the forest is calling

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