As Earth Day approaches, let us look to nature for inspiration in our daily lives. What wisdom can a garden offer us? As places of growth, gardens are intentional spaces reflecting both inner and outer beauty, serving as portals to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, nurture our relationships, build meaningful connections with the world around us, and commune with the divine. On Sunday, we’ll explore the history of the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden located in Bishopville, South Carolina--the garden of Pearl Fryar’s private family home with few “cut-up bushes” and “junk art”--that broke down boundaries of race, class, and education, and transformed them into sacred life lessons on love, peace, and goodwill.

Informed by the arts, prayer, meditation, and the healing practices of Laughter Yoga, and Afro Flow Yoga, Simone Monique Barnes is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, educator, and lay minister. She currently works part time in community ministry for a faith-based non-profit supporting elementary school age children and their families in East Austin. She also teaches Laughter Yoga, a body-mind practice that began more than twenty-five years ago in Mumbai, India, knowing that a smile is the shortest distance between two people, and that joy practices sustain us in hard times. Simone was born and raised in New York City, and has called Austin, Texas home for over ten years. She is a certified Laughter Yoga Teacher and Afro Flow Yoga teacher-in-training.

Children and Youth will be meeting in person in their classes after being present in the sanctuary for the first part of the service.