The Lavender Pavilion is a semi-private prayer garden on our property, it is an expression of the ministry of The Unfolding Soul, and is available to guests on a limited / requested basis. If you come to our historic 1905 farmhouse for a ministry event, you will have an opportunity (weather permitting) to enjoy the garden.
The garden is a continual work in progress. We initially spent 2+ years reclaiming this former horse pasture from barbed wire fencing, a rotting stable, thistles, and blackberry bushes run amok.
Because this land is part of a 100+ year-old farm, our reclamation project continually uncovers items which we’ve placed around the garden: old metal farm implements, tractor tires, historic bricks and foundation stones, and more.
The Lavender Pavilion currently offers walking paths, benches, a fountain, flowers and shrubs that vary based on the season, and a variety of yard art – some of it whimsical in nature.
When you come, we invite you to sit and read some Scripture. Enjoy the flowers while you take time to contemplate the majesty of our Creator.
Spend a few minutes sitting on the bench by our prayer memorial. In the Old Testament, we often read of individuals who have a special encounter with God, which they mark by building a memorial of stones. Some who visit our garden pick up a random stone (we have plenty lying around this old pasture) and add it to the memorial, as a way to mark their own encounter with God. And thus, over time, the pile grows and memorializes the prayers of ever more of God’s children.
At the south end of the garden is a special prayer path called a labyrinth.
For centuries, believers have used labyrinths as an aid to prayer. Why? Because when we walk and pray at the same time, along a defined path, we can bring our whole self (mind, heart, and body) into the act of prayer.
Labyrinths come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and patterns. Ours is a 7-path, neo-medieval design named after the Apostle Paul, and the paths are lined with Rainbow River Rock from Montana (which look incredibly beautiful when they are wet with rain).
Whenever you might come to The Lavender Pavilion – however long you might stay – give yourself time and space to connect with the Father of our souls… and allow yourself to be refreshed.
If you would like to stop by apart from a scheduled ministry event, please contact us in advance so we can schedule your visit at an appropriate time.
Julie White
Executive Director
the unfolding soul
Springfield, OR
julie@theunfoldingsoul.org
541-603-6051 (cell)
[Pacific Time]