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On April 29, Burning Bush Forest Church became a provisional church in Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. For the occasion, I shared a prayer that I wrote. Here are some excerpts:
Creator of the Cosmos, Christ Incarnate, Spirit who inspires: Like trees in a forest, grains of sand on a beach, birds in a flock, and cells in a body, help us remember that we are a part of something much bigger than ourselves. In your wisdom and love you designed us and all that exists for connection and interdependence. We give you thanks for watersheds and solar systems, microclimates and biomes, congregations and area churches, among whom we find community... I invite you to take some time while out on a walk, in a park, or in your yard, to reflect on being part of something bigger than yourself. Consider the ways your life is connected to the earth, water, and sky. Reflect on your place in our watershed/ecosystem, and your interdependence within the web of life. Contemplate how your faith and soul is nurtured by being part of a faith community. Give thanks for the blessings that come from these connections. - Wendy Janzen
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Blessed be the Light
that bursts forth, illuminating new paths, enlightening new thoughts. May this Epiphany season be filled with dreams and signs. May your imagination take you beyond what you thought was possible. May you have the courage and vision to follow the Light into places of inspiration. - Wendy Janzen Sustaining God
of waters, skies, and land, of endangered species and habitats, of marginalized peoples and places, we raise our prayers during this time of crisis. We pray for those with power and voice who gather in Glasgow to negotiate solutions to this mess we have created. We pray for those without power who are most adversely affected by changes in climate and who are often overlooked. We pray for all of us addicted to fossil fuels and progress and pray for open eyes, softened hearts, and transformed actions. We pray for mercy for fire-scorched landscapes, melting ice, and extreme weather events. We pray that we might offer our love and our lives for others, that we might follow the wisdom of the Earth, and that we might learn the ways of reciprocity. Amen. - Wendy Janzen 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 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 |
AuthorReflections, poetry, prayers, photos, and resources written by Wendy Janzen unless otherwise noted. Archives
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