Trinity Rose Garden Labyrinth
Dedicated June 23, 2019
Rose Garden
Trinity’s Rose Garden was originally established in 2002-2003 with a core group of volunteers who planned and planted the garden. It includes over 30 bushes, including hybrid teas and miniatures. The roses were purchased through donations made in memory and honor of loved ones. With the creation of the labyrinth project in 2019, engraved bricks were added that provide details about each rose.
Labyrinth
Trinity’s Labyrinth was established in 2018-2019 as the Eagle Scout Project of Carson Rhodes. It includes about 10,000 bricks that were purchased through Nitterhouse in Chambersburg, PA. The bricks were purchased through donations made in memory and honor of loved ones. Trinity’s Memorial Fund also contributed funds toward the purchase of the bricks for the roses themselves.
WALKING SUGGESTION #1
There is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth, since it is an activity that becomes a metaphor for your own spiritual journey in life. Some people walk with the intention to address an issue in their lives, others to pray and meditate. It is helpful to pause before you enter to center your thoughts on your intention.
Some people prepare for their walks by focusing on the thought,"I am a pilgrim seeking _______." Others think of a simple word or phrase that helps to center them, such as love, peace or healing. Still others will use the labyrinth as a prayer path to quietly listen to or talk with God. Or you may simply want to walk with an open and receptive mind.
Give yourself time to walk, knowing that it may take 20 to 45 minutes to enter and return. While you want to walk at your own pace, beware of trying to rush the experience. Allow your mind and body to slow down, letting go of the stress in your life.
Walk between the lines of the circuit. Become aware that you are (or may be) sharing the labyrinth with others. You may pass other walkers or let them step around you, whichever is easiest. (Go at your own pace.)
When you reach the center you have entered the most sacred space in the labyrinth. Allow yourself time to contemplate what it means for you to be there; honor this space in your life. The center is a place to pause, reflect, and receive insight.
Walking the path back out of the labyrinth is a time for deep reflection and a chance to consider what it might mean for your daily living. For many, it is the most fruitful part of the walk. It can lead to action and renewal.
““The simple act of walking the labyrinth invites us back into the center of our being…No matter where we are in our own life’s journey, no matter what tradition sparks the creative imagination, we may glimpse the Divine.” ”
WALKING SUGGESTION #2
You can set three stages for your walk:
Purgation (Releasing) ~ A releasing, a letting go of the details of your life. This is the act of shedding thoughts and distractions. A time to open the heart and quiet the mind.
Illumination (Receiving) ~ When you reach the center, stay there as long as you like. It is a place of meditation and prayer. Receive what is there for you to receive.
Union (Returning) ~ As you leave, following the same path out of the center as you came in, you enter the third stage, which is joining God, your Higher Power, or the healing forces at work in the world. Each time you walk the labyrinth you become more empowered to find and do the work you feel your soul reaching for.
Source: Penn Central Conference
WALKING SUGGESTION #3
Here are some prayer starters to consider when walking the labyrinth.
General:
Entering: Where am I heading?
Centering: What needs to be released?
Leaving: What new place is God leading me?
Youth:
Entering: What am I circling? What is circling me?
Centering: In what way is the center empty / full?
Leaving: In what ways is God using me?
Lenten:
Entering: Where have I stepped off God’s path?
Centering: How does my Lenten journey join me with others?
Leaving: What does it mean to walk with Christ to the cross?
Scriptural:
Entering: How can you say to your neighbor, “Let me take the speck out of your eye” while the log is in your own eye? (Matthew 7:4)
Centering: “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Leaving: What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
General Prayer:
“Gracious Lord, as I walk this hallowed earth on my journey with You, so cleanse my heart, my mind and soul that I may be filled with Your Holy Spirit. Remove from my thoughts those things that separate me from You. Help me to focus my heart on You and Your guidance, and at the same time to be part of my fellow pilgrims on this way. Into Your hand goes mine, and my heart becomes one with YOU; and I walk in Your light divine the path you have prepared for me. Amen.”
Source: Penn Central Conference
General Information about Labyrinths
Labyrinths are geometrical patterns used for walking or tracing, as a tool to assist the consciousness. They have been in existence for thousands of years. No one knows for certain when or where they first originated. They have been used by different cultures and mystical and religious traditions worldwide. Some patterns are simple and some are more complex.
A labyrinth differs from a maze in that there is only one way in and one way out. They have one continuous path that twists and turns, eventually leading to the center. There are no dead ends. There is nothing to figure out as you walk or trace a labyrinth. You simply follow the path to the center and then retrace the same path back out.
Labyrinths are made from a variety of materials. Some are stone, some have the paths marked with grass, or gravel. There are large carpets made with labyrinth designs that get rolled out in gyms or parks. There are also small wooden, metal, cloth and paper labyrinths made to trace with your finger or a tracing tool.
For more information about labyrinths, see the following sites:
Source: Penn Central Conference