Walking the Labyrinth

Today I experienced a new discipline, the discipline of walking the Labyrinth.

Labyrints are not mazes (cup-de-sacs and dead ends; more than one entrance and more than one exit and are designed to make us lose our way). Labyrinths have the exact opposite purpose: they are designed to help us find our way. 

The Labyrinth is an ancient tool for the spiritual journey. Walking the labyrinth may be called "prayer in motion" (Dr Lauren Artress).

"It is solved by walking" (St Agustine).

"Walking the labyrinth is a spiritual discipline that invites us to trust the path, to surrender to the many turns our loves take, and to walk through the confusion, the fear, the anger, the grief that we cannot avoid experiencing as we live our earthly lives. The labyrinth is a place where we can open ourselves to the Holy Spirit. We can ask for guidance and pray for ourselves and our loved ones. It calms the confused mind and the chaotic, fearful heart. It allows us to release all that is in our way of relating to the Divine: our hard-heartedness, our judgements, our impatience. The healing power of gratitude often visits the heart" (Straja Linder-King).

Most of the experiences that occur in the labyrinth are unexpected. They are guided by a sacred wisdom, a creative intelligence that knows more about what we need than do our conscious selves"(Dr Lauren Artress).

This is the labyrinth setting at the Ashland Seminary chapel.

As I got to the center I was able to experience a new, fresh and profound experiential understanding of the cross of Christ. And I came out a bit more sorted. Thank you God for Jesus!