Friday, February 16, 2024

Lent & the Backyard Bird Count


                 Artist Kelley McManus added the crow after creating this image for a children's curriculum 

 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.

And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Mark 1:9-13 NRSVue

 The six weeks of the Christian liturgical season of Lent often takes from Winter into Spring, as the days lengthen or "lencten" (the Old English source of the word Lent.) Because Easter is a moveable feast, related to the moon of the Spring equinox, Ash Wednesday may be more wintry on one year than another. 

Our Lenten journey has many aspects, including our Sunday readings and encouragement to take on disciplines or to abstain from certain things through the season. There is also an invitation to pay attention to what we experience along the way, through all our senses. 

This year, 2024, the Great Backyard Bird Count gets underway today and continues through what is the Family Day long weekend in Ontario. To that end there is a seminar at our local library this afternoon on attracting birds to our yards and our feeders for observation. As with many old-timers, we have a number of feeders that are visible from our family room. We experience the variety of birds seen in the needlework piece given to me by a parishioner years ago, and more -- there was a red-bellied woodpecker at a peanut feeder recently. We noticed that they were all more active before the snow began to fall yesterday. 

                                                                Vicki Stephens needlework 

After our trip to Israel last April I had a greater appreciation of Jesus' wilderness experience and the birds he might have seen during those forty days -- birds are "wild beasts" aren't they? 

Okay, this wasn't exactly his backyard -- it was rugged terrain -- but he couldn't have helped but notice the surprising variety of birds we saw when we were roaming around in the Negev desert and in the hills along the Dead Sea. I imagine there were a few vultures soaring above, checking out whether he was still moving. And yes, we visited what might have been Jesus' place of baptism in the Jordan River, although we didn't spot any doves. 

We can "consider the birds of the air" with our eyes and our ears through Lent, and even take the time to identify them. 



Thursday, February 15, 2024

Prayer-walking through Lent

 


God of the Way,

you are the road we travel, and the sign we follow;

you are bread for the journey, and the wine of arrival.

Guide us as we follow in your way, holding on to each other,

reaching out to your beloved world.

And when we stray, seek us out and find us,

set our feet on the path again, and lead us safely home.

In the name of Jesus, our Companion, we pray. Amen.

Voices United 648 

In recent days we've taken advantage of sunnier days and mild weather to walk outside. We would prefer to be cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, but we have enjoyed lots of different trails. We are well aware that the temperatures are unseasonably warm and may will be setting the stage for another record-breaking year on beleaguered Planet Earth. Just the same, we know that physical movement and appreciation of the natural world are vital to health in body, mind, and spirit.

 For Christians through the centuries embarking on pilgrimages, lengthy intentional walks that were often arduous and even dangerous, was an expression of devotion. Jesus embarked on the journey to Jerusalem and the temple for festivals as did other Jews and our acknowledgment of Holy Week involves the culmination of one of those walks. 

Two things come to mind as we begin the 40-day (plus Sundays) journey through Lent. While not all of us are physically mobile, the metaphor of the journey or pilgrimage can be spiritually meaningful. Those of us who are are able to be physically active find time will benefit from outdoor walks even though they may not be the Camino or some other demanding trek. 

Years ago I asked our daughter Jocelyn, a graphic designer, to create some banners for Lent, including the one above. Recently I came upon a little book I discovered thirty years ago called Prayer-Walking by Linus Mundy -- no relation, same spelling. Since the publication  there has been so much written about the physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits of walking. There is growing research to suggest that developing into upright creatures meant that we evolved to think about when we're ambulatory. I would concur with this from personal experience and I figure I pray more effectively as well. 

Being outside also leads me into a place of gratitude and wonder regarding Creation that is essential to my well-being. My joints may be much creakier today but I will walk first and whimper later. 




Thursday, March 2, 2023

Once Again, Remembering Emily Carr





                                                            The Bounce of Spring 1936

God is in them all. Now I know that is all that matters. 

The only thing worth striving for is to express God. 

Every living thing is God made manifest. 

All real art is the eternal seeking to express God, 

the one substance out of which all things are made. Emily Carr

Yesterday was anniversary of the death of Canadian painter Emily Carr, a contemporary of the Group of Seven. Several members admired her work but they never seriously considered including her. I"ll share with you a blog entry about Carr from years past and links to a couple more in both Lion Lamb and Groundling. The first dates back to 2006, my first year blogging. 

                                                                     **************************************

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

The Spirit of Emily Carr

Snowmageddon. Snowpocalypse. Interesting how biblical images have crept into descriptions of "snow events" these days. There was some shovelling this morning, but honestly, it just wasn't that bad. I am glad I have a very short commute.

Two Sundays ago we left worship at First Met United Church in balmy Victoria and walked to the city art gallery. We knew there was an exhibit called On the Edge of Nowhere, about the artwork and life of Emily Carr, who lived in Victoria and roamed Vancouver Island and beyond to Haida Gwaii, the Queen Charlotte Islands. Carr has been a favourite artist for both of us for years and we went to an extensive exhibit of her work at the AGO a couple of years ago.

The Victoria exhibit brought home Carr's deep spiritual connection with nature and her life-long, although uneasy involvement with the church. She was often a reluctant churchgoer, annoyed with the self-righteousness of preachers along the way. Yet when her respected mentor, Lawren Harris of the Group of Seven, tried to persuade her toward theosophy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosophy she ultimately resisted.

In the evening that Sunday I attended the Epiphany Explorations dramatic/musical presentation of Carr's life, Exploring the Mystery of Emily Carr, created and enacted by two Victoria musicians and actors, along with the music director from First Met. It was well done, and enhanced by visual images of Carr's works. For me it brought together a love of Christ's community, a love of nature, and a love of artistic expression.

We also sought out the new statue of Carr near the Empress Hotel which depicts her, her monkey named Woo, and dog Billie.

Do you know Carr's work or know much about her? What do you think about the intertwining of art, nature, and the church?




St David & the Call to Simplicity

 


How did I miss it! Yesterday was St. David's Day and somehow I was unaware of the occasion to honour my namesake until I saw a tweet which included the stained glass piece above and the acknowledgement of the day. It's called "Spring", which suggests the weather is a little different in Wales than Southern Ontario. 

David was born in Wales at the beginning of the sixth century and had a broad influence as an evangelist and establishing monastic communities. His emphasis was on livng a simple, moderate life, abstaining from the desire to own more and more unneeded material possessions in order to discover true happiness. Legend has it that during a famous sermon a white dove settled on his shoulder and at the conclusion he offered, "do the little things in life". 

A call to simplicity and contentment rather than over-consumption is a worthwhile message for all of us Groundlings in the midst of an environmental crisis. And when we feel overwhelmed by the insignificance of our efforts we can do this little things which honour Creation and Creator. 


A Victorian stained glass window depicting Saint David blessing a hive of bees 

as they are about to be shipped to Ireland by Domhnog.

Friday, February 24, 2023

Ukrainian Tribute & William Kurelek


                                                            The Ukrainian Pioneer (No. 1)


                                                             The Ukrainian Pioneer (No. 5)

 I haven't been posting to my Groundling blog since the turn of the new year, and as always I'm conflicted. It's a matter of keeping the focus and energy for two blogs (Lion Lamb is the other.) Between the two I posted more than 400 times last year and that is demanding for this oldtimer. 

I decided that I needed to post here today, on the first anniversary of the terrible invasion of Ukraine  with a couple of paintings by Ukrainian/ Canadian artist William Kurelek, who grew up on the Prairies. There have been a number of stories of Ukrainians who've come to Canada in the past year and courageously started over, often with loved ones in their homeland who are living in constant danger. Canada already had a significant Ukrainian diaspora going back more than a century. Many came to farm, as they had in Ukraine. 

I enjoy Kurelek's paintings, a number of which are in the Art Gallery of Ontario. There is currently an exhibition of his paintings on Jewish life in Canada at the McMichael Gallery. There is a folk art vibe to his work, yet a depth which is often profound. So many of them uphold the stark beauty of Creation in winter. 

 I've known that Kurelek was a Christian for decades but it was only today that I found out the story of his conversion, if the experience can be described that way. He suffered from mental illness and was hospitalized for schizophrenia while living in London, England. Here is a description of what unfolded from his Wikipedia page. 

In this hospital, Kurelek met an occupational therapist who changed the course of his spiritual life.Margaret Smith brought him a book of poems, wrapped in a dust jacket that she had made of a Catholic newspaper. "I was a staunch atheist at the time…," Kurelek recalled, and upon discovering her faith, teased her about it. Later, he asked her if she was praying for him, and she answered, "Yes, I am." From here, they began to attend church services together. He took a correspondence course from the church, and met with Father Edward Holloway,] a theologian trained at the English College in Rome, who helped him over some final stumbling blocks. In February 1957, Kurelek entered the Roman Catholic Church by a ceremony of conditional baptism. Margaret Smith, and his friend David John, a sculptor who did work for the church, were his godparents







Saturday, December 24, 2022

The Presence of Birds in a Winter Storm



 
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,[k] or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life

Matthew 6:25-27 NRSVue

  1. 1. O God, our help in ages past,

    Our hope for years to come,

    Our shelter from the stormy blast,

    And our eternal home.

  2. based on Psalm 90 Voices United 806 

  3.  We have not been spared from the massive Winter storm which has enveloped much of North America. Every province has issued some form of travel warning because of snow and high winds making roads impassible. Thousands of flights have been cancelled, resulting in disappointment for so many. 

Last night the warming centre at Trenton United, our home congregation, was open and welcomed a dozen or more stranded travellers. They included parents with a child -- sound familiar? 

I've already done lots of shovelling, including our decks, and while I was out there I replenished our bird feeders. As I did the latter the birds were waiting in the nearby birch trees and bushes. I had a distinct sense that they were impatient to get back to fueling up against the stormy blast as quickly as possible.

There were many species at hand, including juncos and finches and cardinals and woodpeckers. I was delighted when a northern flicker showed up, a bird we hear in our neighbourhood but don't often see at the feeders. His or her presence was such a gift on a blustery day filled with crummy news. 

I've chosen to post a photo on a cardinal on a feeder and the needlework image I shared earlier in Advent as my final "outside in artwork for this season. Our feeders are a constantly changing living art display which bring joy at every time of year and even in a blizzard. 

The "do not worry" passage from Jesus'  Sermon on the Mount isn't a conventional Christmas Eve reading, and O God, Our Help in Ages Past ain't a Christmas Carol. Yet they fit, given our circumstances, wouldn't you say? If you don't agree, humour me!

Already some of our family plans have gone sideways and despite huge disappointment we are trying to be grateful that our children and grandchildren are safe and warm in their homes in the midst of the blast. 

May you be able to move beyond anxiety into the calm presence of Christ this day. 



Friday, December 23, 2022

How the Premier Stole the Greenbelt

 


                                                      The Fish are Fasting for Wisdom from the Stars 

For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place, all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.  Who knows whether the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth?  So I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them?

Ecclesiates 3:19-22  NRSVue

I shared this image with you when it was framed (this is pre-framed), a print by the talented Metis artist Christi Belcourt. Ruth and I agreed it would be the last piece of art we would every acquire because we'll never live in a house this size again and we already have pieces tucked away in closets because there is no wall space.

I've come back to The Fish are Fasting as Advent draws to a close, and with it my "outside in" tour of art in our home. Our daughter-in-law, Rebekah, is a freshwater ecologist by training and works for a water issues related NGO, When she saw the print she immediately identified the various species of fish. Scientific knowlege, artist expression, and wisdom from the ages can work together. 

I've thought about this piece alot in recent weeks as an Ontarian who is appalled by the Ford government's decision to remove several thousand hectares from the Greenbelt which were supposed to be protected in perpetuity. Bill 23 also limits the role of Conservation Authorities in protecting wetlands and watersheds, as well as monitoring flood plains. With the effects of climate change this is a disaster in the making. Despite protests across the province they are forging ahead and as this brilliant cartoon by Steve Nease says, Ford is stealing our Greenbelt. 

Steve Nease

How is it that as Canada joins nearly 200 other nations in signing an agreement on protecting biodiversity our province is blundering into this irresponsible course of action that millions of us don't want, according to polls, and municipalities don't either? 

As a Christian I'm determined to sustain personal hope in the midst of bleak news about the state of our planet. At the same time I am discouraged and frustrated by those who are supposed to lead with reliance on science and common sense for the wellbeing of all consituents, including those which are not human. If the fish can seek wisdom, why not politicians?  

For decades I used a passage from chapter 3 of the Wisdom book of Ecclesiastes in funeral and memorial services. Apparently I should have read on to the verses which state that the fate of humans and other creatures is intertwined. This really is wisdom. 

The resignation by Doug Varty as Chair of the province's Species Conservation Action Agency speaks volumes