To enter the labyrinth is to

choose to walk a sacred path.

Dr. Lauren Artress

The Labyrinth Corner

The Labyrinth at Fairfax Presbyterian Church

was completed by Carl Sparacino as his Eagle Scout Project.

The Labyrinth was dedicated in 2004.

Some Meditations to use on your walk

God be in my head and in my understanding;

God be in my eyes and in my looking;

God be in my mouth and in my speaking;

God be in my heart and in my thinking;

God be in my end and in my departing.

Sarcum Primer Prayer

Lord our God, grant us grace to desire

    you with our whole heart,

That so desiring we may seek and find you,

And in finding you may love you,

And loving you, may hate those sins from

    which you have redeemed us.

Anselm's Prayer "Desire for God"

O Lord, you know what is best for me.

Let this or that be done, as You please.

Give what you will, how much You will

And when You will.

Thomas A Kempis' Prayer

"Submission to God's Will"

...or use a favorite Bible verse or hymn

How to Use FPC’s Labyrinth As a Spiritual Tool

 Before entering the labyrinth spend a few minutes sitting or standing at the periphery, allowing yourself to become stilled and attentive.

When you are ready, enter the path.  Many people pause before their first step and offer a prayer of intention.

You may walk as slowly or as quickly as is natural for you.  Feel free to pause at any time, and especially when you reach the turns in the path.

If others are on the path with you, feel free to step off the path and go around them or let them step around you.

Time spent in the center of the labyrinth has been described as a time of seeking awareness of God's presence, healing, and clarity.

As you are ready, begin to retrace your steps on the outward path, carrying with you any insights or blessings you have received.

There is no right way to walk a labyrinth.

You only have to enter and follow the path.  However, your walk can encompass a variety of attitudes.  It may be joyous or somber.  it might be thoughtful or prayerful.  You may use it as a walking meditation.

Adults are often serious in the labyrinth.  Children most often run in and out as fast as they can in a playful manner.

When you walk a labyrinth choose your attitude.  From time to time choose a different attitude.  Make it serious, prayerful, or playful.  Play music or sing.  Pray out loud.  Walk alone and with a crowd.  Notice the sky.  Listen to the sounds.  Most of all pay attention to your experience.

Some general guidelines for walking a labyrinth are:

Focus:  Pause and wait at the entrance.  Become quiet and centered.  Give acknowledgment through a bow, nod, or other gesture and then enter.

Experience.  Walk purposefully.  Observe the process.  When you reach the center, stay there and focus several moments.  Leave when it seems appropriate.  Be attentive on the way out.

Exit.  Turn and face the entrance.  Give an acknowledgement of ending, such as "Amen."

Reflect.  After walking the labyrinth reflect back on your experience.  Use journaling or drawing to capture your experience.

Walk often.

Since ancient times, walking has been used as a form of meditation.  The physical act of walking allows you to clear your mind of the multitude of thughts and concerns that accumulate over the course of busy everyday life.  This invites room for God to enter into our minds, our thoughts and our hearts.

The structure of the labyrinth aids this meditation and prayer because the bending and curving path leads into the center and then out again by the same path.  The walker knows that once on the path, it is certain that he will reach the middle.  This parallels our unconditional faith in God that he will lead us on our life journey.

Is a labyrinth a Christian spiritual tool or a New Age gimmick? When the Office of Spiritual Formation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) first published an article in 1966 on labyrinths, there were a few letters of complaint.

One person wrote and requested to be removed from the mailing list, asking, “What next?  Rain sticks?”  Since that time, labyrinths have become more popular as tools for powerful prayer experiences. They have been used at  a General Assembly meeting and a peacemaking conference, and were included as one of the spiritual practices listed in the denominational curriculum, Covenant People, set in the context of the story of Abraham and Sarah and the unexpected twists that their life together held.

Keep an open mind and try walking our labyrinth. The labyrinth is always available and there are brochures in the narthex to guide you. Or ask a member of the labyrinth committee to give you a brief orientation before you experience your labyrinth walk by requesting it through the church office.

Is a labyrinth the same as a maze? No.

       Labyrinths are unicursal. They have one well-defined path that leads into the center and back out again.

       Mazes are multicursal. They offer a choice of several paths, some with many entrances and exits.

       Mazes challenge us to make choices and present a riddle for us to solve. The unicursal path of a labyrinth is what differentiates it from a maze and sets it apart as a spiritual tool.

       Walking a labyrinth frees our thinking mind and allows us to engage our spiritual mind to seek wholeness and unity with God.

       Take the time to walk our labyrinth here at FPC. There are printed guidelines available in the narthex to assist you in using this spiritual tool.