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Brilliance of spring color
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Mid-day sunlight heightens the colors of spring at Cedar Cross Retreat Center, including the vibrant red leaves of a Japanese maple, bright green hues of a poplar, the soft white of a dogwood blossom nestled next to the shades of the forest, and the emerald green logo of Cedar Cross in the arch leading to the goldfish pond.
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Coronavirus pandemic impacting
the ministry of Cedar Cross
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With an acknowledgement of the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessity of distancing measures, it is unfortunate that groups who had planned to visit the retreat center this spring are unable to come and enjoy the beautiful array of spring colors.
Some of the groups have postponed their retreats, and others have had to cancel.
We are, though, welcoming individual retreatants and couples, who, of course, have no signs of the virus. Precautions being taken include disinfecting the Lodge and Heron’s Nest between retreatants and creating a buffer of 72 hours between visitors.
The mission of Cedar Cross is to provide a place that is conducive for rest, reflection, and renewal. This mission is needed throughout the year, and the Mission Group, which oversees the ministry, discerned that the mission may be needed even more acutely during this pandemic.
We realize that not everyone will want to make the drive into the woods of Franklin County. We do hope, though, that each of us will take time to be aware of the restorative beauty of God’s creation, wherever we live.
Contact us if you’d like to inquire about an individual or couple’s retreat.
Note from one of our founders
The Cedar Cross Mission Group has a long standing commitment to treat part-time hourly workers with respect, fair pay, and encouraging support. An interesting byproduct of this commitment is emerging during a time when group retreats are all canceling with that total loss of income, or hopefully only postponing.
Instead of moping about, and cutting hours to those on the margins already, we are tackling upgrades of grounds and buildings. Mostly using what we have, our freed up time is devoted to co-creating beauty.
Since none of us is 35, we are paying our workers to help bring these projects to fruition. Win-Win.
— John Hilpert, a founder and now the forest steward of Cedar Cross
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A Misty Morning at Cedar Cross
It’s a misty, moisty, morning at Cedar Cross.
Fern fronds are unfolding
Their spiraled, fragile fiddleheads
And intricately-laced spider webs,
Having caught the dawn’s remaining dew,
Glisten everywhere across the forest floor,
Refracting the sun’s early beams
Like myriad woodland luminaries.
Moss beds, verdant and vibrant,
Soften the many forest pathways
Leading me on with awe-filled expectation.
The sun, now diminishing all foggy impressions,
Lends its heat and light
To clarify and further define
All of the woods’ regenerating fauna.
I bask in the gracious stillness
And revel in how my eyes delight
At beholding anew with joy and wonder
Nature’s energies slowly awakening,
All while the sweet call of a titmouse
And hoarse croak of a distant crow
Provide their voices and place in the choir.
Spring sunshine is enlivening the
Glories and beauties of resurrection promise
And I pause in thankfulness.
— Mac Hulslander, 4/7/2020 |
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“It is a beautiful space.”
— words from a retreatant
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Dear Journeys readers,
The Sunny Garden is one of a few areas at Cedar Cross where the canopy is open, allowing hours of sunshine daily. It’s also located just behind the art studio, which is an essential part of my creative practice, particularly during retreat.
Last autumn, I went to Cedar Cross for a week-long individual art retreat. After that, I began to ask my fellow mission-group members questions about the Sunny Garden. I wanted to know her story.
We – the mission group – worked in mid-March to remove a blanket of leaves and wake her up for springtime. We pulled weeds, talked about reconstructing the fence, and brainstormed other aspects. I began to learn what was planted where. And I couldn’t help but notice her beautiful bones – short stone walls around daylily beds, handmade fencing, an arbor leading into the woods….
Two days later the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. In the days that followed, my business and most of my income as a jeweler began to dissolve right before my eyes.
So I turned to the garden.
I began keeping a journal about the garden and my experiences and thoughts as I engaged there. After talking with the mission group, we decided to share the story with all of you. We launched The Sunny Garden Journal on the Cedar Cross website. The blog is now my journal as I work with the garden. You can read the blog here: www.cedarcrossretreat.info/blog.
I have long been drawn to this garden, and the process is already a gift for me even without showy blooms or long summer afternoons there (yet). It’s likely that I would have adopted this garden anyway, but now it is incidentally happening as the coronavirus pandemic has taken the globe. Our story is still unfolding.
Thanks for reading,
Ginger Allen
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Mission of Cedar Cross: Rest, Reflection, and Renewal
We provide overnight and day-retreat space for small groups (up to 16 participants) and individual retreatants. Individuals, couples, and friends are invited to stay in Heron’s Nest, which is a two-bedroom cottage, or in one of the three suites of the Lodge. For more information, please contact the coordinator, Jimmy Allen, at 919-729-2586, or at cedarcrossregistrar@gmail.com. More information is available on our web site: cedarcrossretreat.info. We look forward to hosting you.
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Mission Group members who oversee the ministry of Cedar Cross
Butch Grove, Vickie Grove, Mac Hulslander, Margaret Hilpert, John Hilpert, Lillie Jones, Ginger Allen, and Jimmy Allen
Specific roles at Cedar Cross
John Hilpert and Margaret Hilpert, founders and back-up hosts
Jimmy Allen, coordinator
Lillie Jones, gleaner
Rachel Allen, caretaker for indoor spaces
David Jerose, caretaker for outdoor spaces
Boomer Alston, caretaker for outdoor spaces
Lori Litton, bookkeeper
Linda Lamb, caterer
Covenant Community Church supports this retreat center through the Cedar Cross Mission Group. We are a small ecumenical church offering a participatory form of worship that invites lively involvement by all members. We worship Sunday afternoons in Raleigh at the Community United Church of Christ (corner of Wade Avenue and Dixie Trail). Because of the pandemic, the community gathers virtually.
The mission group, which is a subset of the Covenant Community membership, typically meets monthly at the retreat center for a day of work, prayer, play, planning, and being with friends.
Giving
We are grateful to all who support the ministry of Cedar Cross Retreat Center. If you believe in providing a place for people to experience rest, reflection, and renewal, please consider giving a donation.
You can give securely online at www.cedarcrossretreat.info/donate/ or click on the donate button below. Or send a check to Cedar Cross Retreat Center, 150 Cedar Cross Way, Louisburg, NC 27549.
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Jimmy Allen
Ginger Allen