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Bible Society is going to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Author: Bible Society, 26 November 2019

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The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the most significant event in the gardening year – and Bible Society's going to be part of it.

Around 188,000 people actually visit the Show (held annually in May), but that's a tiny fraction of those who engage with it. Chelsea is a major cultural event, and millions see or hear some Chelsea coverage.

That's why Bible Society is sponsoring a garden at the 2020 Show.

Our Psalm 23 Garden is created by multi-award-winning designer Sarah Eberle, who's bringing the famous text of 'The Lord is my shepherd' to life. 

The well-known biblical text includes references to ‘green pastures’, ‘still waters’ and a homecoming at the end of a journey. Sarah Eberle’s design conveys all of this.  

We've been blessed to have been given a prime location, which means visitors to the Show will automatically gravitate to the garden. And while the text of the psalm is familiar to many people, seeing it brought to life in this dramatic way may be the first time many of them have really been challenged to think about what it means.

The Psalm 23 Garden itself will be a beautiful creation. But the end of the Show won't be the end of the project. The Garden will be re-created in the grounds of Winchester Hospice in Hampshire, where it will be a place of reflection and comfort for patients and their families.

And more than that, we're intending the Garden to have an ongoing national impact. We're encouraging schools, churches and community centres to use any spare land they have to create their own Psalm 23 Gardens based on Sarah Eberle's design. As gardeners consider the psalm, it's our prayer that they'll be drawn into engaging with the Bible ­– and with its author.

The Psalm 23 Garden website has resources, advice and stories to help you get started ­– and from January, we'll be adding more material as the start of the Show (19–23 May) draws nearer.

You can register for updates and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Please pray for this project, that God will use it to make his word come alive in people's hearts.


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