About the author: The Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok is a labyrinth retreat and workshop facilitator. She earned her Doctor of Ministry degree at Wesley seminary in Washington, DC, while completing studies at the famous ecumenical Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Bethesda, Maryland. She is available for interfaith and ecumenical labyrinth pulpit supply, retreats and workshops. Email: revsandyb@aol.com for more information. Your comments and insights are deeply appreciated.

Table of contents:

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Meditation #1 Ah, excuse me, but just what is a labyrinth?

"For learning about wisdom and instruction…" Proverbs 1:2a

The other day I heard a fascinating talk on the labyrinth at a local Unitarian church. It was really a wonderful experience. The minister began her talk by inviting everyone in the audience to close their eyes and use their imaginations. She asked us to visualize a seemingly meandering and twisting path. At times the curves in the path are subtle and others are more dramatic. Suddenly the path leads into a large, spacious center where each pilgrim is free to linger, reflect and simply be alert and present to the moment. There is only one path and one way into the labyrinth center. That same path leads each seeker back into their daily lives. (This talk can be located at http://www.kuuf.org by the Rev. Suzelle Lynch.)

The labyrinth welcomes everyone and is a gift we give ourselves. At the risk of sounding simplistic, they are an ancient, cherished form of walking meditation based on sacred geometry. It looks like a maze, but has no dead-ends, barriers or tricks.

The single path leads each walker into the labyrinth center. The same path then leads each pilgrim back out into the world. We are all on a sacred path in life. The labyrinth offers us a metaphor for life’s twists and turns. Walking meditations help many learn wisdom.

Where are you on the sacred path? What kind of twists and turns have you experienced in your life? Consider writing down your thoughts and reflections. What centers you? How does your spirituality help or hinder you on the path of life?

Prayer: O Holy Loving Presence, bless our thoughts and prayers as we consider our lives. Amen.

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Meditation # 2 Ah, the labyrinth!

"…for understanding words of insight…" Proverbs 1:2b

I both love and respect the labyrinth. Walking the labyrinth can be a profound and deeply moving experience in being and meditation. Many people encounter moments of transformation, self-revelation and inner empowerment while following the centering path.

Because the labyrinth path twists and turns, it tends to physically slow us down and calm our minds, inviting us to enter a meditative, prayerful and sometimes even playful state of being.

Labyrinths have been found in many countries over the centuries. The oldest documented labyrinth is estimated to be more than 3000 years old! Labyrinths have had enduring power throughout the centuries and are enjoying a worldwide renewal movement. They offer something for everyone, crossing all cultural boundaries and religious differences.

If you can breathe and move one step in front of the other, you can experience the labyrinth’s profound power for yourself. Each labyrinth walk will be different.

There are even finger labyrinths available to us. We can literally let our fingers do the walking and experience deep moments of centering meditation and reflection. If this is something that interests you, there are many websites offering finger labyrinths you can print off and trace with your fingers. One such website can be located at http://www.lessons4living.com/color_the_labyrinth.htm.

Consider learning how to draw the labyrinth. The ancient Cretan pattern is the simplest and I have seen children learn to draw this pattern in minutes! Sometimes we adults need a little more practice.

Several of my favorite labyrinth websites that offer these "drawing lessons" can be found at www.labyrinthsociety.org;www.labyrinth-enterprises.com and www.geomancy.org.

Several wonderful labyrinth books have helped me on my spiritual journey. They are: Exploring the labyrinth, a guide for healing and spiritual growth by Melissa Gayle West (Broadway Books), Walking a Sacred Path, Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool, by the Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress (Riverhead books) and The Way of the Labyrinth, A Powerful Meditation for Everyday Life, by Helen Curry (Penguin Compass Books).

Have fun and enjoy!

Prayer: God of the labyrinth, bless our meditations today with moments of profound inner rest and refreshment. Amen.

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Meditation # 3 Step by step

"It is solved by walking." St. Augustine

Have you ever struggled with sitting still? I have! Sometimes I just love to walk and talk, and take prayer walks around my neighborhood, by the local high school or favorite parks and beaches. Walking meditations have been a respected form of soul care throughout the ages. Walking meditations with the labyrinth can be a powerful spirituality resource. The labyrinth is a great help for all of us who have trouble sitting still for prolonged periods of time.

We can easily make our own personal labyrinth once we know the basic "seed pattern" found at www.labyrinthsociety.org;www.geomancy.org and www.labyrinth-enterprises.com.

Today I met a dear friend who delightedly shared one of her first labyrinth making experiences with me. I’ve seen her backyard and could easily visualize her drawing the basic Cretan labyrinth pattern on her driveway with a piece of chalk.

My friend was struck by the sheer simplicity of the basic seed pattern that has endured for almost four thousand years of world history. It took her perhaps 20 minutes to sketch the pattern on the concrete slab. She decided to place her entrance path in the driveway facing the street. As she eagerly walked her very own (and inexpensive) labyrinth, she became increasingly aware of street noises and the sounds of automobile traffic. The noises actually began to distract her and felt uncomfortable.

That night it rained. When she arose the next day, her chalk labyrinth had actually melted away with the rains. It was all gone. Everything instructs in the labyrinth. She honored her body and spirit while redrawing her yard labyrinth again, this time placing the entrance in a different direction. She also moved the labyrinth location farther into her backyard. She was amazed at the difference these simple changes made for her walking meditation. Step by step brought her closer to the labyrinth center.

Suddenly she lost track of time and found herself in a moment of deep quiet and reflection. When the moment passed, she gradually retraced her steps back to her young child and daily responsibilities. She was refreshed, rested and renewed through her private moment of retreat.

Prayer: O Spirit of Life and Love, likewise bless our step by step walking meditations today with and without the labyrinth. Amen.

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Meditation #4 Discover the labyrinth

"Let the wise also hear and gain in learning, and the discerning acquire skill to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles." Proverbs 1:5-6

Many people ask how I discovered the labyrinth. I had never heard of them until the summer of 1998. A delightful Episcopal woman was in a contemplative prayer group that I was facilitating. After our first group session, she excitedly told me about a local meditation garden called a prayer labyrinth. It had recently been built and dedicated for interfaith walks. There had even been a recent newspaper article on the multi-faith dedication. I was intrigued and we arranged to meet and walk the labyrinth together.

I will never forget the experience. The beautiful outdoor wildflower labyrinth was located on private property on an acre of land. In the background you could hear the sounds of a local salmon stream. Magnificent, mature trees of many kinds surrounded the garden. A profusion of wildflowers offering many different colors, shapes, scents and sizes grew along the sides of the path. The labyrinth had been dug with mounded earth separating the paths. It was an obvious labor of love.

The owner of the labyrinth had at some point in time placed a park bench under the shade of a tall cedar tree. Pine needles blanketed the earth. Birds sang. The wind blew gently. Bees, caterpillars, and spiders made this labyrinth their home. At the labyrinth entrance was a welcome sign with a donation box for all who walked the earth path amidst the wildflowers. Some of the wildflowers were easily chest high.

I remember feeling a bit self-conscious. I didn’t know what to do besides just walk slowly and prayerfully. After our walk, we journaled under the cedar tree and talked about our experience. I felt immense gratitude for such a lovely gift. I didn’t know the owner yet, but determined to someday meet and personally thank this person for their thoughtfulness and generosity in sharing such a beautiful place with strangers.

The labyrinth is often a valuable resource. It helps us gain greater personal insight about our deepest needs; problems and even find solutions to many difficult or troubling situations. The winding paths have helped many seekers acquire discerning skills about life’s most basic realities.

There are many labyrinth owners who have registered their labyrinths on the Internet. Perhaps a local labyrinth or labyrinth facilitator is located near you. An international labyrinth locator can be accessed at http://gracecom.org. They are well worth the time and effort to find.

Consider making a labyrinth pilgrimage. Sometimes local retreat, yoga and wellness centers have labyrinths that can sometimes be available to the public. Discovering the labyrinth is a blessing.

Prayer: Dear God, I ask that each reader discover the labyrinth. May they walk in beauty. Amen.

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Meditation # 5 Possible stages of meditation

"Hear, my child…instruction…" Proverbs 1:8a

Most labyrinth facilitators seem to be in agreement about three different stages of meditation that many labyrinth walkers experience. But not everyone experiences them and it is important to be open to your own personal experiences. These stages of meditation can be adapted for prayer and reflective walks of all kinds.

The first stage is a quiet moving to the center of the labyrinth. There is an intentional releasing and letting go of the details of your life. This can quiet and even empty your mind. The formal term for this is "purgation." It is an act of shedding thoughts and emotions.

"Illumination" is the second stage experienced when you reach the labyrinth center. It is a place of meditation, illumination and reflection. Deep inner thoughts are often able to emerge. Often we find answers within ourselves. Receive what is there for you to receive. Stay there as long as you like.

As you leave the center, the third stage begins. This is called "union." "It is joining God, your Higher Power or the healing forces at work in the world. Each time you walk the labyrinth, you become more empowered to find and do the work you feel your soul reaching for." This, in my opinion, begins the healing forces at work in the world. Often we realize if there is action to be taken, we are the ones to initiate it. We can gain inner strength with each step as we return to our lives.

But one does not require a labyrinth to experience these possible stages of walking meditation. One of my favorite places to walk, think and pray is a windy, rather wild, five-mile stretch of beach leading to an isolated lighthouse. By the time I have walked to and from the lighthouse, I usually experience all these stages and more! While not a labyrinth, there is only a narrow beach path to follow. You can trust the path to reach your destination. There are no tricks to reaching the lighthouse. It always makes for a wonderful day of wind, waves, mountains and nature, for it is a bird and wildlife refuge.

So what about you? Where do you experience empowering moments of walking meditation? Do you have special places like mine? Consider spending several minutes a day in contemplative walking. Simply enjoy placing one step in front of the other. Breathe a little slower and more deeply.

Prayer: Help us, Higher Power, experience some of the possible stages of meditation while walking today. Amen.

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Meditation #6 Preparation for a labyrinth walk

"Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." Exodus 3:5b

When at an indoor labyrinth event, it can be a profound spiritual experience to walk in your bare feet or socks. By removing our footwear, this simple courtesy also prolongs the life and beauty of the indoor labyrinth. It symbolizes being on holy ground. It is actually humbling.

Being barefooted can help us feel more grounded and centered to the good earth.

Earlier this year I had the privilege of facilitating a Seattle church retreat with several labyrinth experiences. One of those involved making a temporary outdoor labyrinth with local pinecones, fallen tree branches and rocks from the retreat grounds.

A woman of Native American heritage took off her shoes and walked the outdoor labyrinth in the falling, evening rain. She later shared with me how the good earth blessed her thoughts and prayers. She actually preferred the rough, outdoor labyrinth, rather than participate in the guided indoor group walk.

Everything instructs with the labyrinth. Everything empowers. It was an important moment of self-revelation as she lingered in the dusky dampness, feeling the grass between her toes. Footwear would have actually hindered her meditation.

Whether you pray walking or sitting today, consider removing your shoes for a few moments of prayer and meditation. Feel the ground. Press your toes into it. How does it feel to be on holy ground?

Prayer: God, bless the very ground under our feet. Amen.

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Meditation #7 Experience the extraordinary through the ordinary

"Step out onto the Planet. Draw a circle a hundred feet round. Inside the circle are 300 things nobody understands, and, maybe nobody’s ever really seen. How many can you find?" Lew Welch

I love facilitating labyrinth events and workshops. They nourish my soul. I love and respect what the labyrinth offers people. Whether we walk a 3, 5 or 7 circuit Cretan labyrinth or an 11 circuit Chartres labyrinth pattern, or a modification of either pattern, or a new pattern, something happens to each pilgrim.

A dear Australian friend visited earlier in the year and walked several labyrinths with me. Each time was a profound experience for her. She compared her experiences to peeling off layers of an onion. With each step and experience, she learned something about herself. She experienced the extraordinary through the ordinary. As a result, she plans to build an outdoor labyrinth on her farm in the Australian outback and offer it to the public.

Labyrinths have helped many people refocus, relax and rejuvenate. They help us slow down a bit and become more reflective. The labyrinth helps us find and know ourselves more deeply. They help us become more aware of our surroundings, others and ourselves.

I will soon be leading a "quiet day" labyrinth experience at a local church. Weather permitting, we will spend about an hour gathering sticks and stones from the wooded area. With those simple materials, we will build a large outdoor Cretan labyrinth and have a group experience walking the winding path to the center and back. The labyrinth diameter will probably be about 60 feet. Rather than whiz through life at 70 miles per hour, we’ll linger in the labyrinth at a much slower pace and notice the beauty surrounding us. If it rains, their lovely sanctuary has large windows looking into the rainforest. We’ll lay an indoor labyrinth and make do.

Whether we walk indoors or outdoors, the labyrinth will offer us extraordinary insights through the ordinary experiences of placing one foot in front of the other.

Prayer: May the ordinary motions of walking bless each reader with extraordinary insights. Amen.

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Meditation #8 Sticks and stones

"Yes, yes, yes, thanks, thanks, thanks." The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh

In my yard is a simple Cretan 7 circuit labyrinth. It is the oldest labyrinth pattern found in ancient ruins around the world. One year during the Christian season of Lent, I felt drawn to walk a labyrinth daily for my spiritual practice. Rather than drive to a nearby town where a local labyrinth was located, I decided to make a yard labyrinth.

It took a few hours to gather enough sticks and stones from the yard and local neighborhood. A large stone had been on the street for several days and it made a fine centering rock for the labyrinth! As I found each stick and stone, I found myself quietly breathing today’s centering mantra of "yes, thanks." With a rake, I smoothed the earth surface and then sketched out the basic pattern. Then I lined the path with the gathered sticks and stones.

Since making the yard labyrinth, a number of friends have used it. They have brought sticks, stones and shells from other places and states. They’ve often taken a stone from the labyrinth and left one in its place. I often walk the labyrinth with those friends in mind, praying for them by name as I walk by their labyrinth rocks and shells. Their friendships are a blessing. I feel their love while traveling the well-trodden path.

Gratitude is a great gift and source of healing and empowerment. What do you have to be thankful for today?

Prayer: "Yes, yes, yes, thanks, thanks, thanks." Amen.

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Meditation # 9 A labyrinth blessing for you

"Blessed be." Helen Curry

There is great wisdom found through blessing sacred ground for our walking meditations. While the following labyrinth blessing is used with permission (from The Way of the Labyrinth, by Helen Curry, Penguin Compass Press, page 159) for labyrinth walkers, it can also be adapted for many other walking meditations.

Blessing is a rich spiritual heritage we all need. Many of us live in search of our blessing. The ancients clearly understood that once blessed, always blessed! Blessing helps us thrive and live up to our fullest human potential. So before walking any labyrinth, consider blessing it before you take that first step. Let it become consecrated ground for your spiritual empowerment.

"As in many spiritual traditions we ask for the blessings of the seven directions and we light a candle in honor of each of them. Beginning in the East, we ask for the blessings of the direction of the east, the place of new beginnings, inspiration, and sunrises. We ask for the blessings of the direction of the South, the place of passion, warmth, and enthusiasm. We ask for the blessings of the direction of the West, the place of intuition and inner knowing. We ask for the blessings of the direction of the North, the place of communication and community. We ask for the blessings of the direction below and we take a moment to send our loving energy deep into our mother Earth. We ask for the blessings of the direction above and remember that we are connected to all there is to the edges of the universe and beyond. We ask for the blessings of the direction within as that is the direction that our labyrinth journey will take us. Great Spirit, we ask for the awareness of your presence here with us now in this place, that the pathways of the labyrinths will be filled with our divine light and love, and the centers will be truly a place of enlightenment for each of us. We ask your blessings on each of us gathered here and on those who are yet to come…blessed be."

Prayer: Blessed be. Amen.

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Meditation #10 Inner altars of our hearts

"Create in yourself an altar of silence." Nan Merrill

One of the great blessings in my life is a monthly newsletter from "Friends of Silence." Friends of Silence (FOS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping busy, noisy people find inner quiet and the blessings of silence. "Create in yourself an altar of silence" is attributed to Nan Merrill in the November 2000 newsletter. Their newsletter has been a source of blessing for many readers. I often use their newsletters for meditation materials during some of my personal labyrinth walks.

The labyrinth often helps us become inwardly silent. It’s a holy thing. Through the silence, we are often empowered to hear our inner voice and sometimes discern God’s gracious guidance in our lives.

Each of us can learn to carry such an inner altar everywhere we go. It takes some time, intention and practice, but is worth the effort. Money cannot buy what the silence brings us.

With each FOS newsletter, quotations are offered from a number of books and authors to help each reader create their inner altars of silence. For a donation covering mailing and postage, you too, can be blessed with their wisdom. If this is a resource that you’d like to experience, consider writing them.

Here is their address:

Friends of Silence

129 Skunk Hollow Road

Jericho, Vermont (USA) 05465

Prayer: May we become friends of silence in the altars of our hearts. Amen.

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Meditation #11 "SAFE" Labyrinths

"Be safe and well. Peace. Joy. Courage." An Arabic blessing for the traveler.

Labyrinths need to be safe places. Webster’s dictionary defines safe as "1. A) free from damage, danger, unharmed 2. A) giving protection b) involving no risk c) trustworthy 3. No longer dangerous; unable to cause trouble or damage 4. Taking no risks; prudent; cautious: said of persons. SYN.-safe implies freedom from damage, danger, or injury or from the risk of damage; secure, often about which there is no need to feel apprehension-ANT. Dangerous, precarious, unsure."

Recently over the annual Thanksgiving holiday celebrated in the USA, a young newlywed shared her hesitation about walking the labyrinth in her local church. "I don’t have the courage yet to try it," she confided. "But one day I will!" For her, the labyrinth is scary and she is honest enough to admit it! She is unsure of what she will experience and learn about herself.

Sometimes the longest journey inward must begin with the first step. The labyrinth needs to be a safe place for every pilgrim.

Helen Curry is a famous and experienced labyrinth facilitator. She encourages each walker in her workshops to complete the following sentence. "I am a pilgrim seeking ______________." This helps each person walk the labyrinth with more intention and awareness.

Know that whatever your need and intention, the labyrinth is a safe place to linger with your thoughts, feelings and needs. Let the labyrinth speak to you with and without words, offering you labyrinth hospitality and healing, generosity and sanctuary.

And for those considering building their own personal labyrinth, let it be SAFE for every pilgrim. Through various workshops, I try to teach people how to make "SAFE" labyrinths with the basic seed Cretan pattern. My SAFE acronym means: Simple. Affordable. (User) Friendly. Easy (to maintain).

Let it be simple and inviting. Be realistic about what you can afford to buy or build, for not all labyrinth facilitators and facilities are financially blessed! Make sure your labyrinth is accessible for those with walking limitations. Be user friendly for those with canes, walkers and wheelchairs. Every labyrinth has some maintenance needs. The easier the labyrinth maintenance, the better for the labyrinth team. Sometimes our team consists of one dedicated volunteer.

Prayer: Be safe and well. Peace. Joy. Courage. Amen.

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Meditation #12 Good things take time

"The… planning has been like prayer." A local spiritual director

I live in a rural area blessed with not one but five local spiritual directors. We represent the spiritual diversity in our community. Three are trained and gifted lay women from the Catholic and Episcopal traditions. Another is an Episcopal male priest trained in Ignatian spirituality. I represent the changing face of the church that ever so slowly is welcoming and affirming people of all sexual orientations.

As spiritual directors, we offer "holy listening" for people seeking to discern God’s presence and leading in their lives. It is a constant source of amazement to realize some people travel for hours to meet with their spiritual director. This is oh so very humbling to contemplate. As directees talk or sit in prayer, as directors, our responsibility is to facilitate/guide/partner the ever-deepening spiritual work in their lives. Watching God at work is an amazing privilege.

Earlier in the year, several of us journeyed together to a regional Spiritual Directors International meeting (for more information and for finding a spiritual director of your own, visit www.sdi.org). We missed the ferry by minutes and had to wait an hour for the next boat crossing Puget Sound.

While waiting in the car for the next ferry we shared stories, often having a good laugh at ourselves. One director was interested in the labyrinth and I offered to teach her the basic Cretan seed pattern. She learned the basic pattern in less than a minute. ‘Oh,’ she said,’ perhaps I’ll put one on my property.’

Months later, I received a Christmas card with a note from her. She wrote, "When I got home after the SDI meeting I practiced the seed pattern on paper a number of times and then walked around our land to see where it felt right. In the days after that I let my imagination hold one idea after another. In the spring if the energy still gathers there, I’ll begin the center and work outwards as the ensuing seasons and years unfold. The …planning has been like prayer."

Have you ever felt the power of a sacred area? Perhaps it was in a cathedral, retreat center, prayer path or in the sanctuary of a church, temple or synagogue. I’m sure all the prayers of those who preceded us often empower those holy places.

One of the most important aspects in building a labyrinth is all the prayers involved in the process. Good things take time. My friend will build a labyrinth bathed and saturated in prayer. Every step of the path will be blessed with all that positive energy of her prayers. Good things take time and my friend’s future labyrinth reflects this truth. So if you are considering building your own personal labyrinth, let your planning be part of your prayer.

Prayer: Labyrinth Love and Wisdom, bless our prayers and reflections today. Amen.

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Meditation #13 If you build it, they will come

Today’s email included a delighted message from a local minister. Several dedicated volunteers in her congregation have been patiently and lovingly laboring over their first labyrinth built on church property.

They had just finished building a beautiful outdoor Chartres labyrinth. It was a labor of love. Every inch of the path had been meticulously measured. Wooden stakes in the ground marked the trail for those yet to come. I had seen it in the early building phase and know it will be a deep source of solace and strength for those who walk it.

Through this email message, the minister began sharing thoughts on how to announce the great news to the congregation. She suggested training people through one of my workshops and then beginning "labyrinth Sundays." These trained volunteers could provide handouts and offer labyrinth hospitality to seekers who would walk them. This is a good thing and profoundly easy to do with a bit of training, common sense and sensitivity towards people.

A "Labyrinth Dedication Service" will officially open the labyrinth to the church.

I responded to her email with the salutation, "Blessed are thou, oh fortunate minister, to have such a lovely labyrinth on your church grounds, and to have such dedicated labyrinth builders and volunteers!" We are good friends so I could joke with her a bit and not be misunderstood. But all joking aside, she is blessed. Her church is blessed. The local community will be blessed.

This church will never again be the same. They now have a labyrinth. This means they have a labyrinth ministry. There is a saying, "if you build it, they will come." Complete strangers will come to her church because labyrinth love and wisdom is calling them. They will find help in their moments of need and be deeply enriched through their experiences. Some will walk while others watch and wonder. All will be empowered with insights for living.

Prayer: Many blessings be on this church, labyrinth, the volunteers who built it, and those who are yet to come. Amen.

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Meditation # 14 So you want to build a labyrinth?

"Why a labyrinth? Why this labyrinth?" Sandra Bochonok

When invited to facilitate retreats, most retreat facilitators will ask why a retreat? Why this retreat? I have found those two questions helpful with every ministry invitation I receive, whether it is for a preaching, contemplative spirituality workshop or teaching event. Why have such events? Why this specific event?

And I often ask myself, "why am I being invited to facilitate these experiences? What do I bring to such events that other preachers, retreat leaders, teachers and small group leaders might not bring? What is the unique, God inspired gift that is being requested by this particular group of people?"

The labyrinth is no different. And there is great wisdom in going to the experts when it comes to creating your own labyrinth, whether it is for yourself or a group. Although I’ve never met her, allow me to introduce one of the contemporary labyrinth leaders of our time. Helen Curry is a distinguished and internationally respected labyrinth builder/facilitator and author. This remarkable interfaith minister offers these helpful questions for all those who want to build a labyrinth. The questions are used with permission through her lovely book, The Way of the Labyrinth (Penguin Compass publishers). Her book is a must read for churches considering labyrinth ministries!

1. What is your intention in wanting a labyrinth? Do you have something specific in mind? What is it for?
2. How are you going to use the labyrinth? Is it for your personal use? Will it be open to your friends and family? Will it be open to the public? Will it be placed in a public place where it will be used a lot? Will it be available at all times?
3. Where are you going to put it? Do you have available space? Do you know the dimensions you have to work with?
4. What materials are you going to use? Is there something readily available? How big? What kind? What direction is it going to face? What about maintaining it? Do you envision a permanent labyrinth or do you want to "try out" something temporary?

Prayer: Bless us with labyrinth love and wisdom through these many questions! Amen.

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Meditation #15 Ride the Wind

*The next eight reflections come from a labyrinth retreat facilitated by the author.

I had the privilege of facilitating a labyrinth church retreat with a lovely group of people. The annual retreat event is cherished by the community and has been a long established tradition. This would be the second retreat where I was specifically invited to provide a labyrinth experience for them.

A number of people in this church were in a state of transition and change. A beloved pastor had recently left their community for another church. Some expressed personal feelings of shock, anger and even disbelief. The church wisely decided to go ahead with their annual retreat. It was a good decision and I was invited to provide the spiritual reflections and outdoor/indoor labyrinth experiences.

The planning committee understood the labyrinth would offer healing and safe places to linger with their feelings and thoughts. The weekend theme was simply, "Ride the Wind."

We had a wonderful time. The weather cooperated and the food was terrific. Most importantly, the labyrinths provided places for quiet reflection and comfort.

On Saturday morning we gathered in a field behind the cabins. In the field was a beautiful cedar tree almost exactly in the center. The lovely wooded area was alive with birds, squirrels and rabbits. Teenagers, children, parents and energetic helpers of all ages were eager to begin. I showed them a picture of a Cretan labyrinth with the basic seed pattern. I then sent them out into the woods to collect fallen logs, branches, fist size rocks and stones. As I heard them laughing and shouting in the woods, I began laying the basic seed pattern with the logs and branches they brought me.

Some of the teens looked for big logs and would triumphantly bring them to me with the challenge; "can you use this?" "Of course!" was my reply. And as we used those logs and big branches, the labyrinth quickly began taking form before our eyes. Little children would touch my arm and shyly offer me small sticks. And I would thank them and "ooh" and "ahh" over their offerings. Together we laid the smaller sticks in line with the larger logs and branches. Within an hour we had built ourselves a fine temporary labyrinth. It was the very first outdoor labyrinth to grace this particular retreat center.

We paused for a moment to bless the labyrinth and then some of the teens immediately began walking it. The smaller children began running through it. By the time the weekend was over, almost everyone had walked it from our retreat group. The oldest walker was in her eighties, the youngest was a wee babe cradled in her mother’s arms.

Throughout the weekend people would approach me with their labyrinth comments and observations. "Awesome," said one teenage girl. "Incredible," said another. One man felt "safe and didn’t want to leave" the comfort of the labyrinth as he wrestled with unwanted and traumatic major life changes. Some leaned against the tree in prayers without words. Others lingered in the early dawn mist and others came at sunset. It was a powerful experience to watch, walk, wonder and pray in this roughly built labyrinth.

So consider building your own outdoor labyrinth. It can be a transforming experience by oneself and a dynamic team building experience with a group. You’ll be blessed.

Prayer: Blessed be all who build, walk and draw labyrinths today. Amen.

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Meditation #16 Beloved Community

Many people at the Pilgrims Firs retreat center had never walked a labyrinth before. It was my responsibility to introduce the labyrinth to them with hospitality, a sense of sanctuary and generosity.

While some people prefer walking the labyrinth in solitude, there are insights and experiences to be had that only come through community. During the retreat an opportunity for a guided labyrinth group experience was offered. A half dozen people gathered and listened to my introduction. Consider using this for your own personal walking meditation today. Use it in a labyrinth or use it on a street corner while waiting for your bus. Use it while walking your dog or watering the lawn. Ride the wind and use your imaginations! Enjoy and adapt it for your personal reflections.

"The labyrinth bids us welcome. Walk, watch, wonder and pray step by step. Simply enjoy placing one step in front of the other. Enjoy the sounds, smells and beauty of nature through slow walk.

Consider recording your thoughts, prayers, memories, impressions and feelings on a piece of paper. Everything instructs in the labyrinth and insights can be empowering and healing. The labyrinth is a cherished, sacred, ancient tool for encouraging introspection and spiritual transformation whatever one’s religion. This is an "extraordinary tool for spiritual growth." The labyrinth asks us to "just walk."

Simply breathe a little slower and deeper, walk a little slower and enjoy God in beloved community. The labyrinth invites us to release, receive and integrate labyrinth insights with love and wisdom.

Walk in faith as God’s beloved community. Walk gently in loving, holy Presence. Let us breathe our peace with every step. Let the labyrinth be our chapel. Let our bodies be our altars. Remember that "We are all on the path of life together-alone, yet together. We are all on a spiritual journey towards our center; towards the mysterious and loving center that holds us together."

As we enter the labyrinth, listen to your heart beating. Listen to your breathing. "When alone with your thoughts, listen and hear the Silence. Listen and see the Silence. Listen and taste the Silence. Close your eyes and feel the Silence deep within. May we be blessed with the intense silence of deep experience." (Adapted from a Seneca song, with thanks to Richard Siebold).

From time to time, stop and feel the wind. Where is it blowing? Face it. Turn away from it. Imagine having wings. Imagine gliding and soaring with the eagles. Ride the wind. As the labyrinth turns, pause and stop. Imagine the Wind of God during creation, bringing life and vitality.

Smell and feel the wind. Try and catch it. Taste the air and feel the breeze on your tongue. Let the wind in the trees and grasses teach us. What is blowing in the wind? What things soar, glide, flap, bend, flutter, and dance in the wind?

Wind has been called "the great sculptor." Where and how has the wind left its imprint in the nature around us? Where is God in the wind? Where is God in your life?

Look at the birds in the air-God knows what they need and provides for them. If one falls to the earth, God knows. Jesus reminds us that we are more important than the birds of the air.

Lean into the wind. Now it’s here, then it’s gone. What winds are blowing through your life? Where is God in the wind? Let God be the wind above, below, within and around you. Let God be the wind beneath your wings.

Dance, skip, hop, twirl, fly, glide, and soar with the wind. Let it caress you, cleanse you, guide you, heal you, refresh and renew you.

Now feel the good earth beneath your feet. Walk with God. Walk securely. Walk in beloved community. Walk in the beauty of your precious life. Let the sounds around you guide you into inner quiet. Feel it, embrace it, and enjoy it. Listen to your breathing and heartbeat.

Know that God will continue the good work of the labyrinth in your heart long after this walk is over."

Prayer: May God bless, strengthen, sustain and encourage your windy reflections. Amen.

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Meditation # 17 Change and Transition

Our retreat theme has been: "Ride the wind." There are many different winds in life. Winds of change and transition affect us at home, in relationships, on the job and in community. Change sometimes involves loss, while offering new beginnings.

HOW CAN WE RIDE WINDS OF CHANGE AND TRANSITION? By treating the past with respect, while letting God be the wind beneath our wings. J. B. Ratliff reminds us that "Endings and beginnings are hard, and the in-between phase can be even harder. At the same time that they are hard, they are also wonderfully exhilarating and can renew and transform us."

Dear reader, all of us are experiencing change and transition somewhere in our lives. What kind of endings are you experiencing? What new beginnings invite you into a new life and opportunities for personal growth?

Prayer: God of change and transition, help us ride these winds with humor, grace and strength. Amen.

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Meditation # 18 Our feelings are windows to our souls

According to William Bridges, in his book Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, every beginning ends something. Before we can begin something new, we have to end what used to be. So beginnings depend of endings. Change causes transition. Transition starts with an ending.

While in transition and change, we need to honor our past, grieve our losses and voice our concerns. William Shakespeare wrote: "He that lacks time to mourn, lacks time to mend." Our feelings are windows to our souls. We need to honor them for healing and personal growth.

There is a human factor to consider as we ride the winds of change and transition. William Bridges offers us some valuable insights from a secular workplace viewpoint. Transition is anything but neutral. Anxiety can rise. Motivation falls. People feel disoriented, self-doubting, resentful and self-protective. Energy is drained away from work into coping tactics. Some companies estimate that people’s effectiveness can fall as much as 50%. People miss more workdays, productivity suffers, illnesses increase, and absenteeism might double and triple. Old weaknesses reemerge, fall apart, old resentments might rise again, signals from people are often mixed, systems are in flux and priorities get confused, information gets miscommunicated, tasks go undone.

It is easy for people to become polarized between those who want to rush forward and change, and those who want to go back to the old ways. People may even sabotage events, care and outreach during times of enormous change without even realizing they are doing these things.

What does this mean for our daily lives? By intentionally changing the negatives into positives, we will be enormously empowered. Please understand this can be a very creative time for personal and community growth. Transitional times bring forth important questions about the status quo, while looking at where we have drifted and lost our energy, mission and motives.

Prayer: Higher Power, help us with our feelings during times of great transition and inner upheaval. Amen.

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Meditation # 19 "Beginnings are always messy."

Change and transition can bring forth-exciting new creations. The Bible is actually a wonderful resource to consider. In the beginning of Creation, God’s Wind-Spirit swept over the face of the earth before it had form and was void. Living things soared, glided, and flapped their wings—birds of the air and special creatures. Stuff blew and seeds scattered, producing growth. Creation winds are a good thing. Wind is something God created and ultimately controls.

Transition and change can be a chaotic time but one that is ripe with creative opportunity. Henry Adams, an American historian taught, "Chaos often breeds life, while order breeds habit." John Galswrothy, an English novelist reminds us that "Beginnings are always messy."

Here is some good advice from Walt Whitman when experiencing transition and change: "This is what you should do: Love the earth and the sun and animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, but have patience and indulgence toward the people…reexamine all you have been told in school, or church or in any book, dismiss what insults your very soul, and your flesh shall become a great poem."

Prayer: Oh God, when new beginnings in our lives feel messy, help us remember the good advice from Walt Whitman! Amen.

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Meditation #20 New Life

Jesus also reminds us that wind is a powerful metaphor for new life, renewal and birth. Wind is invisible, mysterious and powerful. It can blow with great strength and even violent force. It can also be gentle, balmy and refreshing. Wind can be a disturbing or dynamic force. We each have wind in us that brings us life and vitality.

From the beginning of time, the ancients clearly understood wind could be a source of blessing or cursing, depending on the origin. The Bible contains hundreds of windy reflections. "Ruah," the Hebrew word for wind/spirit is mentioned more than 375 times in the Old Testament. Ruah’s Greek New Testament equivalent is "Pneuma." Pneuma is mentioned approximately 380 times. Wind blows with vast power from the Four Corners of the earth and influences everything.

So what new winds are blowing through you that bring new life, renewal and birth? How is holy Ruah/Pneuma influencing your life?

Prayer: Spirit of the Living God, blow afresh through me, through us. Amen.

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Meditation #21 Know Thyself

Transition and change can actually bring us into new growth and new identities-much like Moses and the people of Israel as they traveled through wilderness towards a new country. This is a time for new outlooks, attitudes, values, self-images, and ways of thinking. This is an important time of necessary reorientation and redefinition. It is "the winter during which the springs’ new growth is taking shape under the earth."

There is nothing easy about transition and change. Here are a few suggestions from William Bridges in Managing Transitions, Making the Most of Change. Remember transition is temporary. Be open to doing things creatively, differently and better. Step back, take stock, and take time to question the "usual" and come up with new and creative solutions to problems. Begin with ourselves, our activities and how we contribute to our church, families, work and clubs. Encourage others to do the same self-assessment process. Be willing to experiment a bit. Embrace losses, setbacks, and disadvantages as entry points for new solutions. Be willing to brainstorm new answers to old problems. Restrain the natural impulse in times of ambiguity and disorganization to push prematurely for certainty and closure. Be careful. Walter Lippman, an American journalist wisely reminds us that, "Where all think alike, no one thinks very much."

When we are facing change, it’s normal to have self-doubt and misgivings about ourselves as well as people in leadership. It’s easy to develop a herd mentality and follow anyone who seems to know were they are going…which can include troublemakers and people heading toward the exits. If we are in a business, ministry, club or organization, expect turnover.

Develop a new metaphor: Ride the winds. Make the most of the situation. Let this be an adventure in life and with God. C.K. Chesterton, a British writer claimed, "An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly understood. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly understood."

Prayer: God, help us begin a new adventure in life. Amen.

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Meditation #22 Soar, fly and glide with God

"Change is life. Without change there would be no growth, no understanding, no relating and no surprises. We are by nature changing beings. Still we seem to fear and resist it more than any other aspect of life."

Leo Buscaglia

Eventually, we all experience chaos before we experience firm ground under our feet. J. B. Ratliff has the following suggestions for surviving transition and change in our lives. "Listen to the voice of God speaking to us. Attend to our bodies, minds, emotions, and spirits. Draw on the resources of our families, friends, and communities of faith. Have patience, curiosity, and a sense of humor. If we do these things he suggests, we will be "enlivened, enriched and thankful." And through learning these important coping and survival skills, we will be ready for our final transition, when we will be transitioned into the likeness of God when we die."

In summary, let transition and change be your opportunity to do new and interesting things, with energy and courage. Let this be a time of breakthrough, not a time of breakdown. Life has many winds of change and transition. Open your windows, hold on to your hats and begin a new adventure with God. Be open to the Holy Winds of change and transition. Stretch your wings and catch God’s breezes of growth and renewal. Soar, fly and glide with God

Two good books:

1. Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, by William Bridges. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
2. When You Are Facing Change, by J. Bill Ratliff. Westminster/John Knox Press

Prayer: Be the wind beneath our wings, God. Help us not be afraid of changes in our lives. Amen.

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Meditation #23 Bumbershoot 2001and the labyrinth

The other day I received an intriguing email from a local ministerial friend. She had received in the mail a "request for proposals" for visual arts and special projects from Bumbershoot 2001. Bumbershoot, as she explained to me, is Seattle’s big arts and music festival that takes place over the Labor Day weekend each year. She was once an exhibitor with them several years ago.

My friend graciously explained her idea for a "creative collaboration" that could possibly involve me and a local artist and anti-nuclear activist. I had to laugh while reading the email. I am a former Navy Chaplain and actually served on a ship that had carried nuclear weapons and other powerful explosives. Can you imagine the three of us collaborating on a labyrinth for Bumbershoot?

Actually I can visualize it. The labyrinth brings some of the most unlikely people together. It can be a healing force in our world. Earlier in the year, the international labyrinth society brought a number of portable indoor and outdoor labyrinths to Washington DC. Their theme for this event was "Peace 2000." Even the uneasiest peace is better than any kind of war in my opinion!

But all this brings some memories flooding back to me. While serving onboard the navy ammunition ship, I would often go down into the cargo hold. Words cannot describe what it is like to quietly sit surrounded by so many explosives. I would place my hands on the bombs and pray for peace. While others on the ship spoke eagerly about "kicking butt" and "beating the crap" out of the Iraqi army, I would often feel drawn to those awful explosives and pray even more. I was comforted knowing that God heard, cared and heeded my prayers in the Persian Gulf during parts of 1992-93.

So perhaps this creative collaboration is a good idea. It is certainly worth considering.

Prayer: Labyrinth Love and Wisdom, how can we walk and pray for peace, justice and beauty? Amen.

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Meditation #24 A labor of love

A local church volunteer built an outdoors labyrinth in the next town. The local minister invited me to walk it with her. Such a beautiful experience! The Chartres labyrinth was an obvious labor of love.

Her dedicated volunteer had measured the exact proportions of the labyrinth inch by inch. He carefully hammered wooden stakes into the ground to mark the path. Prior to this, he had cut down large blackberry brambles and underbrush surrounding the area. Then this devoted volunteer cleared the space by removing many wild bushes and weeds before hauling away heavy stones. This labyrinth was a labor-intensive project grounded and centered in love. Labyrinth love built every inch.

Now it was ready for pilgrims. Their minister would announce the labyrinth’s completion on Sunday. Later the church would formally bless and dedicate the labyrinth as a new church ministry. They would never again be quite the same. The labyrinth is a powerful transformational tool. People would be changed within the congregation, as would be the total strangers attracted to this particular labyrinth.

I could feel the love while walking the labyrinth. Labyrinth love centered and grounded my experience. This would be a powerful labyrinth and source of blessing for many. It felt like holy ground.

I feel entrusted with holy things. This church has invited me to train their labyrinth team. In a few days we will gather together in beloved labyrinth community for four brief hours. Then a powerful lay ministry will begin offering labyrinth love and wisdom to those pilgrims drawn to their labyrinth.

Prayer: Labyrinth loving God, bless the devoted volunteers who build and offer labyrinths to seekers, doubters and skeptics. Bless them all. Amen.

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Meditation # 25 A Labyrinth Worship Service

The labyrinth offers new worship opportunities. Last summer, a Seattle church invited me to facilitate a labyrinth day for their annual retreat. They wanted a specific worship service centered with the indoor labyrinth, with liturgy and music. It would be a powerful experience and I felt honored to participate.

During the service, we invited people to honor their body and spirit during labyrinth service. Some of the retreatants had never walked a labyrinth before. A few were even leery of it. It didn’t "feel Christian." As facilitator and worship leader, it was my responsibility to offer labyrinth hospitality/sanctuary/generosity. By the end of the evening, the group was enthusiastic about their labyrinth experience. The labyrinth spoke for itself as it always does.

The following words in parenthesis were part of my invitation to them. Feel free to use them for your own meditation purposes, including our community prayer in italics.

"The labyrinth bids us welcome. Walk, watch, wonder, pray, finger-walk the hand held labyrinth and/or larger canvas. The labyrinth is a cherished, sacred, ancient tool for encouraging introspection and spiritual transformation whatever one’s religion. It is an "extraordinary tool for spiritual growth." The labyrinth asks us to "just walk."

And I invite you to simply breathe a little slower, breathe a little deeper, walk with God a little slower and enjoy God in community."

Community Prayer in unison: Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver; Source of all that is and that shall be, help us walk with you in new beginnings. Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven: The hallowing of your name echo through the universe! The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world! Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth. With the bread that we need for today, feed us. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. From trials to great to endure, spare us. From the grip of all that is evil, free us. For your reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen." (Contemporary Lord’s Prayer, source unknown)"

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Meditation # 26 Labyrinth liturgy with candles, water, salt and flower petals

"Be the light or reflect it." Author unknown

We had a simple labyrinth liturgy and ritual during our worship service using candles, water, salt and flower petals. You are cordially invited to use this for your own meditation. Each element of the liturgy was rich in symbolic meaning.

Everyone present in the worship service lit a candle. Candles reflect divine light within and around us. This group of mostly gay and lesbian Christians represented bright lights of hope in many communities. Each wonderful person reflected the light of Christ in his or her life. Each participant was made in the Divine Image and was worthy of great respect and reverence. Each walked in the light of God that they understood. And God’s light was generous in each person present.

Group: Yes, we will walk in faith as God’s beloved community.

Group: Let us breathe our peace with every step

Group: "We are all on the path of life together-alone, yet together. We are all on a spiritual journey towards our center; towards the mysterious and loving center that holds us together."

Group: Salt reminds us of our wounds, of our grief and pain from the past.

All: We remember those sorrows and joys we wish to honor. We remember aloud the names of those who have died that we wish to call into the energy of our ritual.

Group: We scatter salt and flowers in the water, honoring our past, present and future. To honor our uniqueness and commonness of our stories.

All: We walk with God, for new beginnings, to release old destructive patterns and receive new guidance and insight. Alleluia. Amen.

After the liturgy, we entered a period of silence and walked the labyrinth in beloved community. Our retreat theme centered on new beginnings. I suggested three simple symbolic hand gestures to assist the labyrinth walkers as they sought new beginnings. Whether you sit, walk or stand today in your prayers, perhaps they would be useful for you too.

I invited them to open their hands with their palms facing downward. This symbolically released whatever would block them from receiving labyrinth love and wisdom. While in the center, I suggested they open their hands, palms upward, in a cupped position to receive whatever the labyrinth had to offer them. While walking from the center, they were encouraged to clasp their hands together in the universal prayer position, symbolizing how they would integrate labyrinth love and wisdom in their lives.

This was such a positive and powerful experience, that the entire church enthusiastically decided to buy their own portable labyrinth and begin a labyrinth ministry to Seattle’s gay and lesbian community.

They spent several months carefully shopping around before the church decided to have custom-made modified Chartres pattern with rainbow colors.

They will be a source of great healing and blessing for all who will walk their canvas. God bless them and all labyrinth providers worldwide!

Prayer: Let it be so. Amen.

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Meditation #27 An HIV/AIDS ribbon and the labyrinth

"I’ll tell you how the sun rose—One Ribbon at a time…" Emily Dickinson

For the past two years, the local health department has invited me to provide a labyrinth walk on World AIDS Day. A near-by Episcopal Church generously provided free space to lay the indoor canvas in their beautiful sanctuary. This year a basket of red ribbons was available for all labyrinth walkers. Local Kitsap County residents affected by HIV/AIDS made the ribbons. The volunteers provided a card with the following information:

"Our hope is that by wearing this ribbon you will help others to Remember the family and friends that we have lost to HIV/AIDS. Remind our community that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is not over; that our support is still needed by our neighbors who live with HIV/AIDS and Renew our commitment to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in our community. To become more involved call: Toll free 1-877-561-818.1."

This 501-C (3) non-profit organization is a source of life-saving information in a community often resistant to safe sex education in local schools. Yet according to recent AIDS global statistics, a young person is infected every 12 seconds. The need for education to prevent the spread of this disease is critical.

As I watched the labyrinth walkers, I found myself praying. I prayed that many lives would be saved through this courageous County organization and for each person walking the labyrinth. May all of us be safe and well.

Prayer: Help us work tirelessly for a cure, while caring compassionately for all affected by this pandemic. Amen.

(Five additional HIV/AIDS reflections by the author plus helpful HIV/AIDS links are available at http://www.soulfoodministry.org/docs/English/AidsDay2000.htm)

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Meditation # 28 Breast Cancer and the labyrinth

"Her name was Alice…" Sandra Bochonok

My mother died of breast cancer twelve years ago and the labyrinth has been a source of great healing for me. Last year I built my first yard labyrinth and lined the path with sticks and stones. I had placed it behind some mature trees and flowering shrubs and bushes. The foliage provided ample privacy. A greenbelt separated the labyrinth from neighbors to the west. The labyrinth entrance faces the south. When in the center, when facing north, the yard birdfeeder provides the sight of many happy birds as they feed and socialize. The variety of birds depends on the migratory season but there are many year round feathery friends. They provide beauty, joy and entertainment and are well worth the cost of birdseed.

The yard labyrinth has been a source of great strength and insight as healing memories rise up unexpectedly. To my complete delight, a half-dozen gladiolas grew and bloomed within the paths during this past summer. I had not planted them and have no idea of how they got there. But gladiolas had been my mother’s favorite flowers.

As she was increasingly bedridden, I would often buy fresh gladiolas on a weekly basis and place them throughout the house in attractive vases where she would often sit, rest and nap. When these flowers appeared growing from the good earth of the labyrinth, my heart was flooded with many memories.

This has been a momentous year that has included a family reunion. It was the first time since my mother’s death that we gathered together. Our reunion just happened to be during the week of her death anniversary. Coincidence or divine appointment, it mattered not. I know she would have been delighted to see us reconciled and reunited. One day during the reunion, the men folk wanted to go fishing in the mountains. It was a cold, rainy and blustery northern Idaho day. While they were "a-fishin’," I found a deserted beach at another lake near town and with a large stick drew a labyrinth in the sand. And walked it in gratitude for my mother’s life and our family reunion.

Months later, hospice of Tacoma (Washington State), had a special labyrinth event honoring those affected by breast cancer. I attended that quiet day event and began journaling my thoughts and memories.

"Her name was Alice…" My mother’s name was Alice Bochonok. She was one of the bravest, kindest, most loving; generous hearted people who ever walked the face of this earth. Even after twelve years, I miss her. I loved her. I hope to live and someday die as well as she did.

Labyrinths have blessed me with deep moments of gratitude, healing, good grief and honest memories of her and my family during that difficult time in life. I am forever grateful for every step along the path.

May your own labyrinth experiences be even more blessed than mine!

Prayer: God of the labyrinth, thank you for blessed memories and healing. Amen.

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Meditation # 29 Share the labyrinth with others

"I probably wouldn’t have gone if I hadn’t been introduced to it by you…" A labyrinth friend

Today’s email was a great blessing. I’d like to share it with you. It came from a wonderful woman who attended a Faith at Work (FAW) retreat in Bothell, WA. The theme of the retreat was "Finding your voice." I provided the labyrinth event for this wonderful group of people.

I had known of FAW for quite a long time and heard the featured speaker years ago. I knew it would be a marvelous event. Although a local retreat center only 10 miles away wanted a labyrinth event with my canvas for that particular weekend, I literally felt called to present the labyrinth with this particular FAW event. It is hard to explain, but it felt like a "God thing." So I hesitantly emailed the retreat planning committee, introduced myself and offered to provide the labyrinth for their weekend. The labyrinth would be perfect for their group experience, I wrote, and would deeply enhance the retreat attendees’ spiritual experiences.

The long story, short version, was that the FAW planning committee carefully and prayerfully considered adding the labyrinth to this particular event. After more conversation, reference checks, and information shared about the labyrinth, I packed up the car and spent a day traveling to the retreat center. For most of the retreat attendees, it was their first labyrinth experience. We laid it in the chapel on a marble floor by the altar. Soft Gregorian chant by female singers filled the air. The oldest walker was in her eighties. The labyrinth canvas gradually filled with dozens of marveling, walking women. It was a beautiful sight and holy experience.

Months later this email arrived from one of the people attending the retreat.

"I thought you might be interested to know that our church borrowed a labyrinth from Plymouth Congregational Church and set it up in our Fellowship Hall the first Sunday evening in Advent. It…was lovely with many candles around it. At 7PM there was a Compline Service in the Sanctuary which …I attended and then walked the labyrinth. It was a wonderful way to enter into the Advent season! I understand we are going to borrow it again during Lent. I probably wouldn’t have gone if I hadn’t been introduced to it…at the FAW Event. Again, thank you. Blessings on you this Advent season."

Have you ever experienced the labyrinth for yourself? Consider sharing it with others. They will be deeply blessed. The labyrinth is a gift we give others and ourselves. It’s a good thing!

If you have not ever had the privilege of attending a FAW event or are unfamiliar with this wonderful spiritual resource, consider visiting their website or emailing them for more information. You will be deeply enriched and embraced by an inclusive, caring, and loving community! Their website is located at www.FaithAtWork.com. Their email: FthAtWrk@aol.com.

Prayer: Help us share our labyrinth experiences with others, dear Creator of the Labyrinth. Thank you for labyrinth friends. Amen.

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Meditation # 30 Blessing on the path

I want to thank the many of you who have read, pondered, and walked for your spiritual health through these 30 labyrinth meditations for daily living. These have been a blessing to write and I hope they have been a blessing to you.

The labyrinth is one of the most transforming and empowering spiritual resources I have experienced. They speak powerfully to our deepest moments of need and change many lives. As a minister, I am trained to use words. But the labyrinth often needs no words. They are safe places to cry, laugh, lament and feel honest anger, anxiety, grief and joy.

The labyrinth often blesses us with a single word, image, impression, thought and/or memory when we least expect and most need it for our healing, wholeness and inner peace.

The path is a rich metaphor for our lives. We must step out in faith with what we know, while trusting the path to center and ground us. We might feel like we are meandering and going around in circles, but the journey itself is sometimes be more important than reaching our destinations. The labyrinth is a gift we give ourselves.

It is my prayer that these simple thoughts have been a gift and source of strength, healing, inspiration and wonder. May God continue to bless you during your life journey.

While writing these reflections, I had the opportunity to read a very fine book on the labyrinth. Through the Labyrinth, Designs and meanings over 5,000 years, authored by Hermann Kern, by Prestel Publications, is an excellent resource. It is rather expensive, but the photographs and scholarly research are spectacular!

Prayer: May labyrinth love and wisdom bless you forever. Amen.