Introduction
by Rico Lighthouse
What I present to you here is a guide to the plants in the garden here at Peak Community Church. When I say garden, I do not mean just the mulched areas around the edges of the building, but the whole of the land that has been given us to steward and to tend. I made a list of all the plants that grow on our property, from the edges of the parking lot to the back of the building to that little strip of land along Mulberry st, and everything in between. This list, while fairly comprehensive, will never be 100% accurate as plants, despite their stationary appearance, actually move around quite a bit. Some, such as our old Ash trees, have been here for a long time and save for some catastrophe will be here for many more. Some plants are annuals, and will be here for one growing season. They may reseed and come back the next year, or they may not. That is dependent upon God, the environment, climate, and other factors, such as me and you.
Watching gardens grow is a fascinating process. Plants have a profound ability to change the environment around them, including the people who interact with them. As they grow, flower and fruit, they attract insects and other bugs, birds and animals, and even other plants which leads to a constantly changing environment. Plants can change the human hearth, and they can even change the weather. If this sounds strange to you, ask me how.
One of the first commands of God to mankind was to tend the Garden. I do not believe this command has been annulled by the Fall, or our expulsion from the Garden of Eden. We still live in a Garden, and when we nurture it, and tend to it, it will in turn tend to and nurture us.
As I was working on this project a phrase kept coming to mind: There are no weeds in this Garden. I realize this is a controversial statement, but what I think it means is this: Each and every plant was created by God for a purpose. Just because we don’t see the purpose doesn’t mean there isn’t one. It means, perhaps, that we need to ask more questions, and spend more time looking for the answers. There are plants here in this garden that are considered weeds, but as I spend time with them, as I wrote about and sought to understand them, I began to see how they are in fact fulfilling the purpose for which God created them. Far be it from me to deny them that right.
That doesn’t mean we have to let the Bindweed take over the garden. But it should cause us to pause, and to consider both our role as caretakers, and the plant’s purpose in growing here. Why is it here? What is it trying to accomplish by growing here? If I am at odds with this plant growing here, is it the plant that needs to go, or does my idea of the way things should be need to be reconsidered? There are not always easy answers to these questions. Ask anyway. Ask and pray. In all things through prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God.
As far as the writing itself, I typed this up on an old 1931 Remington Portable typewriter. There’s a backspace button, but no delete button. Whiteout doesn’t seem to exist anymore, and always looked to me a bit like trying to cover up a zit with makeup. You get to see all my mistakes. I ask your forgiveness now. Typing on a typewriter is a very different process than typing on a computer. Sometimes my thoughts are five or six words ahead of my fingers, and then my words and letters get all jumbled up. Sometimes my fingers move too fast for the typewriter, and it gets jammed up. Sometimes I know exactly which key to push, but for some reason known only to God, I push a different one instead. Sometimes my fingers get tired and don’t press the keys hard enough to leave a mark, and so letters just get skipped. It takes a surprising amount of force to press a typewriter key, much more than a computer key. I would not thumb wrestle any of those authors of old, who typed out whole manuscripts on typewriters. Also, typewriters don’t have spellcheck, and I take full responsibility for all misspelled words. And I never could quite figure out apostrophes. I put them where they should not be and omit them where they should be. Feel free to take a pen and correct them.
I want to say thank you for providing me with the opportunity to create such a guide. Thank you for being a church that cares about Creation and wants to learn more. Thank you for being people full of curiosity and wonder, who have listened to and encouraged me in my never ending quest to learn more about the natural world, and ultimately, through it the God whose handiwork we all are. I have met God in the garden, and I have met Him in each and every one of you. Thank you.
It was so much fun to write for the Church. It allowed me a freedom to say things that I don’t often say to the general public. The freedom to share some of my deeper thoughts about things, and to connect and relate the world of plants to the larger story of world and church history. Plants have been mankind’s constant companions and have played pivotal roles in many of our cherished stories and traditions, and working these into the text was just an absolute joy to me. I can’t remember having more fun working on a project than I did with this one.
Since there are Biblical references and theological conclusions drawn in here, I would like to say that the opinions in here are mine and mine alone. I am open to discussion and correction on any of them.
And lastly, this is not a closed book or a finished project. I will add to it as the land around us grows and changes. I would also like to invite you to add your experiences if you wish. Feel free to add your own words or pictures to any of the plant accounts. That’s why I used the clear sleeves. I pray that this labor of love will be as much a blessing to you as it has been for me. Thank you again, and may God bless you and reveal Himself to you in wonderful ways.