Walking A Labyrinth

Solvitur ambulando…It is solved by walking…

--Saint Augustine

A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The labyrinth represents a journey to our own center and back again out into the world. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools.

Walking a labyrinth is a right brain task. It involves perception, creativity, and imagery. With a maze many choices must be made and an active mind is needed to solve the problem of finding the center. With a labyrinth there is only one choice to be made. The choice is to enter or not. A more passive, receptive mindset is needed. The choice is whether or not to walk a spiritual path.

I am a right brain person and I have the need to move. Walking a labyrinth is something I crave and I have had very moving moments while using one as a tool for prayer. I love the openness of a time on the labyrinth—it accepts you for whatever age you are, where you are in your faith, what you look like, or whether you needing to move mountains or molehills.

If you want to learn more you will certainly enjoy Walking A Sacred Path by Dr. Lauren Artress. She explores the historical origins of the labyrinth and shares the discoveries of modern-day seekers. If you question the potential of a labyrinth this book will inspire you to try a walk to quiet your mind and open your soul.

To find a labyrinth near you click here.

A Fine Discussion With Wise Women

This week I had the delightful opportunity of visiting a local retirement community to speak about how color and symbols apply to the seasons of the liturgical church year. We looked at symbols in stoles and worship banners that had specific meaning; like the Alpha and Omega. Symbols like this require previous knowledge or education to understand. Other symbols seem obvious but can have different meaning to different people. We discussed the example of fire. Knowing that we were focusing on worship some of the participants immediately chimed in that fire was a symbol for Pentecost, but upon reflection we also came up with destruction (like the terrible fires currently raging in California), joy (like the flame of a birthday candle, and warmth (like a lit fireplace on a cold winter’s night).

There are also times when symbols rely upon the interpretation of the viewer. We looked at one of Carrot Top Studio’s stoles for Lent that is just an arrangement of purples. The somberness, depth of color and the arrangement allowed us to reflect upon feelings and emotions that we move through during the penitential time of Lent. These women, in their wiser years of their lives, were in agreement that congregations and those in leadership could do more to educate about the visual components of our faith. Human insight, both spiritual and visual, can be expanded and be a significant step in our journey toward a deeper relationship with God.

The Bible gifts us the words and symbols to draw up visual images in our mind. Psalm 150 is a great example of this.

Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him for with the harp and lyre,

praise him with tambourine and dancing,

praise him with the strings and flute,

praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Listen to John Rutter's setting of these words to music while viewing St. Paul's Cathedral, London.

What a magnificent worship space, with so many visual components--rich in color, symbols and art!

Art: A Gift From God

While searching for a new home church after we moved it was exciting to walk into the first congregation we visited to discover it had an art gallery. After fifteen years of volunteering in many different aspects of church life I am now preparing to become the new curator of this gallery space. It is not large, but it is at the main entrance of the building so it has the potential of impacting many people that walk through the doors. This gallery space should allow viewers to experience faith within a visual context.

I would love to hear from you if you have a gallery space in your church. Does it have a vision or mission statement? How do you find your artists? Do the artists display a written statement of faith or any other kind of written message about their connection between being and artist and being a Christian?

While doing prep work for this new task in my life I came across an article from a past issue of Presbyterians Today. I share with you a synopsis of the author, Danny Potts, ideas on how to incorporate the arts into your congregation’s life:

1. Arrange museum trips to teach Bible study and Sunday School groups to look theologically at art. For example, how would a study of the Exodus story inform and critique an exhibit of American art of the Old West? You might even call the museum ahead of time to arrange for a docent to collaborate with you in your exploration.


2. Set aside part of your church building as a gallery for changing exhibitions of work by artist in the congregation, community or a local college.


3. Invite members and friends to bring a brown bag lunch to an “Art lunch” and 30 minute program. Food, fellowship and half-an-hour on Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper or The Gleaners by Millet would make for a meaningful workday break.


4. Invite interested persons to gather each week to hear the text for the upcoming Sunday sermon and respond to it creatively, as a way of beginning their preparation for worship. If the hymns coordinate with the sermon text or the celebration that Sunday (you’d think they always should, wouldn’t you) add another dimension to the creative response by playing the music in the background as you work.


5. Plan a year with the Bible—in art. How have the stories of our faith been painted, drawn, sculpted, built? Spend a year studying art through the Bible and the Bible through art.


6. Establish a one-year Artist-in-Residence program, so that your congregation, or a group of congregations, experiences the gifts and creative opportunities of artists working in a variety of media.

God and art are intrinsically connected and we celebrate that truth together. We must encourage the visual arts in the life of the church today!

Columbus Day

Today, Americans celebrate Columbus Day, a holiday celebrating the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas.

While taking pleasure in a new book, given to me by a friend that knows I enjoy the haunting lovliness of Shaker music, I came across the piece, "Christoper Columbus's March". The commentary by the editor, Christian Goodwillie is interesting--

The lyrics use maritime metaphors to make the comparison between Columbus's voyage of discovery and the committed Believer's lifelong voyage of spiritual discovery...Travelers on both journeys brave the unknown, yet like Columbus, the faithful Believer "shall safe embark, On Canaan's happy shore". The lyric describing the "rolling seas of time" is particularly poignant in its evocation of life's uncertainty, whether one lives within the faith or without."

The book Shaker Songs: A Celebration of Peace, Harmony, and Simplicity can be purchased on Amazon. It even includes a CD of traditional Shaker music with performances by the Boston Camerata!