RE youth and volunteers will sponsor our church’s 3rd annual Winter Solstice Labyrinth. Please consider this our gift to you and yours during a normally hectic time of year

For over 4,ooo years humans have left races of labyrinths scattered on our planet. Labyrinths

appear to emerge and re-emerge over generations, morphing slightly to fit the aesthetic times

of many cultures. Some of the earliest findings (from 2000BCE) of walking labyrinth designs,

located in southern Europe & northern Africa, take the form of rock carvings. The Ancient

Romans began laying mosaic pavements in complex designs. These Roman walking labyrinths

have been found in various places throughout the Roman Empire. In Medieval times, a monk

named Otfrid is credited with adding more complexity. Otfrid’s eleven circuit design becomes

the blueprint for beautifully designed floors within many churches and cathedrals across Europe.

Christian churches utilize their labyrinth designs as a method of pilgrimage for ardent Christians

unable to visit the Holy Land. For followers of First Nations’ spirituality, labyrinths have been

closely related to their relationship with the medicine wheel. Buddhist find it an avenue to

practice “the Buddhist walking meditation.” A labyrinth is simply a large design which allows an

individual to travel a journey starting out, going in and then back out again.

A quiet, candle lit design within a climate controlled sanctuary. It is an experience which is very

individually focused. Paradoxically, the communal nature of the walk also allows for reflecting

on the way you relate to others you may meet. You only have to enter and follow the path.

Allow a slow pace and see where your mind takes you.