| With Earth Day and Spring approaching even here in the frozen midwest, we thought it would be fun to have a service around gardens specifically about meditation and refreshment As people arrive they have a choice of moving up the ramp smoothly or walking up a flight of steps I will have signage on the ramp (sporting window boxes of pansies), inviting them to do a prayer walk taking 3 steps forward and rocking back one step (as monks did in the middle ages), as they proceed up the ramp. On the stairway there will have flower boxes blocking half of one step so that they must move sideways every few steps back and forth as they ascend to simulate a labyrinth. (no blocking on the ramp). They will then enter the church building through an arch of flowers and be greeted in the parlor room with three options for meditation. One corner will have a statue of St Francis, a hanging mobile of butterflies, a bird bath and feeder; a second sporting a wind chime with angels and a fan- inspired breeze, the third a more whimsical fairy gazing globe, water fountain and a fish pond. (Every pew is also marked with a packet of seeds) As attached, the various parts of the service have been renamed with gardening terms. I have four congregation members who will be 'seeds' to help me tell the Sower parable and the Mustard seed and every attendee will be receiving a potted pansy to take home and plant. If any of these ideas would be helpful for you sometime - steal them, I am casting this seed to the ether. Ken Wells |
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