Westminster's Prayer Labyrinth

Last Updated on Wednesday, 19 January 2011 06:22

In 2008 staff and students created a prayer labyrinth in the grounds of Westminster. Conscious of the wealth of learning taking place within our building as all sorts of people worked on their studies we wanted a complimentary and wide open space for prayer and reflection. We wanted to work together to shape a beautiful form that would enhance the grounds. And we wanted to explore just one of the ways in which a fine Victorian building, echoing the era of those used by many of the congregations we serve, might be a context for a relatively simple construction that resonates with contemporary interest in spirituality.Labyrinths have a long history that is taken early on into Christian art and pilgrimage, and is now undergoing significant revival.

A Little bit of History

The labyrinth design appears along the Bronze Age shores of the Mediterranean, most famously amongst the Minoans and Mycenaeans on Crete. Roman mosaics used the imagery. The first evidence of Christian adoption of the labyrinth comes from the basilica at Al-Asnam, Algeria, dated to 324 AD. Perhaps the most famous example was built into the nave in Chartres Cathedral in the 13th century. Labyrinths were walked by Christians in such settings to celebrate Easter’s journey from death to resurrection. They could symbolise the pilgrim’s journey and offer a focus for prayerful reflection upon the travelling to and the returning home from a place of pilgrimage. Possibly this heritage mutated into the puzzle maze during the Renaissance. The 1980s saw several modern labyrinths built into churches and cathedrals as the ancient traditions were revived. A huge resurgence in interest was prompted by the creation of a replica of the Chartres labyrinth in Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, in 1991. Now they are found, newly created, across the world. They can be on the grandest of scales, both inside and outdoors, or as temporary as paths mowed into a lawn. Many companies now offer portable labyrinths printed on fabric.

Walking the Labyrinth

A maze has many choices of pathway, many dead ends, and is designed to confuse the walker. In contrast a labyrinth has but one pathway, albeit one that loops and turns backwards and forwards before finally reaching its goal. As a result of this design the labyrinth became an interactive symbol of the Christian journey with its constant movement: sometimes closer to God, sometimes seeming to twist away from God. Yet even if at times the goal seemed to be elusive it never vanished entirely, and if the pathway was followed ultimately the traveller would arrive. Many different suggestions have been offered about ways of using a labyrinth. One of the simplest is to go at our own choice of pace; perhaps consciously walking a little slower than we usually do so as to take time to think and notice what is around and within us. Walking into the labyrinth we might reflect upon the things we need to let go of if we are to offer ourselves more fully to God; a walk of confession. At the centre we might offer our thanksgiving to God as we dwell upon being in God’s presence, cherished and redeemed through Christ and touched by the Spirit. Turning back to walk gradually out of the labyrinth we might pray for the world in which we are set and to which we are called as pilgrims and servants; a walk of intercession. Westminster is a busy place within a town that bustles with the activity of two universities and all of the chaos of today. The churches we serve are busy too. Being busy can seem a fetish in our culture, and maybe in our churches. Stopping and slowing can be taken as signs of failure or laziness. And yet we are not designed for constant busyness. God has created us also for contemplation and rest. We are children of the Sabbath. The gospel pattern is of Jesus surrounded by the hassle and bustle of the crowds and then retreating to still places of quietness for prayer. Westminster, we believe, should be a place of rest and retreat as much as it is a place of study and debate.

Our labyrinth offers a simple and constant invitation to go slowly and be refreshed. And we hope it might also encourage students and visitors to explore how such forms can enhance our buildings and outdoor spaces as we seek to renew ways in which our places of worship might be opened up to our communities and God’s invitation to restoration might be made visible.Many designs are possible. The one we have created from paving slabs set into the lawn is based upon the simplest and one of the most ancient patterns. It is also very low-maintenance!

If you want to discover more here are some resources to explore:

Books:

• Lauren Artress (1995), Walking a Sacred Path: rediscovering the labyrinth as a spiritual tool, New York: Riverhead Books [Artress was largely responsible for the Grace Cathedral labyrinth and has developed a growing ministry advocating its potential for spiritual direction]
• Jill Geoffrion (2000), Praying the Labyrinth and Living the Labyrinth, Cleveland, Ohio: Pilgrim Press [suggestions on using labyrinths with scriptural selections]
• Jeff Saward (2002), Magical Paths: labyrinths and mazes in the 21st century, London: Mitchell Beazley [a full history, many excellent photos, and practical guidance on creating them]

Websites:

See the links on this page to:

• www.labyrinthos.net [photos, archived articles, resources]
• www.labyrinthsociety.org [international network for enthusiasts with much useful advice and content]
• www.gracecathedral.com [see Veriditas which is based at Grace Cathedral and provides a wide range of resources and advice to encourage the development of labyrinths and ministry with them]