Open During Daylight Hours ~~
Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you seek on life’s journey, you are always welcome on the labyrinth.
What is a Labyrinth? The labyrinth is an enclosed path having only one route that winds into the center. There are no dead ends or “wrong turns”. The path of the labyrinth can be seen as the journey of life, with many twists and turns. The labyrinth is a sacred oasis designed to encourage moving meditation, reflection, releasing, receiving, listening, insight, healing, stress reduction, and creative thought. It can facilitate calm and stillness in a hectic world and find faithful clarity amidst life’s challenges and opportunities. Walking the labyrinth is a personal pilgrimage to spiritual wholeness.
Walking the Labyrinth: Allow yourself to experience the labyrinth. There is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth. Here are some ideas you can try.
Making a journey Inward, To the Center, and Outward:
- Inward – Before beginning the walk, stop at the entrance of the labyrinth, take a few deep breaths, quiet your mind, say a silent prayer. If there’s a specific event or situation troubling you, bring it to mind and form a healing question if possible. Then enter the labyrinth and walk with open heart and mind. Walk at your own natural pace.
- Center – Follow the pathway into the center, pause and stay in the center as long as you wish. Open yourself to your higher power.
- Outward – When you’re ready, retrace your steps along the pathway back to the entrance. Experience the sense of well-being, healing, excitement, calm, or peace. After completing your walk, find a quiet place to reflect on your experience.
Making a three stage “Trinity” walk:
- Entering the Path/ Shedding Cares– walking towards the center release cares, emotions, concerns to God.
- The Center/ Illumination – pray and meditate within the middle of the labyrinth, asking Christ to provide guidance or clarity. Receive what is there for you to receive.
- Returning/Union – as you walk the path back out of the labyrinth, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with insight, strength, comfort, or peace.
Making a 5 R Journey
- Remember – before walking the labyrinth, take time to be thankful, bless the people in your life, or remember an event or situation that is troubling you.
- Release – walk into the labyrinth, quiet your mind and release troubles. Become aware of your breathing and take slow deep breaths perhaps at each turn. Relax and move at your own pace.
- Receive – stay in the center for a time of reflection. Open your mind to a higher power. Listen to that small inner voice. Have a heart-to-heart talk with yourself.
- Return – when ready, walk out of the labyrinth along the same path you entered. Experience the sense of well-being, healing, peace. Perhaps say prayers of praise as you exit.
- Reflect – find a quiet place to reflect on your walk and think more about how you might use any insights that came to you during the walk.
Labyrinth Courtesy: If there are others on the labyrinth, be respectful along the journey. If they enter before you, allow them to make 2 or 3 turns before you enter. Allow walkers coming towards you to pass. If walkers stop on the path in front of you, quietly walk around them to continue your own walk.
Labyrinth Design and Installation: The First Congregational United Church of Christ labyrinth design was chosen to be compatible with the mid-century look of the church campus. It is styled on the medieval pattern labyrinth in Amiens Cathedral in France. The surface of the full eleven circuit labyrinth is rubber. The Labyrinth Team, who was responsible for the project, was formed in 2016. Over 60 church members donated to the labyrinth project which was completed with a labyrinth blessing in the Fall of 2019. It served as an outdoor worship space and a safe outdoor place of reflection and prayer for many as the Covid-19 Pandemic hit our community in 2020.