Labyrinths

I thought I would post a short article about labyrinths for all of you who don't know much about them. The garden plans are moving slowly. We are waiting for the brochures to be printed. We are planning to get underway on the garden in about 2 weeks. We can't wait to have a place to go to pray and meditate.



Why would I walk the Labyrinth?
Even though historic pilgrimage travel may not be available to everyone, the need for Pilgrimage is still present deep within each life. Pilgrimage represents our spiritual journey, our desire to grow spiritually, and in the Christian tradition, represents our commitment to Christ. Because of its Sacred Geometry, physically walking the many turns in the pattern stimulates a most quieting and conducive brain-wave pattern which opens our heart and mind to the awareness of the holy presence of God within.

Jesus said, The kingdom of God is within you. But just where is that kingdom really to be found in our human life experience? How do we attain it in this fast-paced society? No matter what our spiritual orientation, most of us need to contact that special state of awareness via the practice of prayer, corporate worship, quieting, centering, or meditating through a form of spiritual discipline. Just as spirituality is not a spectator sport, the labyrinth is not a one-time event, even though many report marvelous insights from their first experience. Rather, it invites you to deepen your spiritual experience, to 'be still and know,' to seek the Kingdom within. In short, walking the Labyrinth offers the following:

It can serve as a mechanism to reconcile you to a new spiritual way.

It can help you quiet your mind, and prepare you to listen for God.

It can help you pray with your heart (instead of with words).

It can serve as an alternative to meditation.

Dr. Lauren Artress points out that the seeking of answers to our questions is the act of walking a sacred path. When we walk the labyrinth, we discover our sacred inner space. We are attracted to healing tools such as the labyrinth because they deepen our self-knowledge and empower our creativity. Walking the labyrinth clears the mind and gives insight into the life journey.

In the words of Marilyn Campbell, All Saints' Labyrinth facilitator, "Allow yourself 45-60 minutes to experience the meditative walk. Be assured that there is no right or wrong way to walk this path. There are no tricks or decisions to make, one only follows the winding pathway into the center, then returns by way of the same path."

And finally, as excerpted from the Hungry Heart News, "The labyrinth allows us to offer up to God the reality of our lives, trusting in Godâs immense love and grace... The very life of Christian faith is a labyrinth -- full of unexpected turns and twists, requiring us to step forward in faith, confident that Christ -- our Way, our Truth, and our Life -- is at the center of the very universe and at the heart of our life in God."