Labyrinths

We, at College Church, have access to a labyrinth on the campus of Goshen College. If you do not have a labyrinth, you will have to construct one. The Labyrinth Society web site provides directions on how to make a temporary indoor one using masking tape. The City of Cork web site provides some simpler patterns. Labyrinths made of various materials that you can roll out on a floor are available for purchase at Labyrinth Enterprises. If you have a large lawn area, perhaps whoever is in charge of maintaining it will allow you to let it grown for several weeks so that you can mow a labyrinth pattern into it.

The most famous Christian labyrinth appears in the floor of Chartres Cathedral near Paris. Built around 1200 A.D., the labyrinth fell into disuse but has recently been restored. The original labyrinth served as a substitute for actual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. It takes the pilgrim to the four quarters of the world, to its center (Jerusalem symbolizes God's dwelling place), and then back out into the world again. The four arms of the cross are also symbolized in its pattern.

Today people walk labyrinths in prayer in order to affirm that all of life is a pilgrimage and that all of life's walk should be done as prayerfully as the intentional time spent walking the labyrinth.

The Concept: The Labyrinth is a symbol of life's journey. We cannot always see the end of life's journey. Life takes us on a meandering path, but if we approach it prayfully, it will lead us to God. The labyrinth leads one in an indirect path, full of turns and switchbacks, in a circle that represents the unity or wholeness of a God centered life. The labyrinth looks like a maze but there are no blind alleys. If one follows the path, one will eventually arrive at the center, but one must trust the path.

General Guidelines for following a labyrinth are provided at the web page Walking the Labyrinth.

My youth group appreciated walking the labyrinth so much that we did it on two occasions. On the first occasion, we began by gathering at the beginning of the labyrinth. I handed each you a slip of paper with a portion of St. Patrick's prayer on it. I have provided the prayer below. On the second occasion, each youth came with a psalm that they had chosen to attempt to memorize as they proceeded through the maze. Encourage the students to walk as slowly as possible. They will want to hurry, so it might be a good idea to choose a couple of more contemplative students to go first. I went last so that I would not be the pace setter. Encourage the youth to pause when they arrive at the center of the labyrinth and say a silent God centered prayer before they proceed back out of the labyrinth. When all are gathered outside the labyrinth, lead them in a corporate prayer that reiterates the idea that the following week should be a journey toward God.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me. St. Patrick