Blog Posts - BURNING BUSH FOREST CHURCH

BURNING BUSH FOREST CHURCH

It is finished

4/15/2022

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

In Praise of Spring

3/20/2022

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

I am not alone

3/8/2022

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

Six Word Sermons

2/28/2022

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.

Winter Prayer & Blessing

2/4/2022

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

Epiphany Bessing

1/6/2022

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

Winter Solstice Blessing

12/21/2021

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

Shining Sacred Love

12/19/2021

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

Dancing with Joy

12/12/2021

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

A Peaceful Embrace

12/5/2021

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