God, our Provider,
We praise you for pollinators, for the many beings who are indispensable in bringing food to our tables - birds, bats, beetles, butterflies and bees… Bless native plants - their flowering, fruiting, and feeding of this ecosystem. Bless species at risk: rusty-patched and yellow-banded bumble bees. Bless our attempts to partner in the restoration and health of this land. Bless the web of life, our deep connections, our interdependence, our giving and receiving. Amen - Wendy Janzen
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Sinking...
I dive beneath dark water, immersed and held briefly in another world. Surfacing, I breathe deeply. Floating face to the sky, with each exhale I sink slightly. I align my body to the sinking sun in the hazy sky; a brilliant orange path glistens across the water, reflects fires burning in the northwest, points right to my feet. My heart sinks with the knowledge we are all sinking, burning, melting choking. God, save us from ourselves. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on the Earth, on the trees, sky, glaciers, communities, and creatures… Save us from this path of self destruction. Save us from sinking into oblivion. You are our bright light, fresh air, quenching rain, enduring solace, solid ground, our hope beyond hope. - Wendy Janzen Wild, Incarnate Christ,
Light of Life - the sun has reached its zenith and we can feel the heat in our bodies. As we stand on the cusp of this sweltering season we give thanks and praise for the gifts of summer - vibrancy and radiance, fruitfulness and playfulness, embodiment and freedom. Open us to the ways you are manifest in creation, Your presence alive and tangible so that we may know you to be here among us not only through head and heart, but also through our bodies. Like plants stretching toward the sun, may we reach for you, as the Source of all being. Enliven us and inspire us as children of the light to grow in maturity, passion, and fullness. Amen. - Wendy Janzen Creator of all,
Christ who walks with us, Spirit enlivening us: As we move more deeply into relationship with you and with the entirety of the created world, open our hearts to new ways of being and our minds to greater understanding of our place in the world. Transform any notions of self-centredness into community-mindedness, and expand our sense of community to include all creation. May we fall in love with our more-than-human neighbours and understand that our needs and wellbeing are intertwined with theirs, our very flesh and breath entangled with a billion others. Move us to see your presence and wisdom revealed in the intricacy of everything around us. Fill us with compassion to live lives that extend benevolence to all life. Amen. - Wendy Janzen Wild Wind of the Spirit,
on this Pentecost day we revel in the ways your presences lives and moves among us and through us - inspiring us, challenging us, unsettling us. May we be open to the winds of change, welcoming and bending to new ways of being. May we embrace and celebrate the lively and generative energy of this day, empowering us to be agents of transformation in our spheres of influence, voices for the voiceless, and visionaries for a new future. 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 Mothering God,
Giver of life, who hovered over the deep at the beginning of time, who soars like an eagle, who gathers her brood under her wings, who descended from heaven as a dove: Open our eyes to see you today. Open our ears to hear your song. Open our spirits to sense your presence here in this place. Open our minds to new insights, and open our hearts to a deeper connection with you and with all the feathered ones you see and love. Amen. - Wendy Janzen Earth Day Prayer
April 22, 2021 Beloved Creator, Heartbeat of Life, Ground of our being - On this day set apart to honour Earth, open our ears to hear the cries of our neighbours in the community of creation. The wetlands are groaning under the pressures of development - Are we listening? The forests are groaning from the introduction of invasive species - Are we listening? The lakes are groaning from chemical runoff - Are we listening? The hills are groaning from the removal of their ancient trees - Are we listening? Open our ears to heed the cries of Earth and our fellow creatures. Open our eyes to the wonder and beauty of this most amazing universe. Open our hearts to love the world as You love. Open our minds to imagine a reciprocal future, where we give back as much as we take. Open our lives to new ways of being earthkeepers, companions, advocates, and champions of justice and mercy for all beings. Amen. - Wendy Janzen, 2021 Prayer for Easter Sunday 2021
I awaken from sleep to a day of celebration. In the pre-dawn birds are singing and so is my spirit. Buds are swelling, and so is my heart. Roots are deepening, and so is my faith. Flowers are blossoming, And so is my joy. The sun is rising, and so is my hope. Wild Christ, alive among us, on this resurrection day may we follow the lead of all creation in praise and celebration. May we, too, trust in the promise of new life. May we, too, live each day fully, our lives a testament to your Presence shining in the world. Amen. - Wendy Janzen God of all creatures,
today we praise you for groundhogs, unassuming rodents who carry the tradition and mystery of forecasting spring. From their elaborate burrows they rise, half dead: groggy from hibernation, hungry, alone, stressed; awakened by an inner clock synchronized with the rhythms of the seasons that tells them it is time to explore and prepare for the next generation. We pray for all creatures who count the days until the weather changes, until winter loosens its grip, until they can reconnect with others. We pray for all who are tired, who are hungry or dissatisfied, who are lonely or isolated. In this time between solstice and equinox reassure us that sooner or later spring will come. Grant us patience to see the gifts of this particular time, and to savour the stillness. In our exhaustion release us from stress so that we might find rest. In moments of hunger or dissatisfaction remind us that there is enough. In our isolation be a comforting presence. We pray that whether the sun shines or the sky is grey, we will count each day as a gift with moments of wonder. Let hope rise up in us, as we align our bodies and spirits to your greater purposes beyond what we see this day. Amen. - Wendy Janzen |
AuthorReflections, poetry, prayers, photos, and resources written by Wendy Janzen unless otherwise noted. Archives
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