The recently completed prayer trail traverses a ridge on church-owned property situated behind the church facilities. Members of the community are invited to join in the festivities and walk the trail.
The idea originated 10 years ago before Cedarbrook began meeting. A small group had been meeting with pastor Remy Diederich, studying different ways that people can connect with God. The idea of connecting with God through nature dominated the conversations.
The pastor said he thought it odd that more churches do not offer opportunities for people to experience God that way. “Everything is typically indoors,” he observed. “And then I dreamed a bit and said, wouldn’t it be great if we could have enough land some day to build a prayer trail where people could walk the land and connect with God through nature? Amazingly, 10 years later we have a church building, spare land and now a prayer trail. I guess it pays to dream!”
Church members provided the labor, a good mix of engineers, landscapers, contractors and volunteer workers.
The trail is more than a half-mile in length and offers seven stations where visitors can pause and meditate on a theme displayed on a posted sign. The seven themes are comfort, guidance, provision, healing, hope, restoration and consecration. Five decks are built into the hill with a bench so individuals can stop and reflect in comfort. There are three large crosses at the summit of the trail with poured concrete to facilitate gatherings of small groups.
The Department of Natural Resources is working with Cedarbrook to establish prairie grass on the trail – the second time the two groups have worked together. Another recent project established a martin colony on the property.
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