"Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves
and rest a while." Mark 6:31
The Quiet Garden
Nearly 20 years ago, the Quiet Garden Movement began in Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, England. Over that period of time, this simple ministry of hospitality and prayer has gently unfolded over six continents. The Rev. Philip Roderick, founder and director of the Quiet Garden Movement says, "Jesus Christ is for us the exemplar and model for holding in creative tension the 'opposites' of withdrawal and involvement."
The Movement follows Christ's lead. Remember the gospel accounts where He asked his followers to join Him in places of quiet, seclusion, and beauty. "Why? In order that He and they could replenish their resources for the sake of the Kingdom by resting in the presence of God."
Last year, The Green Commission completed the process for St. Paul's to formally become a site for a Quiet Garden. Follow this link to learn more about The Quiet Garden Movement.
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Date: November 7, 2011 1:39:20 AM PST
A Message from Mollie Robinson, Coordinator at the Quiet Garden Trust in England
Dear Quiet Gardener
I was recently in a garden with a little boy of two years old. As I simply
pulled out some dead leaves to tidy the garden, there were hearty chuckles and peals of laughter at my side in what appeared to be an expression of sheer delight. Later this little fellow demonstrated (pre-verbally) to his parents with vigorous movements of his arms what he had perceived. This incident caused me to wonder, how do you and I see? And what do we see? Do we see only what we are looking for? Or are we able to see that which is beyond, of deeper meaning, that which may be shrouded in mystery.
Perhaps with a measure of wide-eyed wonder, the child sees a touch of
mystery that can be veiled from our own eyes, especially if we have become a little inhibited as adults! The poet, Thomas Traherne, certainly
appreciated the capacity of children to behold the mysterious. He believed we so easily lose that specific gift of childhood.
“All appeared New, and Strange at the first, inexpressibly rare, and
Delightfull, and Beautifull..............Is it not Strange that an Infant
should be Heir of the World, and see those Mysteries which the Books of the Learned never unfold?” Thomas Traherne
While our Christian faith is rooted in historical tradition, there remains
much that is mystery. Philip Toynbee the writer spoke of “ those holy
mysteries which surround us all...mysteries (that) are not problems to be
solved but realities to be contemplated.”
Our Quiet Gardens are places of sanctuary, of sensory space, of expressive space, of imaginative space, of educational and reconciling space, but may they also be a place which offers each other, and indeed the world, a glimpse of mystery. May we not be content only to paddle in the shallows of the depths of God’s love but also be prepared to wrestle with God, like Jacob wrestled night-long with the angel, and plunge with empty hands into the ocean depths of the Source of our Being!
Below you will find a couple of relevant poems.
I wish you God’s richest blessing as the days shorten, the leaves fall and
the mystery of the incarnation unfolds.
Mollie
Poems
I think we need more
of the wordless in our lives.
We need more stillness,
more of a sense of wonder,
a feeling for the mystery of life. ~ Ben Okri
Plants grow at the bottom first,
Root before stem,
Stem before flower.
The soil must be rich, dark,
I must water until it’s soaked
So thirsty roots
Will go deep to drink
Not fan out on the surface
To wither in the heat.....
Go down first
Trust depths and darkness,
Then flower. ~ Bonnie Thurston
Mollie Robinson
Quiet Garden Coordinator
The Quiet Garden Trust
Kerridge House
42 Woodside Close
Amersham
Buckinghamshire
HP6 5EF
Email: info@quietgarden.org
Web: www.quietgarden.org
Phone: +44(0)1494 434873
Mob: 07766 600265
Registered Charity in the UK 1038528
>
>
A Message from Mollie Robinson, Coordinator at the Quiet Garden Trust in England
Dear Quiet Gardener
I was recently in a garden with a little boy of two years old. As I simply
pulled out some dead leaves to tidy the garden, there were hearty chuckles and peals of laughter at my side in what appeared to be an expression of sheer delight. Later this little fellow demonstrated (pre-verbally) to his parents with vigorous movements of his arms what he had perceived. This incident caused me to wonder, how do you and I see? And what do we see? Do we see only what we are looking for? Or are we able to see that which is beyond, of deeper meaning, that which may be shrouded in mystery.
Perhaps with a measure of wide-eyed wonder, the child sees a touch of
mystery that can be veiled from our own eyes, especially if we have become a little inhibited as adults! The poet, Thomas Traherne, certainly
appreciated the capacity of children to behold the mysterious. He believed we so easily lose that specific gift of childhood.
“All appeared New, and Strange at the first, inexpressibly rare, and
Delightfull, and Beautifull..............Is it not Strange that an Infant
should be Heir of the World, and see those Mysteries which the Books of the Learned never unfold?” Thomas Traherne
While our Christian faith is rooted in historical tradition, there remains
much that is mystery. Philip Toynbee the writer spoke of “ those holy
mysteries which surround us all...mysteries (that) are not problems to be
solved but realities to be contemplated.”
Our Quiet Gardens are places of sanctuary, of sensory space, of expressive space, of imaginative space, of educational and reconciling space, but may they also be a place which offers each other, and indeed the world, a glimpse of mystery. May we not be content only to paddle in the shallows of the depths of God’s love but also be prepared to wrestle with God, like Jacob wrestled night-long with the angel, and plunge with empty hands into the ocean depths of the Source of our Being!
Below you will find a couple of relevant poems.
I wish you God’s richest blessing as the days shorten, the leaves fall and
the mystery of the incarnation unfolds.
Mollie
Poems
I think we need more
of the wordless in our lives.
We need more stillness,
more of a sense of wonder,
a feeling for the mystery of life. ~ Ben Okri
Plants grow at the bottom first,
Root before stem,
Stem before flower.
The soil must be rich, dark,
I must water until it’s soaked
So thirsty roots
Will go deep to drink
Not fan out on the surface
To wither in the heat.....
Go down first
Trust depths and darkness,
Then flower. ~ Bonnie Thurston
Mollie Robinson
Quiet Garden Coordinator
The Quiet Garden Trust
Kerridge House
42 Woodside Close
Amersham
Buckinghamshire
HP6 5EF
Email: info@quietgarden.org
Web: www.quietgarden.org
Phone: +44(0)1494 434873
Mob: 07766 600265
Registered Charity in the UK 1038528
>
>