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Bless us today,
God of the Universe,
as we look for you as our 
Shining Light and 
Holy Darkness.
Bless us as we look up
to the heavens,
inspired by the 
wonder and mystery 
of the moon 
eclipsing the sun.

As we look up with awe,
may we also look within:
Let this occasion when the 
sun is obscured make us aware 
of the things that obscure our view 
of your shining presence
in the world and in our soul.
Let it prompt us to wonder
how we contribute to 
obscuring the light of 
life, justice, and wholeness
for others, locally and globally.

In this sacred moment,
burn your imprint on our hearts,
and may your brilliance fill us
and shine out for all to see.

Amen.

- Wendy Janzen

As this year turns to the next,
Bless the passing of time, God,
whether we like it or not.

Bless children growing right before our eyes,
our ageing bodies and ageing parents.

Bless the presence of each moment, 
and the movement of hours turning 
into days, weeks, months, 
seasons, years, lifetimes.

For the year behind us, 
may we be graced with memories.
Give us hearts large enough 
to hold heartaches, 
resilient enough to accept 
losses, and content enough
to be grateful.

For the year ahead, give us 
open hands and open minds.
Help us embrace growth and beauty,
unknowing and paradox. 

Bless the good earth who grounds us,
and horizons that give us space to see.

Bless the sun who travels
the globe each day,
and the moon whose change night
by night is perceptible.

Bless the water with is many forms,
modelling change and transformation.

Bless the sky and its moods, brilliant
​and drab and everything in between. 

Bless us with rituals that bring
shape and meaning to our days.

Bless us with companions who 
provide connection and comfort.

​Bless us with hope in a future
with light, love, and laughter.

​- Wendy Janzen

Oh! What wonder
that I should be graced
to witness a small 
flock of singing starlings
suddenly fall silent,
and as if one body
lift from the branches.
A singularity
floating, swooping, soaring 
to music I cannot hear, but see.
An orchestra with wings.
A drab grey canvas brought to life
with poetic movement.
A performance of the ages, 
with an accidental audience of one
star-struck human awed
by the glory of it all.

Bless you, Starlings, for the 
exquisite wonder and delight
you bring to the world.
Bless you for honouring 
your calling and praising
with your bodies.
Bless you for showing us
the beauty of community
and being part of something
bigger than ourselves.

​- Wendy Janzen

Blessed be the sun's warming power
energizing all that exists.

Blessed be the joyous flowers raising
their beautiful faces to the sun.

Blessed be the the nesting birds
singing in each morning.

Blessed be the vernal ponds
nurseries of new life.

Blessed be my place within
this beloved community,
giving and receiving
the gifts of life.

​- Wendy Janzen

God, our constant companion and guide, 
here in this place of stark beauty, 
make your sacred presence felt among us. 
Open our senses and our 
full awareness to your mystery, 
and help us to listen to the seeds 
buried in the earth, to the interplay 
between water and ice, 
to the cold wind in the bare branches, 
to the stillness of the trees, 
to the brilliance of the sky, 
to prayers without words. 
Amen.

May God bless the season of winter 
around us and within us. 
May we go, knowing God's 
presence in the midst of life’s challenges,
God's love in the stillness, and
God's hope in the promise of
new life waiting for spring.
Amen.

​- Wendy Janzen

​May November be a time
to lay to rest that which
no longer brings life.
May the cool days invite
you out to wander
and pay attention.
May you embrace the
mysteries of life and
find the blessings of
God everywhere.
May the laments of the
Earth touch your heart and
transform your living.
May your soul recognize
kinship with all that exists.
May your prayers for the
Earth be heard.

- Wendy Janzen

Blessed are you, autumn,
season of unavoidable endings.
You show us how letting go
can be a glorious, joyful practice
with your spectacular colours.
You model how to hold 
paradoxes with grace -
the balance of living and dying,
relinquishing and receiving,
gathering and sharing.
You know that death is not
and ending, but a passage,
a transformation into new life.
May we learn these lessons well:
to celebrated with abandon
to practice reverence 
to surrender completely
to embrace tenderly
to love without regret.
​
- Wendy Janzen

Trees are amazing neighbours! They provide us with oxygen, sequester carbon, have a moderating affect on the temperature, reduce erosion, prevent water runoff, provide shade, are habitat for many other species, and some even provide us with fruit and nuts. 

Trees, just like all of creation, can offer healing and can be a window into the nature of God. Trees are so critical to life on earth; they are also a potential place for divine encounter

Here are some reflection questions you can use to spend contemplative time with a tree. Go for a walk and find a particular tree or forested area that feels inviting to you. 

Consider how this tree or this part of the forest might be a sacred text where the Holy One can be revealed to you today...

Or, reflect on what gives you a sense of grounding or rootedness... 

Or, perhaps you feel you need to make a confession for humanity’s destruction of ancient trees and forests, and seek forgiveness...

Or, simply breathe and reflect on a sense of sacred reciprocity - giving and receiving so that all might flourish and thrive...

Blessing
May you live a life rooted and grounded
in God’s presence.
May you stand tall and strong,
Bending with grace and trust in life’s storms.
May you give and receive freely,
Holding on to nothing for long,
So that all life might flourish.
May you hold space for those 
Around you, bearing witness to
The joy and pain of life. 
Amen.

- Wendy Janzen

God of Spring,
of roots and growth,
of vibrancy and veriditas:
Bless this time of planting.
As we dig our fingers into 
rich soil, wiggling and 
delighting in the damp
warm, earth, we remember
that we are earthlings.

Bless our connection
with the the land,
with the water that 
supports all life, 
with these seeds we 
bury beneath the surface
trusting that they will
germinate and grow
and nourish our bodies.

Bless the fertility of the earth,
the micronutrients, 
the compost, 
the earthworms, and
the pollinators.

Bless our intentions to be 
good gardeners: 
may we give and receive,
work and wait, 
with humility.

And bless these seeds:
help us to hold them
with reverence and to
see in them the promise
of sustenance and life.
Amen.

- Wendy Janzen

Blessed be red tailed hawk 
and clear blue sky.
Blessed be the glowing yellow branches
of weeping willow.
Blessed be brilliant white snow
and deep shadows.
Blessed be wind and sun,
flowing river, 
and frozen soil.
Blessed be the tilt of the globe,
the orbit of earth,
and the expansive cosmos.
Blessed be the life cycle,
seeds, decay,
birth, death, 
and all the moments in between.
Blessed be God, 
Mother of all,
Lover of all. 
Blessed be our love
for life and all that is alive, 
for our world, our watershed,
our particular place, 
and all those with whom we share it.

- Wendy Janzen