A blessing for heading into December and Advent

Blessed be the darkness,
protecting, covering, comforting. 
Blessed be the early evenings, 
and long nights. 
Blessed be the moon and stars, 
and monochrome landscapes.
Blessed be the deep stillness
and inner quiet. 
Blessed be the hope
held in the shadows,
beneath the ground, 
and deep in the belly.

​- Wendy Janzen

​Today I was
stopped
in my tracks
by the sweet
earthy smell
of rotting leaves.
Heaven on earth!
A tree's offering
to the soil.
This scent tells
the curious truth:
death can be achingly,
exquisitely,
lovely.
Death is not
a final ending,
it is a transformation,
a continuum,
an outpouring
of love.
- Wendy Janzen

​Thoughts for heading into municipal elections.

How do we measure progress?
We’ve gone off track,
lost our way following
stats for economic growth,
quarterly profits,
housing starts,
and GDP.
Why not measure
a city’s success through counting
how many species of insects we have,
how many people are not hungry,
how many different birds children can name,
how many stars can be seen at night,
how many green spaces there are,
how easy public transit is to access,
and how healthy the waterways are…
Let’s exchange our lawn mowers
for native plant gardens.
Dim our insecurity lights.
Talk to our neigbours.
Park our cars.
Be happy with enough,
and no more.
Draw the circle wide.
Care for the least.
Measure compassion,
not consumption.

​- Wendy Janzen

A million thanks, Eternal One,
for all the gifts of life.
For each element, each life form,
that intersects with mine, 
I offer my deep gratitude.
For the sun, air, and clouds,
the tamaracks, maples, and willows,
thank you!
For the blue jays, crows, and geese,
the bunnies, squirrels, and fox, 
thank you!
For the moths, bees, and spiders,
the asters, sunflowers, and goldenrod,
thank you!
For the apples, squash, and carrots,
the grains, seeds, and nuts,
thank you!
For ponds, creeks, and rain,
the rocks, soil, and compost,
thank you!
For neighbours, friends, and strangers,
and all microscopic life I cannot see,
thank you!
For this community, ecosystem, home,
for this place of belonging and connection, 
and for a million other ways you
bless my life and all lives,
I am truly thankful to you, the
Ground of our being, 
Creator of all that was, 
and is, and ever shall be.
Amen.

- Wendy Janzen

An Ecological Lord’s Prayer 

Our nurturing God, present in the entire cosmos, 
Blessed are your names: Life and Love.

May your way of love 
and your desire for life
be available to all creatures 
​all lands, all waters, and skies.

Provide for us all that we need for life,
through healthy soil and water, 
abundant gardens, food forests, 
and regenerative agriculture.

Forgive us when we exploit the earth, 
over-fish the seas,
pollute the skies, and generally 
overstep healthy boundaries
with our neighbours. 
Move us into living
a way of peace that heals
the heart of all creation
and repairs the fabric of life.

Lead us away from greedy ways:
lives of consumerism and excess,
and deliver us from apathy and inaction. 

For we want to be faithful to your vision
of a life of kinship, reconciliation, and love.

Today and each new day, amen.

- Wendy Janzen

September 1st marks the first day of the liturgical "Season of Creation." This prayer was written in honour of this season that highlights our relationship with the natural world and the importance of widening the circle of our worship words and practices to include all creation.

We give thanks this day 
for the sun, moon, and stars,
lighting our way,
illuminating beauty, 
energizing all life.

We give thanks this day
for the ground beneath us,
solid rock and living soil,  
foundation and fertility,
supporting and sustaining.

We give thanks this day
for the water of life,
rain and rivers, 
oceans and glaciers,
flowing and hydrating.

We give thanks this day
for sky, air, and wind,
animating breath,
sacred interchange,
inspiring and connecting.

For all four elements and
the ways they work together,
for all creatures,
for all places,
for life and death,
we offer our deepest gratitude
to Creator of all.

Amen.

​- Wendy Janzen

​Last Sunday I went
to bird church,
or maybe
it was river church.
Either way,
I was greeted by gulls,
mallards, heron,
cedar wax wings,
and approached
by Mystery.

There were flowers
offering praise and beauty
in purples and gold.
The sky opened
space for us,
the constant flow
of the river whispered
ageless truths.

I wandered prayerfully
then returned and waited,
wondering who would
offer the benediction.
I suspected it might be gull,
perched proudly
on a rock in the
center of the river.

But, no.
Soundlessly,
a single yellow
leaf spun down
from above,
swirling to a
resting place
in front of my feet:
Go in peace.

​- Wendy Janzen

Grounding Practice

In the spirit of knowing that everything can be a prayer or spiritual practice when we bring that intention to it, I will be posting some short, simple practices you can try anytime in your day to ground you and connect you with the Earth and with God’s sacred presence.  ​

Take off your shoes and allow your bare feet to
connect to the holy ground you are standing on.
Stand still.
Wiggle your toes.
Feel the earth and note its temperature, texture, etc.
Imagine roots extending from your feet into the ground,
connecting, rooting, grounding you, supporting you, anchoring you.
Receive the gifts this place has to offer.
Give thanks for your feet, and for the earth.