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BURNING BUSH FOREST CHURCH
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Rewilding our Souls

Blessed be the darkness

11/26/2022

 
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

I am not alone

3/8/2022

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To breathe the fresh morning air,
To observe the variety of tracks in the snow,
To greet the crow flying overhead,
To hear the joyful chirping of birds,
To admire the silhouette of an old tree
in front of the rising sun,
To feel the bright, warm sun on my cold skin:
This is to be alive
and to remember 
I am not alone. 

- Wendy Janzen
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Six Word Sermons

2/28/2022

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I've been in a bit of a writing slump. So for the month of February I took on the spiritual practice of writing one (or more) six-word sermons each week, based on time spent out in creation. I'd encourage it as a simple way to focus and synthesize your thoughts and reflections from time spent outdoors, or whenever/wherever you spend your contemplative time.

Here are the five I shared on our social media streams this month:

Below the snow, seeds await spring.

God's here in our winters, too.

Love shines on all God's creatures.

Every day let kindness burn bright.

Be rooted in peace, not war. 
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Winter Prayer & Blessing

2/4/2022

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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
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Epiphany Bessing

1/6/2022

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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
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Winter Solstice Blessing

12/21/2021

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Blessed be the darkness,
the cold, and the silence.

Blessed be those who wait 
for the coming of the light.

Blessed be the creatures
who teach us how to wait.

Blessed be the earth that
shows us how to hold stillness.

Blessed be winter, season
of reflection, rest, and resilience.

Blessed be the light that
returns faithfully each year.

​- Wendy Janzen
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Shining Sacred Love

12/19/2021

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Fourth Sunday of Advent

​Four flames,

lights shining
in the deepest, darkest 
time of the year,
moving us closer
to the arrival of
the one for whom 
we’ve been
waiting and watching.
These lights shine
sacred love,
love which births
everything into existence,
love which begets wholeness
love that stirs our hearts
and shows us the 
path to deep love.

​- Wendy Janzen
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Dancing with Joy

12/12/2021

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Third Sunday of Advent

Three candles,

a trinity of light,
a holy mystery,
an interrelationship
of revelations
and incarnations.
Flames dancing with
joy and life,
engaging and
laughing like
the one who
loved children
spoke in riddles
welcomed all
and brought healing
to the brokenness
of the world, 
and, celebrating 
the one who 
was and is 
always here, 
bigger than we 
ever imagined,
holding both
our fear and 
our joy.

- Wendy Janzen
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A Peaceful Embrace

12/5/2021

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Second Sunday of Advent
​

Two lit candles - 
a sacred conversation
inviting us in and 
drawing us closer,
reminding us of 
the dynamic relationship 
between earth and heaven,
light and dark, 
body and soul.
a conversation since
The beginning of time,
engaging all the world 
and pulling us into a
peaceful embrace 
with the one who
is the divine indwelling
holding all things
together. 

- Wendy Janzen
​
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Proclaiming Hope

11/28/2021

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Proclaiming Hope on the First Sunday of Advent

One flame

shining in
the night:
comforting, 
preparing,
watching 
for one
who breaks
into our
darkness,
illuminating 
the shadows,
proclaiming
hope
for a 
new day.

- Wendy Janzen
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    Author

    Reflections, poetry, prayers, and resources  written by Wendy Janzen unless otherwise noted.
    ​
    This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

    If you are an established church or institution, please consider making a donation when using these resources in addition to attribution. Thanks!

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