Since at least the middle ages, Labyrinths have been included as a part of the architectural design of many great cathedrals. Usually located in the trancept of the nave (the large, open, central portion of the worship space), walking the labyrinth while meditating became a significant spiritual discipline for many. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in this meditative discipline and we see labyrinths being installed in hospital gardens, on church grounds, even Brookgreen Gardens has installed one along the banks of the river.
Our Annual Conference has a portable version of this wonderful tool for us to use in our local church that will help us explore our journey with God. It’s a 24 foot canvas map, clearly marked, you enter the labyrinth and you follow the path that winds and turns and finally leads you to the center.
A labyrinth is not a maze. A maze tries to trick us up. We come to end places and have to turn around and retrace our steps. A labyrinth, however, is a spiritual tool, because we trust the strength and rightness of the path. Even when it loops back and we think we are moving farther from the center, if we follow the path of the labyrinth, it takes us to the center.
This image of the spiritual journey has enriched the lives of people across the years, and we have reserved it for use here at Seaside from during Holy week, from February 11 to February 15. We will spread it out in our Fellowship Hall and invite people to walk the journey toward the center and then from the center back out into the world. In addition, we will have a workshop on walking the Labyrinth which will be Wednesday evening February , 10:00 AM.
Bishop Hope Morgan Ward shares about the Conference Labyrinth: