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.
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:
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.
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