2.28.21 … “ Rest or pausing is important in the in-between times, or times of transition, which are vulnerable times in our lives. Our bodies are familiar with these times of pausing as we breathe, and we could learn from them. Noticing our breathing allows us to be in touch with who we are and open to the creativity of God in the pause.”

“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Lenten Labyrinth Walks (12/40), Myers Park Baptist Church – Charlotte NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:

I think I’ll concentrate on breathing and rest while I walk …

“We don’t always find it easy to wait for the next thing to happen. If we are impatient we are inclined to rush on from one thing to another, not stopping to savour, to pause, or to look back and take in more deeply what we have done, heard or experienced. Rest or pausing is important in the in-between times, or times of transition, which are vulnerable times in our lives. Our bodies are familiar with these times of pausing as we breathe, and we could learn from them. Noticing our breathing allows us to be in touch with who we are and open to the creativity of God in the pause. Our bodies prepare themselves for each new breath. Each breath pledges us again to our lives, to the world, and it also provides the energy to live.”

— The Resilient Disciple: A Lenten Journey from Adversity to Maturity by Justine Allain-Chapman

https://a.co/4gLdQdd

I returned to a favorite today. It was 71° and partly cloudy… I heard the roar of I saw. Maybe someone was doing some home improvements today. It’s Sunday.

Lots to make me relax. The birds were chirping, actually singing. I saw new growth on the adjacent bushes. I have been watching the trees for budding and have not noticed anything yet. That was really noticeable last night when I went out to see the full moon, the snow moon, and I was able to see the moon clearly while it was still down low below the tops of the trees. The was no budding, yet.

There were lots of walkers out today as I walked the labyrinth. A family with little girls in pink jackets and another group of women walking their dogs. They were all dressed more appropriately than me.

The landscapers have been here. Only a few leaves or other debris on the slab today.

I am wearing my winter wardrobe, and I realized that my color scheme matches the color scheme of the earth tones of this labyrinth: brown, black and cream. Very earthy. Maybe if I wear yellow next time, and I do have some yellow shoes, the daffodils will come up for me..That amused me.

I did see one lone bloom on the rosemary bushes adjacent to the labyrinth. Spring is coming.

… open to the creativity of God …

2.28.21

2.27.21 … Help, Thanks, Wow …

“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Lenten Labyrinth Walks (11/40), St. Stephen United Methodist Church – Charlotte NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:

In the last few days, someone recommended that I read Anne Lamott’ “Help, Thanks, Wow.” So I put it on my reserve list at the library, it appeared today and I picked it up. This paragraph was in the introduction…

“You may in fact be wondering what I even mean when I use the word “prayer.” It’s certainly not what TV Christians mean. It’s not for display purposes, like plastic sushi or neon. Prayer is private, even when we pray with others. It is communication from the heart to that which surpasses understanding. Let’s say it is communication from one’s heart to God. Or if that is too triggering or ludicrous a concept for you, to the Good, the force that is beyond our comprehension but that in our pain or supplication or relief we don’t need to define or have proof of or any established contact with. Let’s say it is what the Greeks called the Really Real, what lies within us, beyond the scrim of our values, positions, convictions, and wounds. Or let’s say it is a cry from deep within to Life or Love, with capital L’s.”

— Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott

https://a.co/3vIJvgK

I guess I should’ve expected it to be muddy, but it never crossed my mind. As I walked up, I realized that I was wearing the wrong shoes. I needed my Musser’s today. But the birds were chirping. It was overcast, cool, 50° with a light breeze.

I have been dealing with frustration, even anger, mine and that of others today. So that is what I’m going to leave on this crunch, crunch, crunch labyrinth.

I immediately thought of Nicole who I met last week at the Sharon Academy/former Wedgewood Church labyrinth. Nicole really liked the pebble path because she thought it made her clear her mind of her own thoughts. That is one of the purposes of the labyrinth. I tried to let that work for me.

There are 7 holly bushes to one side of this labyrinth. And they are filled with red berries. I assumed my friends the chirping birds have been enjoy these berries. Once, a few years ago, I bought a holiday wreath with fake holly berries for my front door. It was attacked by the birds. I hope I didn’t kill any.

Another thing interesting about the holly bushes was that they were sprouting new growth from the top. It was definitely just at the top. That made me smile.

At the center, I was again distracted by noises. I stood silently, but there was a large plane flying overhead and the roar of its engines drowned out everything.

I have been taking Albert with me regularly lately. For those of you that know Albert, he does not like to ride in the car. But he has gotten better in recent months, and I must think our former houseguest Johnny for that. And now I bring him with me and let him sit and watch me walk. I don’t think he minds.

Help, Thanks, Wow …

2.27.21

2.26.21 … “I walked the labyrinth today – a mystic way to pray –“

“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Lenten Labyrinth Walks (10/40), Finger Labyrinth @ Home – Charlotte NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:

Today is a cheat day! It’s raining and so I made the executive decision to listen to music, cook comfort food and walk on this printout of Jeff Saward’s Chartres labyrinth. I’m happy.

So here are the readings that struck a chord with me today:

“Solitude is one of the most precious things in the human spirit. It is different from loneliness. When you are lonely, you become acutely conscious of your own separation. Solitude can be a homecoming to your own deepest belonging. One of the lovely things about us as individuals is the incommensurable in us. In each person, there is a point of absolute nonconnection with everything else and with everyone. This is fascinating and frightening. It means that we cannot continue to seek outside ourselves for things we need from within. The blessings for which we hunger are not to be found in other places or people. These gifts can only be given to you by yourself. They are at home at the hearth of your soul.”

JOHN O’DONOHUE

Excerpt from the book, Anam Cara

Ordering Info: https://www.johnodonohue.com/store

And this from Henri Nouwen:

“Aren’t you, like me, hoping that some person, thing, or event will come along to give you that final feeling of inner well-being you desire? Don’t you often hope: “May this book, idea, course, trip, job, country, or relationship fulfill my deepest desire”? But as long as you are waiting for that mysterious moment you will go on running helter-skelter, always anxious and restless, always lustful and angry, never fully satisfied. You know that this is the compulsiveness that keeps us going and busy but at the same time makes us wonder whether we are getting anywhere in the long run. This is the way to spiritual exhaustion and burnout.”

Source: Henri Nouwen Society | Burnout – Henri Nouwen Society, https://henrinouwen.org/meditation/burnout/

And two labyrinth-y poems:

The Edges of the Labyrinth

I’ve always walked the edge

of self-determination,

being out ahead

and on my own, alone.

The edge can be precipitous –

a ledge or canyon far below –

So I am careful where I walk,

and feel the danger with each step.

I walked the edges – new to me –

on carpet, soft and easy on my feet.

And whether off or on the edge,

I couldn’t fall. I’m safe. At peace.

by Jan Christophersen

After being at Grace Cathedral, Feb. 11-14, 2005

The Labyrinth

I walked the labyrinth today –

a mystic way to pray –

and went within to find the gift,

the thought, that God might say.

The path is winding on and on.

I didn’t know it was so long.

I often thought I’d gone astray

and wasn’t sure where I belonged.

The center was so far inside…

You come so close, then step aside

before you reach that middle place,

but resting there, you find God’s grace.

And walking out is just as long,

but God is leading on and on.

And now I’m sure of where I step

for God is with me all along.

I walked the labyrinth today –

a mystic way to pray –

a winding way around and round,

but straight to God within, I found.

by Jan Chrisophersen

seashelljan@earthlink.net

I walked the labyrinth today –

a mystic way to pray –

2.26.21

2.25.21 … “Our way can be made smooth when we deliberately rest from the current struggle, put it aside in some way. Distractions can give our minds a rest, and going away relieves our bodies too.”

“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Lenten Labyrinth Walks (9/40), Providence Presbyterian Church – Charlotte NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:

I added another to my daily Lenten devotionals. At the suggestion of Marty, I tuned into Canterbury Cathedral’s morning prayer on Sunday and the Archbishop recommended Justine Allain-Chapman’s Lenten devotional.

“We can even out our own path by taking care of ourselves. Without self-care, we trip up and fall down unnecessarily. When we clear the path in front of our own house it means that the way is easier for others too. We don’t help ourselves or others if we don’t take time off. Our way can be made smooth when we deliberately rest from the current struggle, put it aside in some way. Distractions can give our minds a rest, and going away relieves our bodies too.”

— The Resilient Disciple: A Lenten Journey from Adversity to Maturity by Justine Allain-Chapman

https://a.co/6xAx5Sw

And I found this from a post from several years ago, from Donna Morris , Paris guide extraordinaire … “Lent is about finding ‘the still point of the turning world’ — the still point around which the world is turning, turning around you”. – Bishop Whalon at the American Cathedral.

Recently I discover and visited the labyrinth at Providence Presbyterian Church. I decided to head that way today. As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed the scope of the cemetery. It is a big and old cemetery. The oldest grave is from 1764. And there is a tent and a new grave. So the newest is from 2021.

I walked across the street to the cemetery and read the marker on the old rock outcropping. I then read the historical marker. I also noticed that there was a flag flying right next to the marker. It reminded me of a conversation I had had in one of my study classes at church about separation of church and state and whether federal, state and local flags should be flown in or on church grounds. What do you think?

The weather today is almost perfect. It is 65° and sunny. And there is a slight breeze.

And when I was leaving Providence Pres., I laughed at the whimsical sculpture dedicated to Dougi with the Erma Bombeck quote: “When I stand before God … I would hope that … I could say … ‘I used everything you gave me.’”

My labyrinth walks give me a “rest from the current struggle” and an opportunity to give my mind a rest. I certainly believe that i find ‘the still point of the turning world’, even if just for a few minutes. I hope that I am using the gifts God has given me.

And I happened upon my first daffodils of 2021!

2.25.21

Here is a description of the Lenten devotional described above:

“Alone on an 8-day retreat in the Egyptian desert, Justine Allain Chapman experienced first-hand the physical, spiritual and mental struggle many have endured before her. Our own desert experience may involve attending to challenges that come upon us suddenly—such as an illness or bereavement—or a difficult relationships or patterns of thinking that have long been draining us of life and joy.”

Source: The Resilient Disciple – InterVarsity Press, https://www.ivpress.com/the-resilient-disciple

2.24.21 … “The biblical Babel was a metaphor for the loss of human ability to communicate as a consequence of the rise ot different languages; but the foreignness of other tongues is a smokescreen. To express what one means. and to hear another means: this is a rare thing. Babel is profoundly destructive of our energies …

“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Lenten Labyrinth Walks (8/40), Sardis Baptist Church – Charlotte NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:

I am uncomfortable using theological words, i.e., incarnation, resurrection, sacred, holy, prayer, amen, and even more so philosophical vocabulary, i.e., existential, dispensational, egoism, fatalism. I’ve become more comfortable with spiritual language. But my vocabulary is based on my liberal arts education where I majored in economics with a strong background in Modern European History and more broadly Western Civ. So I’m pretty good with capitalism, communism, etc. So it is no surprise that I often have to read passages in my studies multiple times because I don’t use that vocabulary.

So I enjoyed this entry in Sister Wendy Beckett’s Art devotional where today’s featured art is Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s The Tower of Babel (c. 1563).

Beyond Babel

What silence principally armours us against is Babel: the endless foolish chatter, . words used to confound thought, words misused to ward off friendship or attachments, or words as occupation. The biblical Babel was a metaphor for the loss of human abilitv to communicate as a consequence of the rise ot different languages; but the foreignness of other tongues is a smokescreen. To express what one means. and to hear another means: this is a rare thing. Babel is profoundly destructive of our energies, as Bruegel so splendidiv shows. This monstrous tower is consuming all who labour on or near it We have an absolute need for quiet. for the heart’s wordless resting on God.”

And I also enjoyed this passage from Rohr and Borland, pp. 37-38, because it reminds me that ordinary experiences of nature can communicate across language, cultures and disciplines …

“What difference would it make to the quality of our lives, I wonder, if we spent a little more time in nature? Would paying attention to the life cycles of animals or the annual changes of landscapes give us an increased sense of respect for the environment? How would eating seasonal local food affect our patterns of consumption and our health and well-being? Ordinary experiences of nature, like these moments out on the water, can renew our sense of reverence and remind us of how deeply interconnected we all are.

As I return down the length of the bay, the sun sets, streaming pink hues across the darkening sky. The sheep in the solitary green field saunter down toward the cliff edge to take their place for the night. As the wavelets lap over my feet, the gentle breeze softens to a whisper. I take a deep breath of cold air and feel my body relax. I’m in heaven.”

I always look for the word #Rest. So this closing prayer for yesterday’s devotional in Nouwen’s “Show Me the Way” spoke to me.

Our Prayer

Why, O Lord, is it so hard for me

to keep my heart directed toward you?

Why does my mind wander off

in so many directions,

and why does my heart desire

the things that lead me astray?

Let me sense your presence

in the midst of my turmoil.

Take my tired body,

my confused mind,

and my restless soul into your arms

and give me rest— simple, quiet rest.

(p.35)

I went back today because I wanted to check on the daffodils. But when I arrived there was a teenager sitting with her back to me in the center of the labyrinth. I was overdressed for this glorious day. And Carolina girl was dressed more appropriately, perfectly. She was wearing shorts and a Carolina tshirt and she was crocheting.

I set one foot in front of the other. Carolina girl started to get up and leave and I convinced her that her presence was fine. I would enjoy her company.

I walked and noticed the birds singing and the acorns and the SUNSHINE!

I chatted with Carolina girl before I left. She is crocheting a purse. It is pink granny squares with a heart in the middle of each square. She said she had crocheted when she was young, but now that school is online, she had decided to take it back up. Next up, a blanket.

Carolina girl is a high school senior. I asked her what she was going to do next year, and she said, well I’m in Carolina but I’m waiting to hear from Northwestern, Yale, Vanderbilt, Tulane… Impressive. I did my usual sales job on Northwestern and Chicago. She was worried about the weather. So I kind of laughed to myself. Today it is 72° and sunny. I did tell her that Chicago does have sunshine, and they know how to deal with the cold and the snow. But still it must be unfathomable to someone who has never spent any time outside of the southeast where we almost always have a week in February where it is in the 70s and sunny. I did not tell her that is May weather in Chicago.

And I forgot to check on the daffodils.

My confused mind, my restless soul … give me rest— simple, quiet rest …

2.24.21

2.23.21 … “and that is enough so that we can bear more than we thought we could bear of loneliness, nothingness, otherness sin, silliness, sadness.“

“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Lenten Labyrinth Walks (7/40), Hobart Park @ Davidson College – Davidson NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks, kith/kin:

So I’ve pondered these today.

The Promise

by Madeleine L’Engle

You promised

well, actually you didn’t promise very much, did you?

but that little is enough

is more than enough.

We fail you

over and over again

but you promised to be faithful to us

not to let us fail

beyond your forgiveness of our failure.

In our common temptation

you promised

we would not be tempted more than we are able

you promised not to lead us into temptation

beyond our frail strength

and you

yourself

are our refuge in temptation

our escape from the pit

and that is enough

so that we can bear

more than we thought we could bear

of loneliness, nothingness, otherness

sin, silliness, sadness.

for thine is the kingdom and the other great fors:

forbearance, forgiveness,

fortitude,

forever.

this is what you promised

it is enough

it is everything.

~L’Engle, Madeleine.“The Promise”, from The Ordering of Love: The New and Collected Poems of Madeleine L’Engle. Shaw Books, 2005.

And from Nouwen’s “Show Me the Way,”

“ Once we have become poor, we can be a good host. It is indeed the paradox of hospitality that poverty makes a good host. Poverty is the inner disposition that allows us to take away our defenses and convert our enemies into friends. We can only perceive the stranger as an enemy as long as we have something to defend. But when we say, “Please enter—my house is your house, my joy is your joy, my sadness is your sadness, and my life is your life,” we have nothing to defend, since we have nothing to lose but all to give.” (p. 31)

I am meeting one of my favorite friends. She not only has indulged me and my idiosyncrasies; she has participated in my labyrinth walking. She was on her way from Louisville to Greensboro NC, and we had agreed to meet for a labyrinth walk and dinner in Davidson. I arrived before she did so I did a little early walk.

On the way up, I finished The Dearly Beloved, a book, fiction, that i am reading in a book study with my church. The study is unique for us because it is a work of fiction. So it is not necessarily telling us what the key issues, instead we have to discern and pick from the characters and plot. In the end, I could see myself in all of them characters, as well as my friends. It has been an interesting read.

One of the themes that keeps going through my mind this Lent is friendship. About a month ago I made a statement to someone I really love regarding friendship. I quickly realized that their perspective on friendship was vastly different from mine. So going forward, I think I will try to discern the friendship parameters that guide a person. I will try not to make assumptions. .

The passages that I have chosen for today, talk about certain promises from God. I struggle with those promises and understanding the words that are in the Lord‘s Prayer.

Again, another perfect day in the South. It must be close to 60 today, not a cloud in the sky and the sun’s bearing down on the end of the day.

I was on the campus of Davidson College. This is my college. And I have been blessed with being able to come back here frequently and see myself as a 19 to 22-year-old.

So I walked once by myself. I’m then sat in an Adirondack chair and listened … i heard And saw girls practicing some sport on Richardson Firld, lots of runners, an airplane above, a professor type walking his big white dog … and all the humans were wearing masks. I put mine on.

Interesting … I’ve seen 3 skateboarders. I’m not sure I’ve ever noticed one here before.

And then RA arrived. Albert was ecstatic to see her. We walked and talked.

We followed that with dinner ar Kindred and dessert and coffee at Flat Iron.

Ruth Ann is the epitome of hospitality. “Please enter—my house is your house, my joy is your joy, my sadness is your sadness, and my life is your life,” we have nothing to defend, since we have nothing to lose but all to give.”

And I’m still wondering why Madeleine L’Engle included “silliness” in her poem.

and that is enough

so that we can bear

more than we thought we could bear

of loneliness, nothingness, otherness

sin, silliness, sadness.

My joy is your joy …

2.23.21

2.22.21 …

“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Lenten Labyrinth Walks (6/40), Mercer University – Atlanta Campus-Atlanta GA, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:

To ponder …

“We can learn so much from nature by simply observing how it works through a flower. The flower knows it is part of nature. We have forgotten that.”

– Thomas Sterner

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting — over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

– Mary Oliver

Today was a Driving [to] Mama Lindsey… Because the Covid rates have gone down in Georgia, Lenbrook now permits outside visitation. Honestly, I had no idea if my mom would be available. I have been getting very limited updates. So I scheduled a visit and decided to make it a day trip. I never know when the last visit will be.

I set out early to drive to Atlanta and back. It poured the whole way down, but still I made good time. I was going to see my mom.

I made such good time that I detoured the mile or so to Mercer’s labyrinth. As I pulled up I saw construction orange fences, just like Saturday. Oh, no, was the labyrinth still there? Massive construction, but, yes, under last year’s leaves, the labyrinth was still there. This is another “crunch, crunch, crunch” labyrinth. But it was almost silent under the rustle of leaves. I guess I prefer leaves to rocks.

After my very quick walk, I walked Albert very quickly, and then went to Lenbrook. Honestly, I did not know what I would find. Would she be able to come down to the party tent in the garage? Would she be awake? Would she know me? Would I know her? Yes, yes, yes and yes! She was little bit of herself. After we chatted, we even laughed, we FaceTimed with both my brother and my sister … I felt whole.

And then I made the 4 hour trip back. I thought about Wild Geese. Oliver seems to have a keen understanding of humanity’s restlessness and sense of displacement. Does she ask me to look to nature for the answers to my questions?

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting — over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

And of course I saw no flowers today, other than to be welcomed home by my breakfast room table.

Imagination … place … in the family of things …

2.22.21

2.21.21 … “How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a loaf of bread? Depends how thin you cut it. How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live ’em. How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give ’em.”

“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Lenten Labyrinth Walks (5/40), MorningStar Lutheran Chapel – Mint Hill NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:

My selected passages for today …

To See and Hear

“If we want to support each other’s inner lives, we must remember a simple truth: the human soul does not want to be fixed, it wants simply to be seen and heard. If we want to see and hear a person’s soul, there is another truth we must remember: the soul is like a wild animal – tough, resilient, and yet shy. When we go crashing through the woods shouting for it to come out so we can help it, the soul will stay in hiding. But if we are willing to sit quietly and wait for a while, the soul may show itself. “

Source: Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach

“How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a loaf of bread? Depends how thin you cut it. How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live ’em. How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give ’em.”

― Shel Silverstein

I ventured out before 11 with Albert. I picked up Carol and off we went.

We talked the whole way to Mint Hill. We have been walking life together a great deal this past few years. I have commented to several that friends have been my strength during this hard time.

“How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give ’em.”

My friends give me an enormous amount of love. I have the type of friends that sit with me. I am seen and heard … and loved.

So how was today’s walk? Perfect! It was 45° and sunny. Albert didn’t fret too much on the ride over and was peaceful as we walked. There was a constant light wind so the chimes were melodic and not chaotic. The fountains provided a refreshing white noise in the background.

After walking the labyrinth, we walked the graveyard. It was lovely reading the names and wondering about their lives.

Thank you, Carol, for today. Thank you, dear friends, for every day.

I feel loved.

2.21.21

And I must share an excerpt from Kate Bowler’s Lenten email for today, “Feast Days: LiberTea”:

“Well here’s a change. This is our first Sunday together in Lent, where we explore the break that Sundays were always meant to be. Rest, a time set apart. Lent lasts for 40 days, but Sundays don’t count. They are a day off from whatever you are abstaining from during Lent, a day to remind us that we are made for both—the grief and the joy. And strangely, this might feel like a hard thing to do—to make yourself stop working or worrying or finding distractions—and really rest. But I invite you to reinvent this part of your life and take on something of another time, another culture. Typically Christians have always considered Sundays the day of Sabbath rest, and the Mennonites that I grew up with (you beautiful creatures) go to church in the morning and then have a nap in the afternoon, a Sunday “Schlop.”

So today, simmer down if you can. … “

2.20.21 … “No, thin places are much deeper than that. They are locales where the distance between heaven and earth collapses and we’re able to catch glimpses of the divine, or the transcendent or, as I like to think of it, the Infinite Whatever.”

“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Lenten Labyrinth Walks (4/40), Sharon Academy (formerly Wedgewood Church) – Charlotte NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:

Last night I selected three passages/quotes to focus on. At the time, I was not certain of where or when I would walk.

1. The Practice of the Presence – Brother Lawrence – “There is nothing in the world as delightful as a continual walk with God. Only those who have experienced it can comprehend it. And yet I do not recommend that you seek it solely because it is so enjoyable. Do it because of love, and because it is what God wants. If I were a preacher, the one thing that I would preach about more than anything else is the practice of the presence of God.” Source: The Practice of the Presence of God

2. Anais Nin – “We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.”

3. And finally Eric Weiner’s discussion of thin places in NYT: Where Heaven and Earth Come Closer, https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/travel/thin-places-where-we-are-jolted-out-of-old-ways-of-seeing-the-world.html?referringSource=articleShare

“I’m drawn to places that beguile and inspire, sedate and stir, places where, for a few blissful moments I loosen my death grip on life, and can breathe again. It turns out these destinations have a name: thin places. 

It is, admittedly, an odd term. One could be forgiven for thinking that thin places describe skinny nations (see Chile) or perhaps cities populated by thin people (see Los Angeles). No, thin places are much deeper than that. They are locales where the distance between heaven and earth collapses and we’re able to catch glimpses of the divine, or the transcendent or, as I like to think of it, the Infinite Whatever.”

Not knowing which passage I would choose or which labyrinth, I headed out today. I wanted to stay close and not repeat myself, yet. So I headed toward Wedgewood. On the way, I remembered that the church had been sold and that a school was going in. I wondered to myself if the school would keep the labyrinth. I would hate to lose another one, like the one formerly at South Tryon UMC. I leave a bit of myself and sense that others before me have also left a bit. I view labyrinths as old friends, albeit holy friends. And they are often thin places if I let them be. Aha, today I would ponder the passage on thin places.

As I pulled up on Fairview, I immediately noticed the orange construction barriers and the large Deere backhoe. Oh no, am I going to lose this one?

Rarely do I find other people at a labyrinth. I did today. I approached and asked the woman if she minded sharing. She said, no, and we began to chat as we walked. I quickly learned that she is going to write her graduate school thesis on building a labyrinth. That fascinated me. Her name was Nicole and she is originally from Buffalo and is getting her graduate degree from Buffalo State.

One of the first comments out of my mouth was that I was not as fond of this labyrinth because of the pebbles that make up the path. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Nicole noted that it was one of her favorite things about it. Her driveway has similar gravel and she was thinking that it helped clear her mind. That is what is unique about labyrinths as everyone has different stimulations and triggers. I love that. She also is favoring the classical labyrinth over the Chartres because of its history, that the classical pattern is much, much older. I favor the Chartres. Again, I love that. Labyrinths speak to different people in different ways. But yet, if you are open, they speak universally to all.

I told of my 10 year history of walking labyrinths at Lent. I told her that I view labyrinths as thin places. And that everyone who walks leaves some of their energy. I thought of the Weiner quote above, but didn’t say it. I did not want to get too spiritual on her. But for me, they are, as Weiner described, thin places where “the distance between heaven and earth collapses” and “where we can catch glimpses of the ‘Infinite Whatever.’” Or maybe just the Whatever.

Nicole finished and left. I gave her my blog site. I hope she connects and maybe we can walk again. I, then, completed my walk

And now I am energized about my 2021 Lenten Labyrinth Walks.

And of course today it is 50+ degrees and brilliantly sunny and my shadow is walking with me.

2.20.21

2.19.21 … “I learned that mystery doesn’t mean that something is unknowable; it merely points to the fact that there are endless ways of seeing that same thing . My job is to let go of enough order and control so I can experience life’s mysteries in full.”

“Solvitur Ambulando” – It is solved by walking, 2021 Lenten Labyrinth Walks (3/40), Myers Park Baptist Church – Charlotte NC, 2021 Labyrinth Walks:

During Lent, I notice things. I notice what other people post. And a friend who attends Christ Church, a large Episcopal church in Charlotte NC, posted this Ash Wednesday post from her priest.

Living Well Through Lent – February 17, 2021,

https://mailchi.mp/4d5dc3497e93/living-well-through-lent-february-17-2021?fbclid=IwAR3bJSM94Kis5-Sng4G6FpF_ffbDx8FZybxH3MnAl9JHe6xVXBpctJOIOvE

“Ash Wednesday is the start to a season inviting us to set aside or stop whatever gets in the way of our listening well. The letters in the word “listen” can be rearranged to spell “silent.” I am not any good at silence. But I don’t think God yells, so if I want to hear God, I must get quiet. It is lovely to imagine that I might delight God by the way I listen.

And another that I follow, posted this from her church, St. Luke’s in Atlanta.

“I have especially been longing to honor in our church home our St. Luke’s friends who have died in the past year. To share our sadness and to find strength together in the promises of Christ.

What is the Good News in all of this? I am relearning what really feeds me. Long walks into God’s green and golden woods. Outdoor Mass and in-person prayer services, regardless of denomination. The birds at our feeder. Distanced visits with St. Luke’s sisters and brothers – where the best thing on the menu is to just gaze at one another with love.”

And I love Jill’s post of Jacob Wrestling with the Angel yesterday! See below…

And from my selected studies …

“I learned that mystery doesn’t mean that something is unknowable; it merely points to the fact that there are endless ways of seeing that same thing . My job is to let go of enough order and control so I can experience life’s mysteries in full.” (Every Thing Is Sacred: 40 Practices and Reflections on the Universal Christ – Page 20)

I am essentially a rule follower. So as I drove the circle before parking near the labyrinth at Myers Park Baptist, I noticed a large sign telling me that masks are required on campus. I have my mask…

As I drive to the labyrinth each day, I always think about the weather. Today was gray and overcast and cool, but not cold. Besides the mask requirement sign, I also noticed the Friendship Garden. I wondered if they are about to start planting because there’s a large pile of very dark earth. And the birds, hawks maybe, were noisy today.

The late afternoon sun was trying to burn through the clouds and as I walked, I got glimpses of my shadow.

It was colder than expected. I think it was because of the dampness. A little sun would have been helpful.

I heard a helicopter overhead. Maybe because helicopters were not and still are not ordinary things, I have always assumed when I hear one that it is a police helicopter or a medical rescue/ambulance helicopter. Growing up, I thought that helicopter travel would be more ordinary by this point in my life. I grew up with The Jetsons.

But there are some things that are extraordinary that have happened in my lifetime. The Internet and my ability to communicate via text and voice instantaneously being just one. And space travel. Perseverance landed on Mars yesterday. It contains a drone helicopter and for the first time the ability to transmit sound.

And as I walked at 3:30 PM, the church bells chimed, and I thought chiming bells have been a part of life for centuries, if not eons.

I wonder what noises will be heard on Mars. Or will there just be the sound of the drone in Mar’s silence?

Silence … Sharing sadness … relearning what feeds me … mystery. Yes, life is a mystery.

2.19.21