Sunday, May 5, 2024

World Labyrinth Day 2024

A few months back I offered to lead and teach a session on prayer labyrinths at the church that sent me into ministry, Burks UMC in Hixson, TN. They began a monthly prayer focus on the first Saturday of each month, so it fit in well. My plan was to talk briefly, allow people to learn by experience, then debrief their experience.

photo taken in 2016 of labyrinth
I used this photo for "advertising"

The labyrinth at Burks UMC is outdoors. In the back of my mind, I did ask myself 'what about rain?'. Well, I intended to check into finding an indoor labyrinth to have on hand, but then there was a death in the family that took priority of brain, time, and energy. I prepared for it to be outdoors by gathering several labyrinth books, printing out some brochures from the church, a history of the Burks UMC labyrinth, and an article about the health benefits of walking a labyrinth.

Then the day came. It rained. Oops. I grabbed my hiking raincoat and some umbrellas and headed over there. I set up things in the back of my car, with the trunk open. Thankfully, the rain was more of a drizzle. People did show up! We had a total of 6 (including myself) for the World Labyrinth Day at Burks UMC.

Here is what I posted on social media and some of the pictures I took:

World Labyrinth Day 2024 at Burks UMC.

5 brave souls (+ me = 6) came out in the sprinkling rain to walk and pray the labyrinth at Burks UMC on this World Labyrinth Day. Some brought their own umbrellas and others used some I brought. The rain slacked off eventually. The smell of honeysuckle filled the air and birds chirped and sang. It was a beautiful time to learn, to experience, to practice, to pray. It was good to hear the reflections of those who attended. The second time I walked I saw a mushroom on the path and a bunny on the outside.
#WorldLabyrinthDay
#WorldLabyrinthDay2024
#labyrinth
#spiritualpractice
#BurksUMC


The Luna bar quote says:
"Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire."












I enjoy teaching others. I enjoy teaching, leading, and sharing the spiritual practices that are meaningful to me with others. I am a shepherd pastor. It is good for me to be able to live into my created being. And to do so on a day that commemorated the anniversary of the passing of the ordination for women in the United Methodist Church.... well, that added meaning. I was living into my leading and being, in spite of ongoing challenges in society that tell me I cannot be a pastor because of my gender. 


If you are interested in learning more about labyrinths, you don't need to wait until the first Saturday in May. 

There are links below to The Labyrinth Society and a labyrinth locator so you can find a labyrinth near you. 

If you are in the Chattanooga/N. Georgia area and you've never walked/prayed a labyrinth, I will be glad to accompany you. There are several in our area.

Peace on the journey, 

Deb

LINKS:

The Labyrinth Locator


OTHER BLOGPOSTS I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT LABYRINTHS:

(NOTE: I actually have written close to 30 blogposts about labyrinths. I am not going to post them all here. If you are interested in finding them, you can search the term "labyrinth" in my blog. I have written about most every labyrinth that I've walked, except the new one I recently walked in Sarasota, FL. I'll get around to it (a round "tuit") eventually.

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