Something Strange ...

..... something weird and wonderful has happened at Manor Church Centre between 1-11 July 2004. In an exciting new venture the church installed a labyrinth. The complex design of silver zigzag lines covered part of the church floor and provided a focus for prayer and a unique meditation-like journey towards self-discovery and heightened self-awareness.

The labyrinth is an ancient aid for spiritual journeys, they were used in the Middle Ages by the European Church to enable pilgrims who could not travel to Jerusalem to experience the spiritual essence of the journey. Today labyrinths have become a focus for modern day "pilgrims". It's for anyone who wants a break from 'surfing the surface of culture' to contemplate the deeper things of life. The labyrinth reshapes a 12th-century ritual for the 21st century. Its maze-like path takes you on a symbolic journey and creates space to unwind and think - in particular about our relationships with ourselves, one another, our planet and God.

People walk the labyrinth as an aid to contemplative prayer and reflection, as a spiritual exercise, or as a form of pilgrimage. The journey includes music, meditations, art, media and symbolic activities at intervals along the path. Participants walk the labyrinth with a CD player and headphones, in their own relaxing sound-world, and at their own pace, taking around an hour to complete the journey.

More...: See Labyrinths and Mazes