|
Look up
Look around Take out your earbuds Put away your phone. Let the ordinary Beauty of this moment You are in Bring you pause. This is holy ground The Divine shimmering Below the surface Waiting to be seen. - Wendy Janzen
0 Comments
Touching on themes of incarnation and epiphany, our January worship gathering reminded us to pay attention to God’s sacred presence among us. God’s incarnation was not a one-time event. Epiphany was not a one time event. They are archetypes of how God is active and present in a variety of forms in the world - showing up in human form, in all creation, in stars, on journeys into unfamiliar territory.
Matthew 2:9b-10 “...they (the Magi) set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.” All that the magi had to illuminate and guide their way was a star and a dream. Their journey to encounter holiness began with a burning light, with a step taken, with companions gazing in the same direction. As we stand near the beginning of this new year, what is guiding you? What are you noticing? How are you following your longing to encounter holiness? Which direction is calling you? What are you giving your attention to? Who are your companions on the journey? Hope is our grounding in shadow. Peace runs deep; listening, connecting, flourishing. Joy comes to an open hand. Love inspires action, caring beyond self.  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 Today I was stopped in my tracks by the sweet earthy smell of rotting leaves. Heaven on earth! A tree's offering to the soil. This scent tells the curious truth: death can be achingly, exquisitely, lovely. Death is not a final ending, it is a transformation, a continuum, an outpouring of love. - Wendy Janzen  Thoughts for heading into municipal elections.
How do we measure progress? We’ve gone off track, lost our way following stats for economic growth, quarterly profits, housing starts, and GDP. Why not measure a city’s success through counting how many species of insects we have, how many people are not hungry, how many different birds children can name, how many stars can be seen at night, how many green spaces there are, how easy public transit is to access, and how healthy the waterways are… Let’s exchange our lawn mowers for native plant gardens. Dim our insecurity lights. Talk to our neigbours. Park our cars. Be happy with enough, and no more. Draw the circle wide. Care for the least. Measure compassion, not consumption. - Wendy Janzen A million thanks, Eternal One,
for all the gifts of life. For each element, each life form, that intersects with mine, I offer my deep gratitude. For the sun, air, and clouds, the tamaracks, maples, and willows, thank you! For the blue jays, crows, and geese, the bunnies, squirrels, and fox, thank you! For the moths, bees, and spiders, the asters, sunflowers, and goldenrod, thank you! For the apples, squash, and carrots, the grains, seeds, and nuts, thank you! For ponds, creeks, and rain, the rocks, soil, and compost, thank you! For neighbours, friends, and strangers, and all microscopic life I cannot see, thank you! For this community, ecosystem, home, for this place of belonging and connection, and for a million other ways you bless my life and all lives, I am truly thankful to you, the Ground of our being, Creator of all that was, and is, and ever shall be. Amen. - Wendy Janzen  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 occasionally 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. Go outside and find a rock to carry with you in your pocket. When you experience yourself feeling stressed, worried, or overwhelmed, hold the rock and rub your fingers across its smooth surface. Feel its weight, timelessness, stillness, and steadiness, and let it calm you. If if feels appropriate, offer a prayer asking God to help carry your burdens. An Ecological Lord’s Prayer
Our nurturing God, present in the entire cosmos, Blessed are your names: Life and Love. May your way of love and your desire for life be available to all creatures all lands, all waters, and skies. Provide for us all that we need for life, through healthy soil and water, abundant gardens, food forests, and regenerative agriculture. Forgive us when we exploit the earth, over-fish the seas, pollute the skies, and generally overstep healthy boundaries with our neighbours. Move us into living a way of peace that heals the heart of all creation and repairs the fabric of life. Lead us away from greedy ways: lives of consumerism and excess, and deliver us from apathy and inaction. For we want to be faithful to your vision of a life of kinship, reconciliation, and love. Today and each new day, amen. - Wendy Janzen September 1st marks the first day of the liturgical "Season of Creation." This prayer was written in honour of this season that highlights our relationship with the natural world and the importance of widening the circle of our worship words and practices to include all creation.
We give thanks this day for the sun, moon, and stars, lighting our way, illuminating beauty, energizing all life. We give thanks this day for the ground beneath us, solid rock and living soil, foundation and fertility, supporting and sustaining. We give thanks this day for the water of life, rain and rivers, oceans and glaciers, flowing and hydrating. We give thanks this day for sky, air, and wind, animating breath, sacred interchange, inspiring and connecting. For all four elements and the ways they work together, for all creatures, for all places, for life and death, we offer our deepest gratitude to Creator of all. Amen. - Wendy Janzen |
AuthorReflections, poetry, prayers, photos, and resources written by Wendy Janzen unless otherwise noted. Archives
May 2023
categories
All
|
RSS Feed