|
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
0 Comments
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. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Prayer for the Second Sunday of Lent
Creator of All, Tree of Life, Spirit among us: as we wander deeper into the wilderness of this season, searching for paths among the woods, be our companion along the way less traveled. The forest is calling us: come. Come, stand among us. Come where light and shadow dance as branches sway with the wind. Come in wonder and worship, you powerful and powerless, come, children and elders, come, from all directions, come, learn the secrets of life: dormancy and growth, interconnection and community, rootedness and reaching upward. We confess our devotion to independence, our belief we can go it alone, and our me-first mentality. Heal us from our short sightedness so we might see the forest for the trees, recognize our dependance on you, and our interdependence with all life from mycelia to majestic pines. Shelter us, O God, in the safety of your strong branches. Nourish and strengthen us, but keep us humble of heart. Tune our ears to your timbered voice, and tune our hearts to praise. Amen. - Wendy Janzen |
AuthorReflections, poetry, prayers, photos, and resources written by Wendy Janzen unless otherwise noted. Archives
March 2025
categories
All
|
RSS Feed