PRIMARY FEATURES
of the proposed
The ‘Beauty-of-the-Earth’ INSPIRATIONAL PATH
This feature will serve to connect all other Grove features by means of a pathway that meanders through the pines in the Grove. The pathway will have two points of entry:
One near the church building,
The other from the Church parking lot.
Each point of entry will be identified with a welcoming prayer that will set the tone for its visitors to experience the tranquil, peaceful nature of the Grove. Visitors will also note the lyrics of stanzas from the hymn, ”For the Beauty of the Earth” along the pathway. Seating benches will be located at several points along the pathway for those who wish to meditate in quiet contemplation.
This INSPIRATIONAL PATH will also be wheelchair
accessible.
The ‘St. Francis’ MEDITATION GARDEN
This small, raised-bed
garden will be located immediately adjacent to the Prayer Circle and contain
plantings of small flowering shrubs and perennial flowers that are appealing to
butterflies and hummingbirds. The garden will feature a small statue of St.
Francis; the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi for All Living Things; and the hymn
whose lyrics were inspired from that Prayer: “All Creatures of My God and King.”A bench, capable of seating two individuals,
will be located here to provide full view of the colorful and animated features
of this MEDITATION GARDEN.
The ‘Daily Discipleship’ PRAYER CIRCLE
This feature will be,
literally and figuratively, a central focal point of the Prayer and Meditation
Grove.
Edging stones will be used to define the perimeter of
a 14-foot diameter circle that will be divided into four quadrants, each quadrant symbolic of a domain of Christian
prayer concern.
Within each prayer quadrant will be three Prayer
Stones, each labeled with a word that describes a specific prayer concern. Visitors to the PRAYER CIRCLE will position
themselves on a ‘standing stone’ immediately adjacent to a Prayer Stone and, in
a state of prayer, focus on the concern symbolized by the Stone. A centralizing stone in the Circle will bear
the lyrics of the verse from the hymn, “This is My Song,” that lifts up a
heartfelt prayer to ‘thou God of all nations’ and a sincere appeal to ‘let Thy
will be done.’’
The ‘Sow-Nurture-and-Reap’ BIBLICAL PLANTERS
A series of half-barrels,
which will serve as planters, will be placed at intervals along an imaginary
line that will serve to separate the Prayer Circle from the nearby Chapel. These planters will be planted with a variety
of plants that will reflect, wherever possible, the diversity of plants whose
names appear in the Bible. At the least, Biblical verses will appear in
the planters that give emphasis to select ‘sow-nurture-and-reap’ passages of the
Bible. The ‘signature hymn’ for the BIBLICAL PLANTERS will be
“For the Fruits of this Creation.” Each growing season, individual Planters will
lend themselves to being ‘adopted’ by an individual or family that chooses to
plant and nurture something with Biblical significance in the Planter.
The ‘Music-of-the-Spheres’ INVITATIONAL CHAPEL
The Chapel, as its name readily suggests, will be the Grove feature with the most pronounced emphasis on Music. The lyrics of the hymn, “Open My Eyes that I May See” will be placed on a placard near the entrance to the Chapel. In addition, placards placed on either side of the Chapel’s seating benches will bear the lyrics of the four verses of “This is My Father’s World.” The view of seated Chapel visitors will face a lectern, banner, and suspended icons that will all serve to add meaning and substance to the Chapel’s musical themes.
A highlight feature of the INVITATIONAL CHAPEL will be the west-facing, ‘silhouetted image’ of a simulated church sanctuary window, minus the glass, with the colors of the natural landscape beyond the window adding their hues and ‘shades of reality’ to the window.
Aerial View Diagram Of Proposed Prayer and Meditation Grove
Prayer and Meditation Grove Exhibit Table
Diagram Of Proposed Prayer Circle
Prayer Circle Under Development - "Buried Drainage Channels"
Nearly Finished Pathway Adjacent To Prayer Circle
Biblical Planter Barrels Nearing Completion
Fully Endowed Planter Barrel