The Secret Prayer Garden invites people to come make a walking pilgrimage in person and or online.
Prayers for the Earth We ask for prayers for the John Cobb Eco Farm and Our Common Home, Mother Earth. The 12 Tree Prayer Stations invite three possible prayer practices. First, we pray and mediate asking for permission to enter the Secret Prayer Garden here, now and within our hearts. We begin waiting in silence and throughout we give thanks. Second, we seek to develop inner Fruits of the Spirit and third to give back to the Earth during this time of planetary crisis. We call upon the world’s wisdom traditions and spiritual teachers to bless and guide us. We pray for the Interconnected web of life, the Wilderness everywhere, the invisible minerals and the billions of life forms in each handful of soil, Water, Green plants, Wind, Air and Music, Mother and babies of all species, the Sun, Moon, and Stars of all the Galaxies, Animals Underground, Wild animals in the water and on land, Birds and Flying animals, Flowers, Fragrance and the beauty of nature, the Holy Human family living in harmony with creation and exploring hope, dreams and visions of an ecologic civilization.
Please close your eyes and imagine the Earth from being on the Moon and we pray for Africa to South America, north and south, east and west, deep within and over, through Ireland, Germany, England, India, China, Australia, around and around back to Italy and the Mediterranean and back here to Oregon and the John Cobb Eco Farm. Dear God who we all by many names. We pray for your will to be done. Amen
Prayers for Inner Fruits of the Spirit within. Please offer these inner qualities as a gift back to the Earth. She needs this spiritual food during this time of planetary crisis. 1.Hope 2. Forbearance and long suffering 3. Love of Enemies and Forgiveness 4. Patience 5. Generosity 6. Gentleness 7.Goodness 8. Peace and Self Control 9. Kindness 10. Faithfulness 11. Joy 12. Courage and creativity
Interfaith Prayer Prayers for our ancestors and spiritual teachers. Indigenous and shamanic wisdom traditions, Hagar, Mother of Islam and her son Ishmael, Jesus on Love Your Enemy Lane, St. Brigit and the triple goddess of pre- Christianity and Celtic spirituality, St. Hildegard and Julian of Norwich, Judaism and the Prophets, Krishna and Rada, the air, wind, and the vibrations of music and Hinduism, Mothers and children of all species, the Divine Feminine, Mother Mary and baby Jesus, and countless mother goddesses with children throughout history from every cultures. This is also the station of the Sun and the Moon, and all the galaxies, Buddha, Daoism and our Sister Eco Farm in China The Cobb Sunshine Eco Farm, St. Fancies and St. Clare of Assisi, Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the Rose and Resurrection Garden, where love is more powerful than death, The Barn is the last prayer station dedicated to our Holy Human Family living in harmony with the natural world.
Caring for our COmmon Home
We are exploring biodynamic farming, similar to regenerative farming, using prayer and loving relationships for the organic oneness of the interspecies life here at the Secret Prayer Garden at the John Cobb Eco Farm. We pray for the land and honor the inner spiritual life of the plants, animals and humans. We celebrate our interconnected web of life and do not use any chemicals. In 2020 we came to this five acres of fertile farm land and named this sacred place the John Cobb Eco Farm. We are dedicated to providing a safe harbor for children and their families; a place for young people to experience the wonder of the natural world, and a place to pray for the Earth. Last year we were able to donate over one hundred and twenty-five pounds of apples to the local Food Share Program.
Surrounded by thick forest, there are wild animals including deer, blue jays, robin red breast and hawks. Located in Dallas Oregon, just over an hour drive from Portland, about a thirty minute drive or less to Salem, about an hour to the gorgeous Oregon coast and Mount Hood rises on our horizon only a two hour drive.
From right to left our goats are Mathew, Mark and Luke, Nigerian Dwarf goats who enjoy walking with a harness around the farm and love to eat almost anything. Children can hand feed them and enjoy watching them play.
Our current ecologic crisis is a call to awaken to the reverence of life and the truth that all nature is alive, sacred and our earth is one organic whole. As we witness the sixth extinction of life on earth, the only one created by us humans, we are invited to reclaim the ancient wisdom traditions. We are interbeings, interspecies, and an interconnected whole. What we do affects everyone else.
We have converted the barn to be an art gallery, art work space, theater and dance studio and are currently painting murals on the walls. Our vision includes building an artistic ecologic small chapel to pray for Mother Earth and all her creatures.
Please come to the Secret Garden Retreat Center at the John Cobb Eco Farm in Dallas, Oregon - a place to commune with nature. Come and pray for the Earth and our interconnected web of life here at our Eco Farm and Retreat Center named after our inspired teacher Dr. Cobb. Exploring biodynamic farming, we are becoming an Eco Sister Farm with Dr. Mei Fang’s Eco Sunshine Farm in China. Come, rest and be healed by the beauty of this pastoral paradise and be nourished by healthy food grown and prayed for in our garden. Our goats, ducks, chickens, deer, red robins, hummingbirds, cats and dog are loving daily companions and at night we commune with the magnificent star filled night sky. We are committed to being a loving community where dreams and visions of an ecologic civilization are shared and honored. Come and get away from the concrete and toxins of city life; come take a rest cure of solitude with the sweet companionship of trees, breezes, flowers, fields of grass, winged and four legged creatures all who long to be in loving relationship with you. We invite you to share in a daily mid-day community vegetarian meal, with inspirational words, music and prayers. Come dig, water and sing to the sacred earth. Children are especially welcome!
Retreatants are invited to use the art studio in the barn or partake in any of our weekly programs including Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer, Dream Sharing, Yoga and Sunday worship in our barn (weather permitting) with the animals. We have bonfires, sing a longs, play charades and dance as well as encourage quiet time alone. Spiritual direction and counseling sessions are available upon request. We are less than an hour’s drive from the spectacular Oregon coast with breathtaking beaches and hiking trails. Wineries are plentiful here in the fertile Willamette Valley and we are just a few miles from Salem, the capitol of Oregon. For travelers flying into the Portland airport we are only an hour and a half drive. We dedicate our service and prayers to love and care for our common home, Mother Earth. Please contact us for more information.
Juno & MAISEY
Our farm dogs.
