What I've Learned on the Labyrinth
We are focusing on the spiritual practice of praying with a labyrinth this month.
"Prayer labyrinths are an ancient form of prayer that invite our bodies to participate in the process as we follow a path that mirrors the winding and circuitous journey of faith, existing mostly in gardens and churches. A finger labyrinth...invites you into a portable but equally meaningful version of the experience. As your finger moves from the outside entry point and traces along the path, notice any interior movements that indicate your response to God." - Jenn Giles Kemper, in the Sacred Ordinary Days planner
The planner has the above brief introduction along with an actual finger labyrinth you can use, but this month we want to extend a broader invitation, explore together and offer some guidance so you can go farther and deeper with this spiritual practice.
We invited members of Common House, our ecumenical online community, to share experiences they have had with the prayer labyrinth and we are sharing some of this with you, too, with their permission.
Alizabeth Rasmussen: What I have Learned on the Labyrinth
I’ve walked many labyrinths over my life. And if I there’s one thing I’ve learned, is that some point I will start questioning myself as to where to go. I get lost on the labyrinth.
I’ve walked them alone in Bellevue, or in groups on retreats in the woods, in Portland in pairs simulating the spiritual director and directee relationship, in way too large crowds on New Years Eve at St. Mark’s in Seattle. I’ve chafed at the one at Seattle Center, where kids play treating it like a maze, not realizing the meaning.
I struggle with seriousness. And judgment. Can you tell? :-)
And that is the gift, because every time I walk the labyrinth, at some point, I stop walking and I start laughing. After the seriousness and judgment and “doing it the RIGHT way,” there’s is only love…God’s love, the community’s love, and lastly my own love.
No matter how many times I walk, no matter how much I’ve grown, the labyrinth tells the truth as to where I am in this life. Over and over.
Alizabeth Rasmussen is a host in Common House, a Spiritual Director, a photographer, a writer, and a teacher. She was trained at the Franciscan Center in Portland and loves how Spirit shows up in real life. You can read more of Liz's writing on her website Write.Click. as well as in Common House.
Do you have an experience with the prayer labyrinth that you would like to share? Head over to Instagram or Facebook to share and tag us @sacredordinarydays, please! Or, join the conversation inside Common House, our ecumenical online community.
We are focusing on the spiritual practice of praying with a labyrinth this month. You can find the latest on our blog and on our prayer labyrinth resource page. The planner has a brief introduction, but this month we want to extend a broader invitation, explore together, and offer some guidance so you can go farther and deeper with this spiritual practice.
But, the short and sweet is that our goal for this series is to help you...
- LEARN about the spiritual practice of the praying with a labyrinth. You will learn about why we included in in the Sacred Ordinary Days planner and about how you can use the one in your planner or anywhere else.
- EXPLORE a practice of prayer that includes physical movement. Whether it is your finger, your hands, or your whole body, praying with the labyrinth involves movement. Discovering new ways to pray has been a gift to me and I want to invite you in!
- SHARE your experience with people who speak the same language. You'll get our guidance along the way, plus you'll get to know the other members of our community, by following along on Instagram or Facebook or inside Common House, our ecumenical online community.