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Dedication Song:
"I Enter This Path Alone"
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Words/Music/Recording By:
Gray Burchette
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The labyrinth is an ancient universal symbol that goes back thousands of years. About nine hundred years ago the labyrinth was adapted for use within European churches. The labyrinth was used to emulate the believer’s journey to a pilgrimage site to which they were unable to travel; Jerusalem in particular. Today the Christian community has embraced the labyrinth as a symbol of the inward and outward spiritual journey as experienced in walking the winding path.
The labyrinth is not a maze. One cannot get lost. It is one path that leads into the center and back out again without any tricks or deceptions. As a metaphor for life and our individual spiritual journey, it has been found to be a wonderful prayer tool that enables individuals to center on God. It twists and turns, as does life, but we are ever walking toward God, our center.
This labyrinth is a scaled down replica of the eleven-circuit labyrinth found in the floor of the Notre Dame de Chartres Cathedral located near Paris, France. The labyrinth at First Baptist Church, Elkin, NC, was designed by The Labyrinth Company and is a six-circuit Abingdon style, in the à la ChartresTM series.
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How to Walk the Labyrinth
- On the threshold = at the entrance, take a deep breath and focus on God, quieting your mind; perhaps repeating a short prayer, such as, “My soul longs for you, O God,” or “Be still and know that I am God”
- Journeying in = as you enter the labyrinth and walk toward the center, release whatever clutters your mind or any burdens you carry; walk the path conscious of God’s presence
- The resting place = in the center of the labyrinth, receive calm, strength, perspective, new hope, peace, as you stand or sit or kneel with God; rest here until you are ready to return
- Journeying out = move out from the center to return to daily life on the same path which you entered
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Road Rules
Please remain quiet as a courtesy to the other walkers.
Surrender to the journey with an open heart and an open mind.
Allow your body to find its own pace; there is no wrong manner or speed for your walk.
It is common to pass other walkers or to be passed by others due to our natural differences in walking pace.
You may wish to think of the walk as a three-fold path:
- Releasing of concerns and worries on the journey in
- Centering prayer or meditation
- Empowerment of new commitments on the journey out
The single path between the lines runs two ways; those entering may meet those on their journey out. Gently make room for others as you pass.
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Text and Creativity: Rebecca Maynard
Photos: Teri Hunt
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