AuthorParker Johnson Admittedly, as I drove out into the foothills to view the solar eclipse today it became evident that I had not done my homework. While en route, I asked, “Eclipses don’t last that long, right? Like what…half an hour, maybe?” Jahnelle laughed and said, “Two and a half hours from start to finish…beginning at 10:20 a.m.” “Oh,” I said. “That’s substantial.” Rewind to last night when I asked what time at night the eclipse started. Obviously, science and space are not my forte, but more importantly, today's eclipse was a reminder that I am not always able to see things in their entirety through my own eyes. 9:45 a.m. We positioned our lawn chairs facing opposite the sun on the bank of the Elbow River in Kananaskis Provincial Park, complete with a 20-pack of assorted Tim Bits, coffee, and water…and we waited. We were early, but prepared. Jahnelle put together two pinhole cameras for us the night before, and we were eager to test them out. Likely operator error, they didn’t end up helping much at all. While we waited for whatever was about to happen, we talked about just how big it was going to be. We both expected that the local news, by stating 80% coverage, meant 80% darkness, and, while absolutely oblivious to any science or space-related information, we most certainly knew not to look directly at the sun, because that would clearly result in a SciFi-inspired zombie experience resulting in 100% blindness and lots of blood. We figured we knew enough. 10:45 a.m. As we waited, we skipped rocks, sang some hymns and campfire songs, and commented on how clear the water in the river was. We used Snapchat to try to look at the sun over our shoulders, but ultimately grumbling each time because the sun still looked like a perfect circle. Couples and young families, complete with their dogs, began showing up and setting up viewing areas near the same bend in the river. Facing away from the sun with faulty pinhole cameras…we really had no clue what was happening behind us, but we were certainly not going to look. Time ticked by, and the colour of the light surrounding us was noticeably different. It wasn’t quite sepia tone, but I’d equate it to maybe buying a cheap pair of blue sunglasses at WalMart. We noticed that much. We continued to skip rocks and began commenting on just how chilly it was getting. Jahnelle put on another jacket, and I started jumping up and down to warm up. “Weird,” we said. “Didn’t think about how the sun being blocked out might impact the air temperature.” Aside from the blue sunglasses filter and the cooler temperatures, I really wasn’t impressed. 11:30 a.m. (remember…the eclipse has now reached 80%) A man’s dog approached us – Abby was her name…a standard poodle – and while we pet her, I safely stored the Tim Bits out of reach. Busily tending to Abby, the owner handed Jahnelle a pair of eclipse glasses and said that he’d noticed we were without. We thanked him and asked, “Can you see anything yet?” (idiotic, I know) “Oh, yes!” he replied, as if to insinuate that he knew something we didn’t. And he did. We put the glasses on and saw a sliver of the sun…blotted out (apparently 80%) by the moon. It was happening, and we weren’t even aware! But seeing it through the filter gave us a new lens to see the event, and it changed everything. The moon…the sun…they were nearly in sync with one another millions of miles away…and I could feel it. The goosebumps I’d been complaining about were my body telling me that the sun was no longer sending all of its powerful rays hurdling towards the Earth. The blue sunglasses filter was my eyes telling me that the majority of the sun’s light was being blocked by a large mass orbiting Earth. HOW IN THE WORLD COULD I HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED?! We stared in awe (with the filter obviously) and carefully took photos of what we could see, and then packed the car up and headed back into the city. As I reflect on what happened this morning, I am reminded of the Chris Rice song, “Hallelujah.” My aunt used to sing this song sometimes on Sunday at church, and it always gave me goosebumps. Its words are filled with detailed imagery that I can’t quite get out of my head…just like the connection I finally made when I saw the eclipse through the viewing glasses. I hope I can hold the image of the sun and moon in my mind for years to come as I continue to seek perspective and understanding in our world. Chris Rice - "Hallelujahs" (lyrics)
A purple sky to close the day I wade the surf where dolphins play The taste of salt, the dance of waves And my soul wells up with hallelujahs A lightning flash, my pounding heart A breaching whale, a shooting star Give testimony that You are And my soul wells up with hallelujahs Oh praise Him all His mighty works There is no language where you can't be heard Your song goes out to all the earth Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! O cratered moon and sparrows wings O thunder's boom and Saturn's rings Unveil our Father as you sing And my soul wells up with hallelujahs Oh praise Him all His mighty works There is no language where you can't be heard Your song goes out to all the earth Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! The pulse of life within my wrist A fallen snow, a rising mist There is no higher praise than this And my soul wells up O my soul wells up Yes my soul wells up with hallelujahs Oh praise Him all His mighty works There is no language where you can't be heard Your song goes out to all the earth Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! O hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!
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AuthorTracy Moncrieff-Smith Not long ago, my daughter and I were discussing the power of words. We are both avid readers and had just finished novels, so we were excited to share with each other our thoughts on the books that had kept us up over the past few weeks. We both agreed that we appreciate adjectives/adverbs that are more robust as they strengthen our understanding of character, scene and plot action. The differences in word choices added to our enjoyment and our positive experiences were shaped through powerful words. Something that helps me enjoy my life as a Community of Christ member, is the powerful wording of our Enduring Principles and the statements that help to explain what each principle means. The Enduring Principles are such a treasure for Community of Christ members as they “define the essence, heart and soul of our faith community”. They are filled with robust language that is sure to help strengthen your understanding of who you can be in world and how you can walk with God. Check out the Enduring Principles in their entirety at www.cofchrist.org/enduring-principles. I was excited to share one of the nine enduring principles: The Worth of All Persons at the Winter Youth Retreat “Love Your #Selfie”. We looked specifically at 2 statements associated with this: God views all people as having inestimable worth and God wants all people to experience wholeness of mind, body, spirit and relationships. We completed some mindfulness activities courtesy of The Honest Guys on YouTube, discussed “What Wolf Will You Feed” and looked at how to connect with those who have our “backs” and those who have our “hearts” with 20 second hugs and with 4 minutes of eye contact. We also enjoyed Hawk Nelson’s song “Live Like You’re Loved”. The weekend was a super fun experience grounded in the very powerful messages of worth and wholeness that are so important to Community of Christ. As the snow finally melts, and we move into the final part of the school year, I urge our Youth to be present, to whisper those positive and empowering messages to yourself and to strengthen the connections with those who have your heart. And don’t forget to register for summer fun - Youth Camp at Hills of Peace and SPEC will be here before you know it!
Full list of videos discussed in this blog: Hawk Nelson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_r47Xhkf20 Introduction to Mindfulness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk7IBwuhXWM What Wolf Will You Feed Cartoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzKryaN44ss The Honest Guys Guided Meditation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i50ZAs7v9es 4 Minutes of Eye Contact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsojBgHqeg4 20 Second Hug: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0j5mygAlA0 |
AuthorsCalgary Spark is a collection of stories told by members and friends of the church alike. Each person's story is helping to shape our community in new ways. Archives
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