Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church
1948 The Alameda
San Jose, CA 95126
San Jose, CA 95126
A couple of years ago we formed a lawn task force to study the flora and fauna of our grounds and to make recommendations. The recommended that the only good steward action that could be taken with regard to the lawn was to move from a thirsty “English lawn” to a native plant, drought tolerant space. We would save money by using less water and we would be returning our land to its native roots.
In the plan, a few spaces were to be covered by crushed granite, and some spaces were to be devoted to native plants (the majority). For several years now we have stopped watering (as a money saver and as preparation for next steps). When we had the water pipes to the city replaced last year, much of the piping for the sprinkler system was not reattached.
During the summer the lawn has died back well, without water, but during the winter it comes back strong. Hence, we are now ready to take the next step.
As part of the recent “renovation” phase, we removed the hedge on the south side of the property (exposing the ugly fence that will shortly be replaced through an agreement with our neighbor). We also put up new signage. The signs were designed to do two things:
Set our sign off from the signs of our tenants;
Utilize the tenant sign as a screen to the back part of the property.
This is why the signs were built in the way in which they were, and why they were placed in the positions in which they were placed. Although the tenant sign is not fully completed, we are ready to move on to the next step.
On September 13 we will have a work day to remove the remaining hedge (including the stumps) and to remove the grass on the south portion of the lawn. This is preparation for putting in our first area of native, drought resistant ground cover and plants. We will also be preparing the area to put in a labyrinth (in the area behind the tenant sign).
So what is a labyrinth? It is a space for prayer and meditation. It is a symbol of journey and pilgrimage. Walking a labyrinth encourages focus, helps shutter distractions so that we can sink deeply in the subject or area that we wish to explore. The labyrinth appears in many cultures as far back as Mesopotamia, including Celtic culture and Christianity (most notably Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral)
Labyrinths come in a variety of sizes and designs. After extensive research on the internet, Pastor John has discovered a labyrinth that is called a Chalice Labyrinth (there is a chalice shape next to the entrance). With dimensions of 35 feet, this chalice will fit well within the space that we have available. At the center of the labyrinth there will be a peace pole, with messages of peace in all of the languages currently used in worship at Holy Redeemer (English, Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese), as well as 12 others.