Labyrinth in the Redwood Grove

In the fall of 2006 a labyrinth was prayerfully created in the Valley Presbyterian Church redwood grove located directly across the creek from the sanctuary.  We hope that it is a blessing for you.  Know that you are always welcome to walk its sacred path.

Walking the labyrinth puts us in touch with a sacred tradition that dates back thousands of years.  Remnants of large-scale labyrinths suggest usage from the time of the Roman Empire, through the Crusades and during the medieval period, the Renaissance and beyond.  Our labyrinth is based on the classical 7-circuit labyrinth pattern, the oldest and most prevalent of the labyrinth designs dating back at least five thousand years.

Walking the labyrinth can be a time of simply opening yourself to the Presence of God without any particular “agenda” in mind, or it may be part of an ongoing discernment process during which you seek spiritual clarity around a particular question or concern.  In the latter case, you might walk the labyrinth while holding a specific intention or question in mind.  After you have walked the labyrinth, you may find it fruitful to continue your prayer through journaling, drawing, or simply sitting in stillness for a while.

I part the out thrusting branches and come in beneath the blessed and the blessing trees.

 

Though I am silent there is singing around me.

 

Though I am dark there is vision around me.

 

Though I am heavy there is flight around me.

Poem by Wendell Berry