Mown Prayer Labyrinth

'This Summer, we have a mown prayer labyrinth at the rear of St Chad's church. All are warmly welcome to come and experience it!

Labyrinths are ancient pathways found across the world.Used since ancient times, walking the labyrinth can help you find peace in a busy world. Unlike a maze, it has only one path – you cannot get lost!'

The winding path helps us to 'unwind', to let go and rest in God. Members of the early church as well as Medieval pilgrims have used them as a support for prayer. Today, labyrinths offer a spiritual space for prayer and reflection, providing a stilling space in a busy world.

Your labyrinth prayer time can be as open or as focused as you would like it to be. You might want to simply enter the labyrinth and walk or, before your enter the labyrinth, you might like to take time to:

• Read and reflect on a line or two from Scripture and ponder those words in the labyrinth, e.g. "... you will reveal the path of life to me, give me unbounded joy in Your presence..." Psalm 16:1, or "Jesus said: 'Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" Matthew 11:28-29
• Hold a memory or a photo of a loved one you wish to remember or pray for while you are in the labyrinth
• Consider an experience in your life where you are seeking healing or forgiveness and talk to God in the labyrinth
• Think about a key celebration in your life and walk a prayer of thanksgiving in the labyrinth.

A labyrinth is different from a maze.A maze is designed to be full of dead-ends.A labyrinth has only one path that always leads to the centre... if you stay on the path you cannot get lost.

With grateful thanks to Rev Catherine and Carl Cleghorne who shared these resources with us and helped us to create the prayer labyrinth.