Burning Bowl Service

 

Call to Worship/ Opening invocation:

Come, let us worship together, as we release the year that was, and welcome a year of unknowns. Together, we release what has been, letting go of the weight of unfinished stories, lingering regrets, and burdens we no longer need to carry. And we welcome, with trepidation and uncertainty, the year to come, as a space of potential and promise, tinged with fear and anxiety. It is for this reason that we prepare to invoke time, because time is both a boundary and a bridge. It marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, inviting us to reflect on what we have lived and to imagine what is yet to come. 

At this time, we open our hearts to the unknown. Time is not just the turning of a calendar; it is a vast, viscous presence that moves through us and around us, carrying the potential for transformation and possibility.  Time, with its ticking, pressing urgency, holds only the power we give it, shaped by our collective breath and intention. 

In this time, we invite time to swirl around us, not as a set of numbers or patterns, but as a vast, expansive truth. We summon time from the four elements: the winds to carry its whispers, the flames to transform it, the waters to cradle it, and the earth to root it. May this invocation call forth a rich, swirling presence where we are held outside of counting and measuring, free to lean into our truest, most authentic selves.

For this time, allow yourself to play with time, splashing in its currents rather than resisting its flow. And so, we call upon time to be with us, not as a taskmaster or a clock to obey, but as a partner and a guide. Let us lean into its embrace, remembering our deep connection to the cycles of life and the rhythm of the universe. As the year turns, may time hold us tenderly and boldly, offering us the courage to release, the wisdom to discern, and the grace to begin anew. May we emerge from this sacred encounter with time more attuned to the essence of who we are and who we are becoming.

Invocation of Air

As we step into this liminal space, we linger in the threshold between the familiar and the unknown. This threshold is not merely a boundary but a sacred space of becoming, where possibilities shimmer and beckon. It is here, in this in-between, that we encounter both vulnerability and power. The divine whispers to us in this stillness, a soft breath, reminding us that every ending holds the promise of a new beginning. 

As we align ourselves with the pure rhythms of air, we open to its gift of vision, trusting it to carry our whispered hopes forward into the dawn of new possibilities. Across cultures and histories we have developed markers to guide us through the cycles of life, helping us honor transitions and transformations. Yet, time itself moves beyond these measures, unyielding and full of surprises, like the air we breathe. As we invoke air, bring your arms part way up, holding the air both above and below. For those on Zoom, bring your attention to your candle, either physical and internal, and see how it shifts in the breeze. 

Time is movable. Every second contains eternity, and every element encompasses all others. Air is the fuel for fire, the mist that lingers over an early morning lake, and the dust carried by the wind. It pulses through our bodies, feeding our lungs and hearts. Take a deep, centering breath, filling your lungs with intention. As you do, feel that source move upward from your lungs into your throat, and speak aloud something you are letting go of this season. 

Together, we welcome the air. 

Invocation of water:

In this space, we honor the rhythm of life, where time flows like water, fluid, ever-changing. Air becomes heavy with the promise of rain, and the currents of life swirl around us. Water, the element of emotion and renewal, teaches us to embrace change with grace. It is the flow of rivers carving new paths, as in this shifting seascape, we can trust the  rhythm that moves within and around us, as the beloved currents remind us that we are vessels of change. Calendars, like dams and levees, attempt to contain this flow, offering structure and predictability in the face of life’s infinite complexity. 

Yet, just as water finds its way past barriers, so too does time resist being confined by human-made constructs. The Gregorian calendar, with its measured days and months, gives us a framework to organize our lives, but it cannot fully capture the fluid nature of time. Across cultures and histories, calendars have shifted, each reflecting the needs and priorities of the societies that created them. They serve as tools, not truths, helping us mark the seasons and milestones of our lives. However, when we cling too tightly to these constructs, we risk losing sight of time’s deeper essence, its ability to bend, to surprise, and to carry us into moments of unexpected bliss. For our invocation of water, bring your arms outward, curving our bodies, holding the water within and the water without.

Time is fluid. Each minute holds every millennia, just as each element interweaves with the others. Water meets air as mist, fire as steam, and earth as mud. It flows through our veins, a constant reminder that for all our solidity, we are mostly space between atoms. Briefly connect with your liquid nature, the way we are both substance and container. As we welcome water, speak aloud something you are making room for this season. Together, we welcome water.

Invocation of earth:

This work burrows deeply into the earth, finding its home in the rich, dark loam where endings and beginnings intertwine. The radical change that fire brings does not destroy meaning; instead, it distills what remains into its purest form, returning it to the embrace of the soil. Rumi’s message is that this act of release is not a finality but a purposeful pivot, a turning point where destruction becomes creation’s most tender ally.  The earth, like a body, bears witness to time in its layers and rhythms. It absorbs the rain as water becomes earthlogged, merging into soil that holds the past while nurturing the seeds of the future. 

In this way, the earth mirrors us. Our bodies, too, are vessels that carry time, holding memories, emotions, and dreams while transforming them into new realities. Time, like water soaking into the ground, saturates the body and becomes something we carry forward, shaped by the contours of our lives. To honor the earth is to honor this cycle of transformation, where endings are absorbed and remade into beginnings. Time is not fixed; it is fluid and ever-present, a vessel that adapts to the rhythm of our experiences. To embody this understanding is to step outside of the strict constructs of calendars and schedules and into a deeper alignment with the cycles of the natural world. Growth cannot be bound by dates or milestones but by the organic unfolding of time, soaked into the body and the earth, ready to nurture what comes next. For our invocation of earth, bring your arms out and down, grounding ourselves in this moment.

Time is grounding. Our adherence to minutes and hours is a human construct; the seasons pass regardless of how we measure them. Every element contains every other. In fire, earth becomes ash; in air, earth becomes nutrients for plants; and in water, earth forms the land beneath us. Feel the earth beneath you, seemingly still yet always in motion. As we welcome the earth, hold the flash paper in your hands, a tangible representation of our shared work. Infuse it with intention, acknowledging both what you are releasing and what you are creating space for.

Invocation of fire:

Sacred time is not simply about letting go or closing doors, it is about leaning into the unknown with open-hearted trust, embracing the transformative power of fire. Fire is a dynamic, ever-moving force that consumes, clears, and creates new space. Just as fire transforms all it touches, living into sacred time is a continual process of renewal, where we are called to welcome the unfolding with courage and faith. We embrace the fire’s power to illuminate, to clear, and to renew. The burning bowl ritual invites us to embody this process, trusting that the fire will ignite a deeper, more authentic connection to our true purpose.

As we gather together, let us center ourselves in the presence of this fire. Close your eyes and take a deep, slow breath, feeling the warmth and movement in your heart. With each inhale, allow the flame to burn away the distractions of the world. Feel the pulse of sparking, spitting flames surrounding you, moving through your body, igniting your spirit and bringing you into alignment with the universe, a phoenix rising in the eternal flow of time. Time itself is a beloved, an eternal flame that burns brightly, shaping us as we move through it.

We invite you to take part in our ritual of release and renewal. In a moment, you will be invited to come forward to the burning bowls, where you will release your flash paper. As we invoke fire, I invite you to lift your hands upward, holding your paper aloft, reflecting on what you are ready to let go of, what you are ready to make space for, and what you are preparing to center in the sacred time within our bodies. Both those in person and on Zoom are welcome to focus on the flickering flames, knowing that they feed our own hearths. 

Time is sacred. Beyond clocks and calendars, our bodies hold an ancient rhythm attuned to the passing of seasons. This rhythm calls us to gather in moments like this, shifting and uncertain, yet holy. In every element is transformation: earth becomes ash, air becomes smoke, water shapes boundaries. In our hands, we hold an alchemical treasure. As we welcome fire, feel it ignite within you, from your heart to your throat, up to your crown, and down to your belly and root. Let that elemental energy propel you forward as you approach the burning bowl. When you are ready, come forward and place your paper into the fire, knowing that the flames clear the way for what is to come.

Closing the circle: 

Now, as we depart from this space, we thank the fire for its transformative power. May we carry its light within us as we move forward, and may we continue to be grounded in the hallowed flow of time, embracing every moment as a step toward becoming who we are meant to be. 

As we release the earth, we give thanks for its steady support, grounding us in the wisdom of patience and the cycles of renewal. May we walk with awareness, rooted in the nurturing embrace of the soil beneath our feet. 

As we release the water, we honor its fluidity, reminding us to surrender to the flow of life and the power of emotional depth. May we move through each moment with grace, trusting that the currents of transformation will guide us. 

As we release the air, we express gratitude for its breath, carrying with it the whispers of possibility and the expansive nature of thought. May we inhale deeply the winds of change, allowing our spirits to rise with clarity and openness. 

As we extinguish the chalice, I invite those on Zoom to extinguish their own candles, keeping the light within ourselves glowing. Go forth into this new day, this new year, knowing we are held by the power of time, with love in the center, uplifting our beloved community, as we close the door on one year, and open our hearts in curiosity towards another.