Labyrinth
Labyrinths are pathways that have been used for over 1000 years within Christianity and other religious traditions for prayer, protection, healing, guidance, creation and exploration, to name a few of their varied purposes.
The path is a circular pattern which takes one from the entrance point to the centre and then back out. By following the path, we express our desire to connect with God, heal, wonder and better integrate our inner and outer realities.
The heart of the labyrinth is generally considered an especially important and holy space. Some think of it as the “Heart of God” – the thin place where we gather with 2 or 3 and commune with God. As we walk this path together, pray that we grow closer to God, and deeper in our commitment to following the path that Jesus shows us.
In her book Pondering the Labyrinth: Questions to Pray on the Path, author Jill Kimberley Hartwell Geoffrion gives some powerful prompts to those journeying along the labyrinth.
- We have to start somewhere. It usually happens long before the official beginning.
- For some, the need to know “everything” – or at least more – is the excuse used to delay getting started. For some the claimed “‘lack of interest” is an irresponsible way of not making the needed effort to begin. There is a time to ask, a time not to ask, and a time to wait to ask. What time is it for you?
- Beware! Setting off on an adventure often begins innocently enough.
Our labyrinth on the floor of the sanctuary is a replica of the one of the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France, and is used from time to time in worship, especially around World Labyrinth Day (May) and during Advent (December).
