Presbyterians invited to take a spiritual journey by 'walking the sacred path' of a labyrinth By Craig M. Kibler The Layman Online Wednesday, May 28, 2003 215th General Assembly Denver, Colo. May 24-31, 2003 General Assembly news index DENVER –Presbyterians attending the 215th General Assembly were invited to take a spiritual journey by "walking the sacred path" of a labyrinth. Set up in the Adams Mark Hotel, about four blocks from the Colorado Convention Center where the commissioners were meeting, the labyrinth was located in a dimly lit room illuminated only by several glassed-in candles sitting on the floor. The room contained some chairs and pillows that were provided, according to a brochure, "to invite you to quiet down, center, and prepare for your walk." Promotional literature appealed to people who "may bring a very particular concern, decision or request to the experience of the labyrinth," and that "the labyrinth is useful as a metaphor for living. Reflection on your experience of the labyrinth can tell you something about your life." The labyrinth, lying on the floor in a circular design about 50 feet in diameter, was provided by a Denver congregation. Presbyterians were invited to walk in circles in the labyrinth on a "journey that can help us get to many destinations." The brochure described walking the labyrinth as a "pattern that leads you on a prescribed path to a center." "It is a single or unicursal path. The path that leads you in is the same path that leads you out. We walk a labyrinth to remind us that there is a path that brings us to unity, to the center of our beings. In the simple act of walking, the soul finds solace and peace. "Walking the labyrinth can provide a space to listen to our inner wisdom and gain new understandings of our spiritual journeys. Walk the labyrinth with an open mind and a listening heart. It is a walk of meditation and prayer." A similar perspective was offered in a "teaching sheet" that stated: "The labyrinth is appropriate for Presbyterians, Christians of all traditions and people of all faiths. It doesn't have doctrine. You don't have to believe a certain way to use the labyrinth. It allows people to bring to the experience of walking their own unique heritage and doctrinal beliefs. It is, in the best sense, an experience of unity in the midst of diversity. We walk on a spiritual pathway alongside those whose beliefs and practices are different than our own."

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