Welcome
To the Labyrinth of St. John’s Episcopal Church
All are welcome to join us in using this space to pray, meditate, or to take a moment to relax and embrace the beauty of nature. “For in him we live, and move, and have our being”-Acts 17:28.
What is a Labyrinth? Labyrinths were once used by medieval Christians for prayerful meditation. The labyrinth at its heart is a “walking meditation, a path of prayer and an archetypal blueprint where psyche meets Spirit. It has only one path that leads from the outer edge in a circuitous way to the center. There are no tricks to it and no dead ends. Unlike a maze where you lose your way, the labyrinth is a spiritual tool that can help you find your way. Walking the Labyrinth quiets the mind, opens the heart, and grounds the body” (Veriditas.org).
Brief Church history: This land–and particularly the nearby Angel Oak Tree–has been a source of spiritual importance for indigenous peoples such as the Kiawah, Stono, and Bohicket peoples for centuries. Since 1734, our congregation has worshiped in various church buildings on this site–and at our nearby chapel of ease, Grace Chapel at Rockville–for nearly three centuries. Having survived the Revolution, Civil War, and various natural and man-made disasters, St. John’s Episcopal Church strives to be a “A Place of Peace, a Place of Prayer, a Place of Care, and a Place for All” .
A Prayer for Walking the Labyrinth
“You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy.
-Psalm 16:11
God of the way, Guider of the path and pilgrimage of our lives: Draw us ever deeper into the core of your heart, the center of your love.
When the way seems uncertain, grant us strength to trust, and grace to continue walking with enthusiasm and purpose.
Freshen our minds and hearts to see and follow you.
Walk with us in the labyrinths of our daily living, amidst our hopes and fears, our joys and sorrows, our falling and our rising.
Soften our sharp edges, as we learn to love more deeply your world, your earth, filled with love, labyrinthine and exquisite, eternal. Amen.
“If we learn to love the earth, we will find labyrinths, gardens, fountains and precious jewels. A whole new world will open to us. We will discover what it means to be truly alive. -Teresa of Avila
