All are invited to walk the outdoor Labyrinth, located on church grounds at the intersection of Beach Street and Park Place, any day of the year during daylight hours. Come alone or with others for a prayerful, meditative walk as often as you’d like.

As Seen on NBC’s Today Show

NBC’s Today Show featured our labyrinth with Pastor Ruth and designer/creator Carlos Monteagudo in an episode that aired Jan. 30, 2023.

Here is the link: https://www.today.com/video/labyrinth-walking-inside-the-therapeutic-option-for-meditation-162107973947. The Church on the Green segment may be viewed at the 03:00 mark.

What is a Labyrinth?

A labyrinth is a circular path that leads from the entrance to the center and back out. It is a spiritual tool, not a maze. The practice of walking a labyrinth integrates the body with the mind and the mind with the spirit.

What can I expect?

While there is no right way or wrong way to walk a labyrinth, you are invited to think of your walk in three stages:

• Release: As you begin, release thoughts, concerns, worries. Be aware of your breathing. Relax and move at y our own pace.
• Receive: At the center of the labyrinth, stay as long as you’d like. Meditate, pray, open yourself to receive what God is giving.
• Return: As you finish your walk, invite God to help you integrate the gifts received and return to everyday tasks with heightened spiritual awareness.

A labyrinth walk yields different experiences and insights for every person, every time. You may feel nothing or you may have a powerful reaction. Listen to your heart. Be open. Take all the time you need.

Background and History

“The labyrinth was a central feature in many of the European Roman Catholic churches in the middle ages and many of these still exist today. The most famous of these remaining labyrinths is at Chartres Cathedral near Paris, France… built around 1200. It was walked as a pilgrimage and/or for repentance. As a pilgrimage, it was a journey to become closer to God. When used for repentance, the pilgrims would walk on their knees. Sometimes this eleven-circuit labyrinth would serve as a substitute for an actual pilgrimage to Jerusalem…” https://labyrinthsociety.org/faqs

Our Labyrinth

The Church on the Green labyrinth matches the size and design of the labyrinth at the Chartres Cathedral in France. It was designed and installed by Elder Carlos Monteagudo during the Covid-19 pandemic, with funding from the Presbytery of Newark. From time to time the church holds outdoor worship services and concerts on the Labyrinth. To mark the beginning of Advent, we offer an Illuminated Labyrinth Walk.

Etiquette

When you meet others while walking, simply step aside and then continue. If you wish to pass a slower walker you may do so. People generally walk a labyrinth in silence.