TheMinistryCafe

When I get a new album that I really like, I tend to play it repeatedly until it plays in my head independent of any listening device. Such has been the case with Phil Wickham’s latest release, Heaven & Earth. The opening song, Eden, poetically expresses a longing to return to a place of origin and beauty here on earth, where God Himself is very near and intimate.

 My awareness of God began at the age of 15 while alone in a stretch of virgin forest in the north woods of Maine. The place was like an outdoor cathedral. Tall trees stretched heavenward with arching branches to form a continuous canopy above, while a thick carpet of velvet moss spread out across the forest floor. Sunlight streamed ethereally through dancing leaves, creating patterns and hues like the play of light through stained glass. The sound and feel of the faint breeze on my cheek was like an intimate whisper. And there was a fragrance that is hard to describe; earthy, yet fresh, clean and pure. It seemed to me as if I had entered something sacred; a holy place. I laid face up on the moss floor for an hour or so, taking it all in. I felt a peace and tranquility that I had never experienced before. From that experience, I began to cherish and seek out the beauty of nature and the great outdoors. Though it would be another year and a half before I would come to know the Creator of that place, His creation had spoken to my soul.

 Fast forward from that experience 9 years, and I am living in the City of Philadelphia and feeling oppressed by the stark built environment, largely devoid of nature. During college, I would run in Fairmount Park (one of the largest city parks in the world), and found a great respite from life in the city. But working full-time, being married, having a baby and no longer living close to the park, I yearned for a place surrounded by the beauty of nature. I decided to create a garden in our small urban back yard, a place of beauty for my family to hang out and where I might sit and pray. This started a love of gardening, or rather of creating gardens. I became passionate about it, studying horticulture at Longwood Gardens and growing plants of all types. After a few years, my little garden won first place in a city-wide contest. (There were over 500 entries that year.) I won numerous ribbons and several PHS Bronze Medals at the Philadelphia Flower Show and other horticultural events. I designed landscaping to compliment the architectural projects I worked on, initially doing so for free. Then I started getting commissions to design landscapes and gardens independent of any building architecture.

 To be transparent, there were times when the love of gardens and gardening has gotten out of balance in my life, when the enjoyment of ‘creation’ eclipsed Creator. It’s strange the way that things can start out as a way to connect with God, but then, over time, they themselves can become a god. A similar transition can occur in things more overtly worshipful, such as church music. Worship leader Matt Redman’s song “Heart of Worship” came out of recognition that the glory of worship music had become more of a focus for their church than the glory of God. After a period of ‘fasting’ band and sound system dynamics in church services, Matt penned that song. This is a common theme of mankind; worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator. (See chapter 1 of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome.) At the same time, we can jump to the other extreme in religiosity, putting-down things such as music or beauty in reaction to the world’s value system. What I’d like to do here is try to strike a balance; endorsing the enjoyment of such things as a means of connecting to Him. And to that end, my purpose in this next series of blog entry is to advocate for gardens as places to connect with God.