Week 2 Advent Labyrinth-- Peace

I had hoped to get to the labyrinth sooner this week. It didn't happen.

I stopped by the Burks UMC labyrinth on my way to Dalton this morning.  

It was 33 degrees Fahrenheit, but I had my coffee with me, so that kept me warm. 😀

I started my journey at the entrance with a few deep breaths. 

I allowed myself to be open as I walked and prayed. So many thoughts covering a myriad of topics.

I came upon a leaf that caught my attention. I picked it up, noticed its frozen state, and put it back on the path.

I remembered my friend and colleague in the recent loss of her Mom. I took a moment to reach out.

I continued my journey and found myself on the last leg of the journey before the center. It had gone much more quickly than I thought.

I decided to sit a while. Those concrete benches are cold! 

As I sat there reflecting on peace, this prayer bubbled up and out: 

"Divine Mystery of deep abiding peace,

Are you so deep that I do not see or feel you? There is much turmoil, conflict,  and simply bizarre happenings all around. There is death, pain, aging, loss. I question your presence,  yet know you are as near as my breath that shows in the cold air. You are nearer than that. You are within me. You are my breath. Come, Holy Spirit, come. Even though the chaos swirls around me, may I know your shalom.
DD 12/11/25"

I knew that peace was within me. I sensed it, even as I sensed chaos. 

I was reminded of Jesus and the disciples in a boat. A strong wind tossed the boat around.  The disciples were anxious. They woke Jesus up and told him their fears. His response to the turmoil: 'Peace, be still." The winds calmed. The disciples calmed. 

It is good for me, for us to remember the deep, abiding presence of peace through the Holy Spirit. 

As I headed back out of the labyrinth, I saw the leaf again from a different angle. The hole inside the leaf almost looked like a heart. 

#SeeAHeartShareAHeart 

Hmmm... interesting how things can look different from a different angle. That was a good reminder to look at things from different perspectives. 

As I neared the beginning, I took some more deep breaths.

I exited the labyrinth and headed to the car. 

Where or how have you felt peace this week?

Where do you need peace this week?

Remember that it is within you, and as near as your breath.

Try a breath prayer, if the chaos is too wild:

Breathe in peace and calm.

Breathe out chaos. 

Breathe in Divine Mystery. 

Breathe out turmoil and stress.

May your Advent adventures be filled with peace. 

Deb

A Labyrinth Prayer Journey Through Advent-- Peace

my Advent mug "wreath"-- peace is showing

This Sunday begins the second week of Advent, with the theme of peace.

Below is what I have put together for this week. I invite you to share your reflections and experiences as you journey through Advent.

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WEEK 2—Peace

SCRIPTURE:

Philippians 4:7 (KJ21—21^st Century King James Version)— “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

 Colossians 3:15 (NLT—New Living Translation)—“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members on one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

QUOTE:

“We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.” ~Thomas Merton

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Peace is the theme for the second week of Advent. When you think about peace, what comes to mind? What brings you peace? What causes the absence of peace in your life?

There are two verses for this week’s reflection. I invite you to read the verses again. What word(s) or phrases stand out to you?

The word used in both these verses for “peace” is equivalent to the Hebrew term shalom. Looking at the Blue Letter Bible (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7965/kjv/wlc/0-1/), you can find the Hebrew term shalom in over 100 places, depending on which version of the Bible you search. A word that is repeated throughout a document is a word worthy of attention. It is found 118 times in the NLT (New Living Translation), 167 times in the KJV (King James Version), and 119 times in the NIV (New International Version).

According to various resources, shalom refers to “peace, completeness, welfare, well-being, safety, prosperity”. It offers a deep and abiding presence to us, no matter our situations or states of being. It is a gift for us to take in for ourselves and for us to share with others.

During my 2 Year Academy experience with the Academy for Spiritual Formation, I became familiar with the hymn “Shalom to you” by Elise Eslinger in The Upper Room Worshipbook. It is also found in the United Methodist Hymnal, the Chalice Hymnal, Songs for Life, and Together in Song. The lyrics are simple, yet powerful:

“Shalom to you now, shalom, my friends.
May God's full mercies bless you, my friends.
In all your living and through your loving,
Christ be your shalom, Christ be your shalom.”

You can listen to the song here:

Walking/Praying the labyrinth

During this second week of Advent, I invite you to walk and pray the labyrinth with the theme of peace. Invite the Holy Spirit to join you on this peace journey. You might try the following suggestions or you might create your own peace journey. (If you need a refresher on one way to walk/pray the labyrinth, you can go back to the explanation in week 1 for “hope”.)

1.

• Take a copy of the Scripture verse and/or quote and read them as you walk, reflecting on what comes to mind.

• Ask yourself where you have peace these days, where you see peace. Reflect on these things.
• Ask yourself where you need peace and how you might attain it. Reflect on these things.

2.

• Take one or both of the verses with you, the quote, or the song into the labyrinth as part of your journey.
• Notice where and how you sense peace as you go to the center.
• Remain in the center for a moment to reflect on peace.
• As you head back out of the labyrinth, what is your focus? What do you notice?

Additional practices:

• Contemplative Photography. Take a photo of something that signifies “peace” to you.
• Research. What other Scripture verses or quotes can you find on “peace”?
• Write a prayer on peace.  What might a prayer on peace look like for you?
• Journal. Consider writing about your labyrinth experiences.

If you want to use a finger labyrinth, you can use the one I shared last week:

Or, if you want to use a different one, I invite you to check out this link from The Upper Room: 

Praying With a Finger Labyrinth

They have a PDF download of a finger labyrinth in the article. 

Previous blog posts for this year's Advent journey with a labyrinth:

• A Labyrinth Prayer Journey Through Advent-- Hope
• Week 1 Advent Labyrinth-- Hope

Burks UMC labyrinth:

Thanks for joining me on this Advent adventure!

Deb

P.S. If you want to read more about labyrinths here in my blog, you can click on the word "labyrinth" in the word list. It has been mentioned 27 times on my blog.