-Outdoor Chapel
The Outdoor Chapel is a natural hillside with benches, an altar, and a large cross. Feel free to come to think, pray, meditate, or just enjoy some silence in nature.
-Prayer Labyrinth
A prayer labyrinth is tucked into the northwest corner of the lawn. Labyrinths are known to have existed 5000 years ago. They have been used in many cultures and religions. Christians have found labyrinths helpful for prayer and meditation. A labyrinth is not a maze. There are no wrong turns and no dead ends. Just like life, its path takes many twists and turns. The labyrinth is about orientation, not destination. If you’ve never used a labyrinth, here are some ideas:
General Prayer:
Start on the outside and slowly follow the path to the center. As you head toward the center use it as a time for personal prayer. Pray about your needs, your worries and cares, and your blessings. At the center pause to remember Christ is your true center. Pray the Lord’s Prayer. Follow the path back out. This time pray for things outside yourself: the church, the nation, the world, and various concerns.
Asking God a question:
Ask God a question as you enter the labyrinth. Mull it over as you follow the path. Let your steps and silence invite the presence and guidance of God. You may not have an answer when you reach the center, but you have journeyed in a sacred place as you consider the question.
Confession:
Start at the center of the labyrinth with a confession. As you journey outward consider the ways your failings have caused harm to others and to God’s world. Ask for God’s forgiveness. Pray for ways to make repairs for the damage done.
Life Pilgrimage:
Begin at the outside of the labyrinth and reflect on your earliest memories. As you continue, bring to mind more memories as you have aged. The labyrinth path is not straightforward, just like life is not straightforward. Pause when you reach the center and consider your present life. Then follow the path outwards considering your future with God.
-Memorial Garden
Each planting in this garden is in memory of a member of the church or the community. The cremains of some people are also buried in the garden, but their locations are unmarked. There is a short path, a bench, and a cross in the garden. Use this place for your deep thoughts. Consider God, eternity, and what it means to exist.
-Apple Orchard
An apple orchard may not immediately seem like a spiritual space, but the trees have lessons to teach us! In our fast-paced world food can seem like just another commodity. Here you find a different truth. Choose one of the trees and follow it through the year. See it bud, leaf, and be pollinated. Watch the apples grow from blossom to ripened fruit. It is good. But there is another truth too. In late winter the trees are pruned. Many wonderful-looking branches from every tree are cut away. Perhaps the pruning will seem too harsh. But apple trees that grow lots of beautiful branches do not grow apples. Sometimes the harsh pruning that life may bring is preparing us for abundant production.
The trees have been chosen in consultation with Cornell University. They do not need to be sprayed and no chemicals are ever applied. The area is always safe for people and pets. You may help yourself to a few of the apples if you’d like, but don’t take too many. The apples are being grown for the Victor Farmington Food Cupboard.