnificently, a round full moon was rising over the rocky eastern horizon.  The sky held in equal measure both the sun and the moon; each full and round yet only half exposed by the horizons.

    We stood transfixed between the two. If I had stretched out my arms it would have appeared as though I was touching the sun with my outstretched right index finger and at the same time touching the moon with my outstretched left index finger.

    It seemed these two ancient globes paused long enough to gaze at one another; a moment of Godly symmetry aglow with divine light.

    May we all find moments this Advent Season to experience God’s unexpected miracles and may we all bask in God’s divine light.

    Blessings,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel

    The photo with this Blog I took at Sauble Beach on Lake Huron , Ontario one warm July evening.

  • 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 

  • 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

  • Thankful Joy!

    Thankful Joy!

    This week is Thanksgiving in Canada.  For us this usually means a long weekend full of family gatherings, fine foods and long walks under colourful canopies.

    But not this year.

    This year, a 2nd wave of COVID-19 has swept over us.  We are under a tidal wave of record-breaking case counts, unnecessary death losses and sturdy warnings to stay safe at home.  Only those who are in our “bubble” can dine around our Thanksgiving table.

    Thankfully, that hasn’t stopped God from blessing us with endless beauty that cleanses our souls and fills us with enough gratitude to last all year.

    The autumn colours have arrived and it is as though a spell has been cast, leaving us in a state of awe. The mystical beauty of autumn is causing traffic jams as folks, drawn in, leave their cars behind and step into the scenery.  I saw a photo yesterday of the highway through Algonquin Park, there were so many countless cars pulled over it forced the closure of the park!  

    Gladys Taber wrote of this luring of autumn in her book , Still Meadow Seasons, “I would be hard put to think of anything better on earth or in heaven than October…the world is lit with splendor, there are surely more colours than on any artist’s palette, and you can walk down the shining glory of the lanes breathing deep of an air that is cool wine to the lungs.” (153).

    May you decide to have a joyful and thankful Thanksgiving despite the COVID-19 restrictions and may God’s shining glory fill your days with awe and wonderment.

    Happy Thanksgiving,

    Rev. Heather McCarrel 

    The photo with this Blog was taken in Algonquin Park by Chelsea Lin, used with permission/Unsplash