Prayer of Unknowing by Thomas Merton
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.
​Amen.
– Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude, page 79.

---

Garden #5 The Front Entrance

In spring and summer, the walk to the church entrance is shaded by buildings and trees during much of the day. The shade provides comfort but also a challenge for landscaping. Until 20 years ago the slope descending from the front entrance was a sledding hill for neighborhood kids, and their sled rides often ended in the a/c units by the corner of the sanctuary. So we planted the hill with trees and shrubs to create a barrier. Now we have a small wooded area here dominated by two red maples, a large redbud and a pignut hickory. A white oak and a bur oak, both still young will eventually add to the shade and wildlife habitat.