An ancient practice

I'm blogging tonight from the Prayer Path at FPU. I and my Worship Ministries class present this annually. The Prayer Path is an adaptation of an ancient practice. Labyrinths were used in medieval cathedrals in Europe. Our path is a 21st century re-imagining of a 12th century practice.

Participants walk the maze of the labyrinth and engage with eleven separate prayer stations while listening to music and narration on a personal CD player. At one station they grasp a rock and drop it into a bucket of water symbolizing the release of anxiety, doubt or sin (I just heard the unmistakable "plunk" of a stone falling...); at another they gaze at a reflection of the self in a mirror and fathom the work of the Creator; at still another station they watch a giant projection of the Earth rising in space while planting a seed and contemplating God's (and humanity's) connection to the planet (I'm watching that one right now as I write this). At the center of the labyrinth the participants celebrate communion.

The path is really about three journeys: an inward one in which the focus is on the self in relation to God; a centered one where communion happens; and an outward one in which the focus is on our relation to the world. In America the Prayer Path has been made available in a kit from Group Publishing. If you would like to experience the online version of the labyrinth check this out.

The eleven stations of the Prayer Path are: Inward Journey, Noise, Letting Go, Hurts, Distractions, Holy Space, Outward Journey, Self, Planet, Others, and Impression.

Some comments from tonight's journal:

• This is absolutely peaceful, tranquil and I feel like I just had a shower!
• This experience was amazing. I can't say how much I needed this. God really spoke and touched me during this experience and I would love to spend time doing this labyrinth more often. I feel so at peace and I've been tingling with goosebumps for the past hour. As followers of Christ we don't do this sort of thing often enough. We have such busy lives and such short attention spans. Our world is so loud, but God deserves this special time.
• It made me stop or pause and get away from the business and craziness of life. I felt relaxed and in God's presence. Who would have thought that something as simple as this could have such a tremendous effect.
• I had a chance to realize that the world does not revolve around me. I had a chance to stop - pause for a time in my busy schedule and simply hear God, re-position my life/thoughts/priorities. I had a chance to spend time with God in a way of communion. I really loved the station with bread and juice. I did not want to move from that spot becuase I felt that I was at a dinner table with God!

Comments

[Chris Bennett]

I still have so many fond memories of the 3 Prayer Path experiences I was able to be a part of. I really think that we are all becoming so driven by experience and this can be such a vital tool to experiencing what Christ has for us.

[Beth]

Tim, do you have much experience of the "original" labyrinth? I had done that several times before experiencing the "Prayer Path" at a Group event (a parish where I used to work hosted one that was open to the public all Monday nights). In comparison, I found the Prayer Path rather agenda-driven and head-y, and I was visually discomfited by all the straight lines and hard corners compared to the fluidity of the Chartres "original."

It was a good experience for me, but not much like walking a labyrinth.
However, I could see how the P. Path could be a great tool as a structured series of prayer stations esp for people who are not used to contemplative methods and need more content -- more like Stations of the Cross, perhaps?

(have been out of town, catching up on blog reading)