Labyrinths! One of my favorite bodily kinesthetic ways to worship and experience God.
If you have no idea what a labyrinth is that is just fine! The quick and dirty of what a Labyrinth is can be found here, here, and here.
Great! Now that you have an idea of what a labyrinth is, it is time for you to experience one. Labyrinth Locator is a great resource to find the labyrinths that are closest geographically to you.
If you can't find one, then look at you trend setter! Use your favorite search engine and use the term "labyrinth". Print out an image of your find, and use a finger or pencil to follow the pattern.
Now that we went through that, lets say that you are interested in building a labyrinth for your church, community, or even your own backyard!
Here are the steps you can follow to make your very own labyrinth!
If you have no idea what a labyrinth is that is just fine! The quick and dirty of what a Labyrinth is can be found here, here, and here.
Great! Now that you have an idea of what a labyrinth is, it is time for you to experience one. Labyrinth Locator is a great resource to find the labyrinths that are closest geographically to you.
If you can't find one, then look at you trend setter! Use your favorite search engine and use the term "labyrinth". Print out an image of your find, and use a finger or pencil to follow the pattern.
Now that we went through that, lets say that you are interested in building a labyrinth for your church, community, or even your own backyard!
Here are the steps you can follow to make your very own labyrinth!
1. Space
How much space do you have? Do you have a space of 20' x 20'? or less? The smaller the space the fewer lanes you want to have. Each lane or pathway needs to be about 20' wide for people to easily follow the pattern and route.
Where are you going to be placing this Labyrinth? Many people want to use these Labyrinths as part of their contemplative prayer practices. It would be good to be mindful how much noise is in the area.
Many of the Labyrinth designs are in the shape of a circle. Those for me are the easiest to build. Just think of each pathway as a circle within a circle. The biggest circle is the size of the whole labyrinth, go in 20" from the edge and you will have your next path. Continue the sequence until you have a large enough center circle. This way when you add other middle paths you will already have the larger form created.
2. Design
You will want to use your favorite search engines for this. Labyrinths have a long history, and have been built in many different ways. There is a wealth of information out there to help you design your labyrinth. Keep in mind the size of your space when deciding upon a particular design. Also you can poll your groups or congregations about the most popular design.
3. Materials
First question- Where are you building this?
If you are building this outside then you will want materials that don't degrade in the weather. Bricks, stones, and even colored glass can be great ways to build your labyrinths outside. If you are building it inside, then you can choose things like canvas to make it transportable and not quite as permanent.
Second question- What is your cost?
Canvas and paint may be inexpensive, but the human power to care for it and continuously put it away might be expensive. Bricks might be cheap for you, but the expense of hauling them might be too much. Involve your community and see not only the initial cost, but the long term cost of care.
4. Building
Pre-Build, Talking it Up! Take advantage of social media! Create a Facebook group where you can start talking about it ahead of time. Post pictures and information about Labyrinths, and even use it for project updates!
Take advantage of inspired groups of individuals that would want to be involved! You can build them in one event or over a particular season. It would be good to have all the building supplies in grouped areas that are easily accessible for builders.
Assembly Lines!! What I did once in building a brick labyrinth was have all the Youth come in assembly line with each brick. A small group of us stayed at the labyrinth to point out where each brick got placed next, but each member placed each brick one at a time.
5. Maintenance
If your Labyrinth is outdoors, you will need to check the paths and/ or rake leaves. If your Labyrinth is indoors, you may need to re-paint lines and/ or find a safe place of storage (beware moisture). Don't let your labyrinth get lost or forgotten. These things last longer if they are used and cared for.
Now that you have completed your labyrinth, show it off! Add it to the Labyrinth Locator! Make it part of your worship time. Use it during retreats, or as part of a commissioning service. Be creative!
Please comment your Labyrinth ideas below! And if you email me pictures of your Labyrinths you have come across or built, I will post them on a future blog! Also I will be writing Labyrinth liturgies in the coming future!
How much space do you have? Do you have a space of 20' x 20'? or less? The smaller the space the fewer lanes you want to have. Each lane or pathway needs to be about 20' wide for people to easily follow the pattern and route.
Where are you going to be placing this Labyrinth? Many people want to use these Labyrinths as part of their contemplative prayer practices. It would be good to be mindful how much noise is in the area.
Many of the Labyrinth designs are in the shape of a circle. Those for me are the easiest to build. Just think of each pathway as a circle within a circle. The biggest circle is the size of the whole labyrinth, go in 20" from the edge and you will have your next path. Continue the sequence until you have a large enough center circle. This way when you add other middle paths you will already have the larger form created.
2. Design
You will want to use your favorite search engines for this. Labyrinths have a long history, and have been built in many different ways. There is a wealth of information out there to help you design your labyrinth. Keep in mind the size of your space when deciding upon a particular design. Also you can poll your groups or congregations about the most popular design.
3. Materials
First question- Where are you building this?
If you are building this outside then you will want materials that don't degrade in the weather. Bricks, stones, and even colored glass can be great ways to build your labyrinths outside. If you are building it inside, then you can choose things like canvas to make it transportable and not quite as permanent.
Second question- What is your cost?
Canvas and paint may be inexpensive, but the human power to care for it and continuously put it away might be expensive. Bricks might be cheap for you, but the expense of hauling them might be too much. Involve your community and see not only the initial cost, but the long term cost of care.
4. Building
Pre-Build, Talking it Up! Take advantage of social media! Create a Facebook group where you can start talking about it ahead of time. Post pictures and information about Labyrinths, and even use it for project updates!
Take advantage of inspired groups of individuals that would want to be involved! You can build them in one event or over a particular season. It would be good to have all the building supplies in grouped areas that are easily accessible for builders.
Assembly Lines!! What I did once in building a brick labyrinth was have all the Youth come in assembly line with each brick. A small group of us stayed at the labyrinth to point out where each brick got placed next, but each member placed each brick one at a time.
5. Maintenance
If your Labyrinth is outdoors, you will need to check the paths and/ or rake leaves. If your Labyrinth is indoors, you may need to re-paint lines and/ or find a safe place of storage (beware moisture). Don't let your labyrinth get lost or forgotten. These things last longer if they are used and cared for.
Now that you have completed your labyrinth, show it off! Add it to the Labyrinth Locator! Make it part of your worship time. Use it during retreats, or as part of a commissioning service. Be creative!
Please comment your Labyrinth ideas below! And if you email me pictures of your Labyrinths you have come across or built, I will post them on a future blog! Also I will be writing Labyrinth liturgies in the coming future!