Saint Francis Episcopal Church

Labyrinth

This Labyrinth was built for St. Francis Church

and the local community

by the Phoebe Chapter of the Daughters of the King

 Dedicated October 19, 2008

The Labyrinth at St. Francis Episcopal Church was patterned after the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France which was built in 1201.  Ours was designed by Susan Keith, a member of our congregation, to blend with the stone of the church and the general look of the church yard.  It was laid out by Chuck Hunner, a professional labyrinth builder, from Asheville, NC.  It was constructed by the Phoebe Chapter of the Daughters of the King and members the local chapter of the Order of the Arrow.  It is open to the public 24 hours a day,

What is a labyrinth?

The labyrinth is an ancient spiritual tool.  The winding circuitous walk symbolizes a pilgrim’s walk with God. 

There are many ways to describe a labyrinth:

· A path of prayer

· A walking meditation

· A crucible of change

· A watering hole for the spirit

· A mirror of the soul.

The purpose of the labyrinth is nourishment for the soul and wisdom for our continuing journey.

A labyrinth is not a maze.  Mazes represent puzzles to be solved and contain twists, turns and blind alleys.  A maze calls upon our capacity to engage in logical, sequential, analytic activity to find the correct path in and out.  A labyrinth has only one path.  The way in is the way out, and this circuitous path engages creativity and imagination.

History of the Labyrinth

The rediscovery of the medieval labyrinth, a twelfth century mystical tool, is one of the most important spiritual developments of our day.  Throughout human history, pilgrimage—the search for the holy—has been a recurrent movement.  The Old Testament talks of God’s people journeying—Abraham, the exodus from Egypt, all journeying to the land of promise.  The first Christians were called “people of the Way” and they willingly followed the path Jesus set before them.

The first Christian labyrinth was a converted Roman labyrinth, dating to the fourth century.  Several small floor labyrinths were built in Italy, but labyrinths large enough to walk originated in France. The first one may have been in the Cathedral of Sens in the 12th century. It no longer exists.  Most of the Gothic cathedrals originally had labyrinths, although only one from the 13th century still remains – the one in Chartres Cathedral, France. It was such an elegant version of the labyrinth that it became the model for most church  labyrinths thereafter.

The early pilgrims walked the labyrinth as we do today: as a metaphor of our life’s journey.  Pilgrimage is an outer journey with an inner purpose. To this end, the labyrinth is well suited.  Today labyrinths are being used in churches, in hospitals, in retirement centers, in parks, in prisons, and in retreat and conference centers.  The labyrinth appeals to all ages from young children to senior citizens.

Prayer Walk Or Path of Grace

This special “path of grace” was created to provide a place of reflection and meditation for St. Francis Episcopal Church and all its visitors from within Rutherford County and from all parts of the world.  As you walk along the grass path to the center, turn, and walk out again, you will discover that a labyrinth is not a maze.  You are always on the right path if you “Keep on the Grass.”  We invite you to walk deliberately and listen deeply.