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Grounding Practice
In the spirit of knowing that everything can be a prayer or spiritual practice when we bring that intention to it, I will be posting some short, simple practices you can try anytime in your day to ground you and connect you with the Earth and with God’s sacred presence. Find a place outdoors to lay down, then do a quick scan of your emotions: what are you feeling right now? Next, do a quick body scan: where do you feel that emotion, or where are you holding tension? Be curious and compassionate with what you are feeling. Relax, release, and allow the earth to hold you and all you are holding. Stay there as long as you are able, or until you are filled with a sense of peace or contentment. End by offering a word or gesture of gratitude, or a prayer.
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ECO-SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
In her book Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer has a chapter called ‘The Gift of Strawberries.’ She writes, "Strawberries first shaped my view of a world full of gifts simply scattered at your feet. A gift comes to you through no action of your own, free, having moved toward you without your beckoning. It is not a reward; you cannot earn it, or call it to you, or even deserve it. And yet it appears. Your only role is to be open-eyed and present. Gifts exist in a realm of humility and mystery – as with random acts of kindness, we do not know their source." (p 23-24) Reading “The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:12 Practice During strawberry season, set aside some time to savour a locally grown strawberry. (This practice can be done with other locally grown fruit or vegetables in season.) If you can, pick it yourself. If not, enjoy one from the market or a friend's garden. Hold it gently and reverently in your hands. Pause to give thanks for it – thanks to God and thanks to the plant, the soil, the rain, the sun. Examine its shape and rich colour. Smell it. Feel its texture and delicate skin. Finally, take a bite and taste it. Savour it slowly, enjoying the juicy sweetness. Reflection Take time to reflect on and appreciate the gift of this strawberry. Consider how it connects you to the land on which it grew. Consider how it offers both nourishment and pleasure. Consider how, once you ate it, it became part of you. If you wish, spend some time journaling your reflections, or honouring the experience by offering a prayer, writing a poem, painting a picture, etc. Blessing Blessed be the earth for providing this gift. Blessed be the sun for helping it to grow. Blessed be the wind and birds for carrying its seeds. Blessed be the rain for watering its roots. Blessed be God, giver of all good gifts. - Wendy Janzen Outside the flimsy walls my body feels the chill of this new day. I could have stayed under the covers, cozy and comfortable, dozing and content. But out here, in the open, I awaken - here is a living world where flowers dot the forest floor, breeze makes trees dance, dew sparkles on grass - delightful and gracious hosts to us visiting guests, gifts so easily missed by us indoor beings. God of wild beings and wild places, thank you for the birds and their exquisite songs, the variety of green, refreshing mornings that make us feel alive, awed and amazed at the world beyond our sheltered lives. May our encounters with places of wild beauty and the creatures who call them home expand our hearts, minds, imaginations. May we be open to your expansive presence, and may it expand our love and care for all creation. May we take time to pay attention to and find delight in the lives of those with feather & fur, fins & scales, and learn their names, sounds, habitats, and needs. May we remember you created and blessed them, and that you made an everlasting covenant with the land, all wild creatures, and us. May we love the world in each small detail, and also in its wonderfully complex fullness. May we tread lightly and leave no trace. Bless our summer travels and encounters. May they transform us into new creations. Amen - 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 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 Easter sunrise prayer
Divine Presence, Midwife of spring: Awaken us to your presence within and around us this holy morning. May we be alive to the mystery and wonder of this new day, and be reminded that each sunrise is a proclamation of resurrection. Amen. - Wendy Janzen  For Good Friday
It is finished. Cut off. Ended. No more. Lifeless. It's body brought down, but for what reason? What threat? To what end? Laying on the forest floor. Humbled. Hollowed. Hallowed. It's story,it's legacy, it's outpouring, is not finished. - Wendy Janzen For the Spring Equinox
Praise be the fresh green shoots pushing up through warming soil. Praise be the raucous singing of birds. Praise be the messy mud and slush, rain and snow, melting and refreezing. Praise be the evening light after a long dark winter. Praise be neighbours out for walks, reacquainting themselves with the world. Praise be spring flowers, red winged blackbirds, and budding branches returning colour to the landscape. Praise be spring, season of wild hope, regeneration, renewal, and rebirth. - Wendy Janzen 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 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. |
AuthorReflections, poetry, prayers, and resources written by Wendy Janzen unless otherwise noted. Archives
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