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A labyrinth looks like a maze, but it is not.
A maze is like a puzzle to be solved. It has twists, turns and dead-ends. You have to think and be alert for any clues you may find to navigate your way out. A maze can be frustrating. You can get lost in a maze.
A labyrinth has no dead-ends. There is only one path, and while it does have twists and turns, you cannot get lost. The same path takes you into the labyrinth and out again. With a labyrinth you don't have to think, or analyze, or solve a problem. With a labyrinth you just trust that the path will lead you to where you need to be.
Prayer works like that too. Prayer is an invitation to conversation with God. It is an opportunity to lay our worries and concerns at God's feet; to say aloud that the time in which we are living is full of tumult and that we need God's strength to navigate the time ahead. Prayer allows us to open ourselves to all the ways in which God is moving in the world, and to consider how we are invited to join God in that work.
Tuesday, November 5th, you are invited to come and walk the St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church Labyrinth. Spend a few minutes prayerfully walking or sitting in our Meditation Garden. Consider what you are carrying with you and listen as you are invited to lay it down. In a time when emotions are high and the ways we are divided are abundantly clear, you are invited to walk, sit and pray. We will also have a prayer card for those who desire some structure for their prayer. The area is elegantly lit for a night-time prayer walk, so come as you can. The Labyrinth and Meditation Garden will be available from 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 6th, Midweek Manna – This night, we are incorporating a shared potluck meal, a Labyrinth Walk and sacred music in the Chapel. Groups of 7 people at a time will be invited to walk the Labyrinth in 15-minute increments. There is a Sign-Up Genius link below to schedule your time in the Labyrinth. The Meditation Garden is available anytime, but we are scheduling the walks to ensure that the Labyrinth is not congested. This Midweek Manna Gathering will be less structured – as it will primarily be an opportunity for personal prayer in and amongst fellow Christopher’s. There will be no children’s ministry or EYC programming on November 6th. You are invited to enjoy a meal, as well as a time of meditation and prayer with your family.
The Schedule:
5:30 p.m. — Shared potluck meal in the Parish Hall
6:00 — 7:15 p.m. – Noah Klauss will be playing the cello in the Meditation Garden
6:00 — 7:15 p.m. – Sacred Music in the Chapel and time for prayer
Labyrinth Walking in Groups of 7 (or less)
Before 5:30 p.m. – Anyone can walk the Labyrinth
Sign Up Genius Link to Schedule your Labyrinth Walk Time. Availability from 5:30-7pm.
A Prayer of Heart-Preparation
O God of many paths, I stand before this labyrinth today, a metaphor of my journey to you. I have been taught that `the shortest distance between two points is a straight line,’ and being an impatient person, I am uncomfortable with waiting. I have often modeled my journey to you on the straight line. But you, God of infinite patience, have shown me there is another path, a curved path. On this path, my anticipation is heightened as I approach the center, only to be led out again to the periphery. But this path more closely resembles life itself. On this path, if I just put one foot in front of the other, it may seem at times as if I am not approaching my goal, while in fact, I am drawing closer all the time. But you are a God of surprises and mystery, and I don’t control the path. The labyrinth is a symbol of my surrender to mystery, trusting, not knowing for certain, that the path which curves in and out, again ultimately leads to the Center, which is You.
~ Rev. Vera I. Bourne of Lismore, N.S.W., Australia
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