Labyrinth Prayer Walk

LABYRINTH PRAYER WALK - QUIET VIEW, KINGSTON, 18TH JULY 2011

I attended a Prayer Walk at ‘The Quiet View’ at Kingston, near Canterbury today. The Quiet View is a privately run site at the home of a former Chaplain to the Pilgrim’s Hospice in Canterbury and is located at a high point in a quiet, large house and garden on the Borders of Kingston, with outstanding views of the surrounding countryside.

The Quiet View was established as a development of Ministry in Paliative care by the owner, particularly after the installation of a labryinth at the Pilgrims Hospice. Now retired, the Chaplain  involved has developed her family home, over the past 30 years, to provide a quiet place for retreats, quite days and with excellent facilities for residential visits, small groups, and a wide range of activities suited to religious or secular activities, framed in a quiet, peaceful place, conducive to both prayer, spiritual development and just ‘being’. She installed a Labyrinth several years ago for personal and wider community use.

The day visit was organised by our Curate, in response to a prompt that I had felt a few weeks before. I needed to repeat in a different place from the last time. The Quiet View was chosen as a guide was available to facilitate the prayer walk. It was offered benefice wide, with a number expressing interest. In the event, most of those expressing an interest could not come. 3 of us actually, met a the parish church and travelled to Kingston, with another travelling separately, joining us at Kingston.

We were welcomed by our guide who showed us the newly installed ‘Churt’ in the ground, which is a modern, temporary dwelling based loosely on the design of a Mongolian Church, but purpose designed as a multi-use space for groups of up to 20 or more to meet for a wide range of activities. The circular shape of the Churt, with its internal accommodation height and light, is unique space and might be considered a sacred space, although, not consecrated. Further development is underway to extend its usability and to encourage wider use across the community.

Our Guide, gave us a brief on the history of her site, her ministry and the development of The Quiet View. She outlined the history of the labyrinth going back to pre-history, and its connection to spirituality. She had been instrumental in the installation of one at the Pilgrims Hospice and had studied the history in different places in the world, including some ancient sites. There was a definite connection with spirituality. ¹In the Middle Ages, walking a cathedral labyrinth was a substitute for going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Not everyone could make the long and arduous journey to the Holy Land, so walking a labyrinth in a church was a devotional activity. Today meandering labyrinths are often used as walking meditations, to focus the mind and put the walker in tune with the greater reality metaphorically represented by the labyrinth”.

Our guide outlined the ‘Three R’s’ of a prayer walk in the labyrinth. “² 1. Releasing:  Letting go of the details of your life. This is the act of shedding thoughts and distractions and a time for opening the heart and quieting the mind. 2. Receiving: Reaching the center and contemplating what is there for you to receive. 3. Returning:  Following the same path out of the center as you walked in, and entering the third stage, which is joining with your Higher Power, or the healing forces at work in the world. It has been said that each time you walk the labyrinth you become more empowered to find and do what your soul is reaching for.

After the introduction, we were invited to pursue our own path to the labyrinth, by strolling the garden, thinking or considering those things which might be on our minds. I was able to visit a small shrine in a tent, which had an Icon portraying friendship. There was also a Celtic Cross and a modern statue, which I visualized as portraying a mother and child, which I took to be Mary with the baby Jesus. I offered  a prayer here.

I had a number of things which I had been praying and reflecting on, the most urgent of which appeared to be to do with the ill-health and apparent onset of Dementia in an elderly relative. Whose future care is currently in the hands of social services, which might mean of loss of independence and move into a nursing home.

After I while I felt prepared to start the labyrinth. On the way in, I was able to stop, take stock and to offer the situations to God, to lay them at his feet and to ask that they, through divine providence, might be make the way forward clear. As I approached the centre point, I seemed to sense that pressure was being lifted from me. A feeling of light headedness and even a little giddy. The sensation was as of something being let out, of perhaps breathing out the issues I had. On reaching the centre, I was able to pause and to reflect briefly, that I was feeling relieved. It seemed to me that a prayer specific to the situation was the Lord’s Prayer, which I offered up, silently it was heart-felt. I was prompted to move on. As I came towards the exit, the thought came to me, that I needed to let it go. The situation was out of my control, it was my relations immediate family who should deal with the situation, my practical support and prayers were enough.

After we had all been around the labyrinth, we all gathered in in the Site Caravan and took tea and discussed our experience and had a lovely conversation where we learned something about each other, we might not have shared before. This was definitely, for me the ‘returning’ being affirmed as we each returned to our day to day lives and normality.

What did I get from this experience:

1. For me, this was one of those golden times, where, I had a tangible experience of God. It seems to me that we struggle sometimes, to feel and know God within our lives. He can become a disconnected entity, with a strained relationship. I have learned that at times like this, it is important to actively seek the face of God in others we meet and inter-act with, but also to seek a quiet space, away from our routine. Here we might experience him on a more personal, one-to-one basis. Short retreats at sites such as The Quiet View, provide this outlet. We need some prepare for them. I spent some quiet time in prayer in St Peter’s Church to prepare. I said Morning Prayer aloud in an empty church, which just seemed right at that time.

2. I seem to have a tendency to visualize much of my experience of God.. I close my eyes and seek to see a sign, shape or colour which reminds me of his essence, whose face I have never seen, but hope to one day. In this experience, while walking I sensed rather than saw anything, which is something new. The gift of sensation is to precious to waste, and I thanked God for it.

3. I know that some will say that I have an overactive imagination, but what may be unreal for them, is real for me. It’s yet another sign to me of God remaining active in my life, minute by minute, hour by hour, each day. This is a gift which I feel draws me even more towards active Ordained Ministry, to serve and to share something of what God has so generously given to me. Thanks be to God.

1 John Algeo, Quest Magazine, Issue 1276, http://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/1276, accessed 18 Jul 2011

2http://www.pilgrimshospices.org/patient-care/labyrinth/about-our-labyrinth/ accessed 18 Jul 2011

Ordination Service

Yesterday afternoon, I was privileged along with others from the benefice and parishes across the diocese to join the family and friends of the 14 Ordinands to be ordained priest at Canterbury Cathedral. This was the first time for me, and I was expectant and hopeful, particular as our curate, who has been an inspiration since she joined us last year, was to be priested.

I met our Curate outside the Cathedral on her way to anointing and she took the time to stop and to chat with me. I have been praying for her and her fellow Ordinands and shared thoughts about her big day with here and how I seemed seminal for me in seeing her progress. Being a ticket less event (for most of us) it was a bit of a scrum, but I was able to get an Aisle seat just behind the reserved seats, about halfway down the nave. Not a particularly good view, but I was just glad to be there, to be sharing such a momentous event in the journey of the Ordinands, and our Curate’s in particular.

The service was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury assisted by the Bishop of Dover. The Preacher was the former Bishop of Dover, Richard Llewellin, who has just returned from a 3 month stint in Palestine as a Peace Observer on the border between Israel and Palestine.

I found the whole service of Ordination and the Eucharist most uplifting. Particularly the singing, I don’t think there is anything quite like a large congregation in the Ancient Cathedral at Canterbury, ringing to the rafters as a very musical surge of sound. As is my wont, I visualized it knocking on the doors of heaven, demanding to be heard. (It was that sort of day). The whole service lasted two hours and it was well staged, vibrant and electrifying in places, particularly the ‘Rite of Ordination’ and the 'Eucharist'. Cathedral worship is a little more complex than parish worship and the choice of prayers used seems to be a wider use of common worship set services. The Archbishop has a melodic voice which resounded when he sang some of the service. The choir was magnificent and Richard Llewellin’s sermon resonated. It seemed to me that joy and grace was bathing all there, particularly for those being priested, but also those supporting them. Love streamed to and fro and we were united in one accord, worship of service to God.

Afterwards the Archbishop and the Bishop of Dover remained outside to meet and to greet the congregation and we were than able to meet and greet our new priests. Our curate was full of joy and excitement, which I believe we fully shared and I was gifted with a hug and a kiss on the cheek which just seemed to me to be right and natural. She is shortly to be married, so the cause for double joy for her this month. By this time I was quite tired and having a long journey, had to leave. I would have loved to stay and share more, but knew that I had much to go home, to pray and to reflect upon.

What did I get from this day?

It’s difficult to expound to much without sounding deferential, but it’s at occasions like this when I reflect back on my own reception (confirmation) into the Church of God at the Cathedral in November 2008, I just seem to be taking steps on a path, one at a time, sometimes knocked back, but always with an impetus to persevere and to push on. The Cathedral has a special place in my heart. Following my confirmation. I know that my journey as a Christian had started as a child, had been abandoned, but seemed to be really kick started at that confirmation. Immediately after just as I was coming down from the high, I received, the voice inside started nagging at me ‘its not enough - there’s more to do’ which has led me so much further on a journey, which I could not have imagined three years ago and If I am honest, I would had not believed.

For me, the experience of the three prior services I attended, reflect how worship can be so uplifting, but, can on occasion, disappoint. I go to worship hoping and seeking an experience where I feel God and the Holy Spirit to be present with us. In the main, I get this experience. Sometimes intensely, sometimes not at all. It also reflects on times when I personal prayer I really feel surrounded by the Spirit and feel comforted, warmed and even glowing. At other times I can feel nothing, but know that the routine and discipline of personal prayer is integral and really needs to be inbuilt. Not something to be picked up and laid aside when convenient. It needs total surrender of the heart, mind and spirit.

Something of which, will give the joy and certain knowledge as at the Ordination Service of fulfillment, of affirmation, but just being at peace and resting in God’s love. Ordination services are special, but it seems to me that we should treat every single act of worship or prayer as a renewed meeting with God, with greetings, praise and acknowlededment of how much he has done for us and to share with him our cares and woes along with our life. He is there, he is listening, he is comforting, he is affirming, he is Love.