Rooted in Love by the Roots of the Juniper Tree

The following is shared with permission from all participants at our 9/7/2023 Gathering. The Gathering is a space for interactive worship and meets on the first and third Thursdays of every month, learn more here.

This past week at the Gathering we centered our collective reflections on Ephesians 3:16-19, here taken from The Inclusive Bible:

And I pray that God, out of the riches of divine glory, will strengthen you inwardly
with power through the working of the Spirit. May Christ dwell in your hearts
through faith, so that you, being rooted and grounded in love, will be able to
grasp fully the breadth, length, height and depth of Christ’s love and, with all
God’s holy ones, experience this love that surpasses all understanding, so that
you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Together we shared experiences that grounded and rooted us over the summer while we were apart. We also reflected together on where we’ve been rooted and grounded, where we would like to be rooted and grounded, and what kind of support and/or practices would help us get to where we want to be.

It is not a surprise that many of us carry numerous anxieties, unfulfilled love of self and others, and separation and isolation from God, ourselves, and one another. 

It can often feel that the moments we are rooted and grounded in love are few and far between. And rooted in Christ’s love, even fewer. 

So how do we learn to become more rooted and grounded in Christ’s love? Like the roots of the Juniper tree.

Christ’s love is so counter-cultural that it requires deep intentionality and it helps to build relationships that can support this intentionality of how we speak, act, and relate in all aspects of our lives. People who are also intentional about being rooted and grounded in Christ’s love and who are willing to walk with you on the journey are some of the most amazing people. They are the kind of people who show up, get involved, and become a part of Juniper Formation, and for that I am deeply grateful.

This passage from Ephesians and our conversation at the Gathering made me reflect on the Juniper Tree, a symbol of Juniper Formation taken from the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19:3-8, read more about how Juniper Formation got our name, here.

Junipers can tolerate some of the most inhospitable climates from dry conditions to high winds. Where most trees and plants would die, Junipers thrive. Much of this survival is due to their underground root system, which makes up about two-thirds of the tree’s mass. Juniper roots are a huge mostly unseen system of resilience in the face of inhospitable environments. Sound familiar to the needs of our current cultural context?

The Juniper root system has two parts: 1) a web at the soil surface, and 2) a tap root. The web or fibrous mat of roots that sit close to the surface of the soil collects rainwater. The taproot can grow up to a depth of 25 feet straight down searching for water in deep layers of soil. 

Working together the web and taproot system create a toughness made of resistance and resilience. Resistance to harsh wind, allowing the entire Juniper tree to be pushed over and the roots continue to develop and the tree thrive even if at a creative, abstract angle. Resilience to survive drought, maintain greenery, and even bear fruit—the Juniper berry for which gin-drinkers are grateful.

It is this kind of wide web and deep taproot of Christ’s love that we need for resistance to the harshness of life and resilience in the face of inhospitable environments like capitalism, racism, sexism, homo- and trans-phobia, ableism, xenophobia, you name it. There are all kinds of ways that we suffer and suffer others out of fear, anxiety, pain, hatred, and self-loathing.

Rooting ourselves wide and deep in Christ’s love, with outstretched arms to one another, and depth of love for self and God, that is the rootedness and groundedness we seek here under the symbol of the Juniper Tree.

You are welcome to join us.

Love,

Rev. Dr. Jenny Whitcher (She/her)

Minister of Prophetic Formation
call/text: 720-580-2274