“Be still, and know that I am God.”
ó Psalm 46:10
KANNAPOLIS ó For years, my buddy Jack has admonished his daughter and me by saying, “You two need to get somewhere and be still.”
Well, Jack, that’s exactly what I did Monday night, when I visited the prayer labyrinth at New Hope Lutheran Church.
Labyrinths have been around since the Middle Ages, and the Kannapolis church purchased a canvas labyrinth several months ago. Once a month, the labyrinth is open to the public in the church’s family life center.
The labyrinth is big ó 24 feet around and modeled after the one in Chartres, France. It can accommodate several people at once, but I was lucky enough to walk it on my own.
The congregation has six trained docents to help visitors with the labyrinth. But since photographer Jon Lakey and I had visited last week to do an article for the Post, I knew what to do.
I just had to take the first step.
I took a deep breath and got started.
Docent Erna Brown had told me that she prayed for others as she journeyed on the path. I had written names down on a 5×7 index card. By the time I got to church, the card was full.
I prayed for Mr. Harre, for Pastor Macmurphy, for Ken, Leslie, Alex, Kurtis and Jack, for Mike and Lisa, for Mom and Daddy, for Aunt Louise, for Andrew and his father, for Carol, Kelly, Spencer, Anna, Harvey and Susanne, for Gwen and Linda, for Jean and Foster, for Susan, Paul, Pete, Bill, Mark and David, for the families of our fallen firefighters, for my Post family.
I even prayed for my invisible boyfriend, because, let’s face it, he needs all the prayers he can get.
And I prayed for myself. Mostly for patience. I seem to need a lot of that.
I picked up a card before I entered the labyrinth. There’s a stack of them with a variety of words to contemplate.
I selected one at random, figuring whichever one I picked up would speak to me.
This is what my card said:
Meditation
In silence
I create my
sacred space
Through breath I find
my natural rhythm.
Mindfully …
and slowly …
I step into my temple.
Hold me as I melt into thee.
The labyrinth is set up in the middle of the floor, surrounded by votive candles. Soft music plays in the background, further enhancing the experience. After the music stopped, the only sound was the hum of the refrigerator back in the kitchen.
It’s rare that we get a chance to stop and slow down in our busy, hectic, noisy lives.
I was blessed to get a chance to walk the labyrinth, in the silence, to be still and listen to God.
The prayer labyrinth at New Hope Lutheran Church, 1615 Brantley Road, will be open again on April 21 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. To schedule a group visit, call 704-932-3716.