This month our spiritual practice focus is on labyrinth's. Many people may get confused thinking a labyrinth is a maze however in this context labyrinths are an ancient symbol relating to wholeness. It combines the imagery of a circle and spiral into a journey from outside to in and back out again. Usually there is only one entry into the path and people choose how fast, slow, or way to walk it. The practice provides a direct experience of walking a path as a metaphor for life's journey.  

The first labyrinth I walked was 15 years ago. It was a movable cloth which could be transported and used anywhere. Headphones and a recorded CD was provided which lead you through the path. The journey took roughly one hour as the meditation stopped at various points along the journey where you interacted with materials previously set up. There were moments for reflection to dwell on your personal life and your internal thought processes. There were specific movements and actions asked of me which opened up my heart. The journey came to the end and I remember feeling completely relaxed and present in the moment. The journey was nothing I had ever encountered because it intentionally made me take time and focus my attention on the state of my heart. 

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Labyrinths can be incredible experiences combining movement and action with meditation.  Let's look closer at labyrinth's and how they may fit your spiritual needs.  ​

The History Of Labyrinth's

​The Labyrinth Builders indicate the first examples of labyrinths come from neolithic and bronze age with images carved on rocks. Coins from Crete appear with the symbols around 1 BC. The design later became popular with the Romans who would put them on the floors of their homes and would use the design for horseman to practice riding. The imagery eventually developed and led to churches using them in their construction.

The first evidence of a religious use of labyrinths is from the 4th century where Basilica of Reparatus in Orleansville, Algeria was built. The most famous one is the Chartes Cathedral in France which was built in 13th century. Chartes Cathedral is widely known to have individuals pilgrimage there to partake in the labyrinth.  Here is a picture below of the cathedral floor.  ​

The blog Sacred Ordinary Days indicates labyrinths became a symbol for pilgrimages when those could not leave for various reasons. It was a spiritual journey they could take when the road to the Holy Land was not accessible or too dangerous for those to travel. 


Meaning Behind Labyrinth's 


Veriditas is a non-profit focusing on connecting individuals to labyrinths. If you click on their name it will take you to their website which has a great video about labyrinths.  I encourage you to watch it.  


There are many different ways and various reasons to walk a labyrinth. It may be for stress reduction, spiritual transformation, or just for fun. Whatever the reason its a good one as there is no wrong way to walk one. 

They have also have various resources giving direction on how to use labyrinths. First is this PDF called Introducing the Labyrinth which describes labyrinths, why people walk them, and how they connect to symbols and concepts of faith. There is also a webpage Walking the Labyrinth further describing the practice.  


So go out there and try the spiritual practice of labyrinth walking! 

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This week find a labyrinth near you and give it a try.  

Many churches make bold claims about God, Jesus, heaven, hell, and various other Christian terms. It's awesome to have a belief system that helps you navigate the roadways of life. However when those belief systems cause division, point fingers or break down relationships then maybe its time they are questioned.  

​One thing my family and this faith community, have taught me that its ok to say “I’m not for sure” or “I don’t have it all figured out.” It's a freedom in knowing I do not have to have all the answers. The notion throws away rigidity and rightness and declares questions and lack of knowing as a natural process of our faith. With this sigh of relief people are allowed to lean into the divine being a mystery to which we are all discovering. Knowing any encounter can be the spirit breathing further understanding of God in our lives. 

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So why do some of us feel the need to be right and believe we have all the answers? How can our faith grow with the openness of not knowing?  

Understanding Bias

Much of peoples need to be right comes from our own personal biases. A bias is a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. When we specifically look at faith much of our beliefs come from what we have grown up knowing. We hold biases based on the belief system that has been engrained in us. Now this is not bad, its just important to be aware that how we see the world and what we believe about the world may not be the entirety of what there is.  


Chaehan So talks specifically about selective perception in regards to confirmation bias, self-serving bias, and hindsight bias. The ones he goes over is just a few of the 50 cognitive biases he states there are. It's a great Tedtalk informing us about our own internal processes and how many times we are wrong. Take the time to check it out as I promise he is entertaining and has good information.  

​So what does this information about biases mean for our unique faith journeys? Well we all might use this information differently. It informs me that I need to continually be open to listening and hearing ideas that are contrary to my prior judgements or beliefs. For others it may mean that exploring faith and other denominations is ok because its about figuring out what is right for you instead of holding onto potential bias. 


Faith Growing By Not Knowing

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Now many of us hate not knowing. I mean google is at our fingertips and with a few strokes we calm our fears by finding the answer.  Uncertainty can be a beast in our lives.  Researchers have found uncertainty is correlated with stress.  The article "Why We Hate Not Knowing For Sure" indicates the more someone knows what will happen the less stressed they are even it if is a horrible outcome. Its calming for us to know, and we seek out that feeling.  

However on the other hand, in some situations we can feel like we are the only ones that do not know causing added stress. Think about new experiences you have had, or walking into a church for the first time. We put stress on ourselves because we do not know how it will be or what to do. The article "The Wisdom of Not Knowing" talks about the freedom associated with not knowing everything. Many times others have been in the exact same situation or don't know either. But it seems like it takes so much time to figure that out. That's why being vulnerable is so important because it allows us to be free.

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With faith there is great benefits of knowing your beliefs. It becomes an internal and external moral compass for how we live. However knowing your beliefs can also create lines causing what is not on that side or challenges it, to be wrong. When we take on an attitude of not having it all figured out we open up the freedom of finding God in new ways. Now I'm not saying throw everything away. That would be demolishing and send us into a crisis. Your past faith experiences should be lifted up and held valuable. But just as there are two sides to every story we must figure out the rest of it for ourselves and what is right for us individually.  ​

It is perfectly ok to be set in what you believe if that works for you. Just be aware of how those beliefs inform your actions and dialogue with others. Ask yourself if it hinders in anyway relationships from being formed or good deeds from being done? If we are to live like Jesus we need to eliminate the biases from our lives by being open to the spirit that leads us. We must see outside of our own perceptual lenses. It is in this task of opening ourselves up that we may actually begin to figure things out.  ​

Our blog is continuing to see great growth. If you feel like you have something to contribute and would like to be a guest blogger please submit your information at our contact us page and we will consider it.  

This week reflect on your own interactions. Identify biases you have and how you can make changes.

Wow this summer has been crazy! One thing after the other. We have just been going, going, and going. It seems life has a tendency to do that as we get preoccupied with sports, kids, family, work, and friends. All of those are good and important for our lives. However it leaves us with making decisions on our time and where we are going to be.

Here are some value worksheets that you might find beneficial if you need to hone in and discover what you really value in life. The first one is one created by Stephanie Frank and can be accessed by clicking here. It specifically breaks down principles and qualities to help you figure out exactly what decides your life.  This PDF from The Happiness Trap also has various value worksheets you can put to use.  I like page 3 and 5.  One other option is this personal values assessment worksheet which helps you narrow down your 5 main core values.  


Difficult Decisions

Many times figuring out our priorities also means we have to make tough decisions. We have to decide what is most important for us, our families, and others. There are a few techniques that you can use to help you with this.  

1. 10-10-10 Rule - When you have to make a decision is it important to think into the future a little. How will you feel about this decision 10 minutes from now, 10 months from now, and 10 years from now. 

4. Post Mortem - Especially with new ideas, projects, etc. its important to look at what circumstances might stop, kill, or end this endeavor. This helps you understand the pitfalls or things that may come up through the process so you can work to avoid them.  ​

Taking Time For Our Spiritual Life

Everyones values and priorities are different. This means some will have more emphasis on securing time for their spiritual life and others will not. I think the added benefits of taking time to develop our faith magnifies the other areas in our lives. Every month we have a post about spiritual practices in hopes people will take the time to find out what works for them. Spiritual practices enhance our connectedness to the divine. But our faith is so much more than just our personal time spent with God.  

I believe faith is to be lived out with others. Its the relationships we have with others that creates sacred community where we uphold compassion, belonging, and worth of all people. This is why scrambling around on Sunday morning or setting aside time to be with others in a faith community is vitally important.


​One of our past posts "Extending Our Faith" specifically talks about how church is more than just a building. If we are to truly grasp the hands of Jesus than we must be in the community with others. Sometimes this is serving meals, listening to a friend, or worshipping with people that are intertwined with your faith journey. Having a group that helps you ask questions and forms your faith is imperative if we are truly live the gospel message. Jesus traveled with others!  He could have went alone however he distinctively chose to be with people!


Community of Christ has an enduring principle of Blessings of Community. This principle emphasizes that the gospel of Jesus Christ is best lived in community life with others. This may be in solidarity with the poor, marginalized, or oppressed or creating communities of Christ's peace wherever we find ourselves. It is an understanding that we are in this together and even though I may have never met you, you and what you bring are a blessing. I love it because the concept changes who we are and how we interact with the world. It makes us throw away judgments and listen to the spirit that is ever present in the person right there with you. ​

Difficult decisions will always be in our midst however blessings of community await whichever way you go.  You just have to decide. Where do you want to spend your time? What values do you hold? I pray that you may find balance and peace with the decisions before you and experience the great depth and awesomeness of living your faith with others.  ​

I appreciate all the positive comments given about our blog! 

This week take one of the value worksheets above to figure out your personal values.