Beginning on Wednesday, May 7, we will be resurrecting our Labyrinth Ministry at ELPC. And now you’ll be able to use the Labyrinth on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 am–7 pm, in the McKelvy Room.
The Labyrinth Ministry has been a staple Spiritual Life offering since 1996—almost 30 years at ELPC. It was one of the first churches in the Pittsburgh region to develop a Labyrinth Ministry. It had become an integral part of our diverse, multicultural congregation, and it serves as a bridge for reaching seekers and
friends of all faiths.
During the pandemic, it was discontinued. Over the past few years, I have received multiple inquiries each month from friends and members of ELPC, neighbors and residents of Pittsburgh far and wide, asking when it would be regularly open again. The Spiritual Life Committee discerned that we should seek to resurrect it and have it run by a ministry team. I was overwhelmed by the response and interest. Thanks be to God, we have 12 people who will be doing the work to set up our Labyrinth and tear it down every week!
If you are not familiar with the Labyrinth, it is an ancient, sacred symbol found in many religious traditions throughout the world. During the Middle Ages, Labyrinths were prominent in numerous cathedrals in Europe, where Christians walked floor labyrinths or traced their fingers along the carved ridges of wall Labyrinths. For medieval Christians, the Labyrinth was a symbolic pilgrimage: instead of taking a costly and dangerous pilgrimage to Jerusalem, worshipers made a symbolic journey on a cathedral Labyrinth. Today, modern pilgrims, across many spiritual traditions, walk the Labyrinth as one of many ways to pray and meditate. The winding path into the center and back out again is a metaphor for the journeys of life and faith. Unlike a maze, which has many paths and is a puzzle to solve, the Labyrinth is a single path in and a single path out and is designed to quiet the mind for prayer and meditation.
We hope you will come on Wednesdays or Thursdays, between 10 am and 7 pm, to enjoy some quiet space to reflect, meditate, pray, and simply be. Please also spread the word among your neighbors, friends, and co-workers that they too may come and walk/pray the Labyrinth and find a place of respite and reflection.
- Pastor BJ
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