A labyrinth journey

The Very Rev Albert Bogle reflects on the power of journey.

SHE looked aged around thirteen or fourteen, quietly and thoughtfully walking through the candlelit labyrinth.

She never attended on a Sunday but church for her was about fellowship and belonging. This was a good place for her to be. It was just a few days before Christmas.

She stopped at each station occasionally adjusting the headphones that were plugged into the MP3 player she was holding in her hand. She was listening to the greatest story ever told. She found herself on a parallel journey. She heard of travellers who were searching for meaning in life, looking for signs and wonders, who had been betrayed and lied to, and she began to think of her own life journey. She too was searching for someone - something? The story drew her in, she felt at ease hidden amid the candlelight.

When she came to the station that asked her to write the gift she would carry to the centre of the labyrinth to present to the Christ child, she thought and wrote carefully on the paper and placed it in the envelope and carried it carefully in her hand alongside the MP3 player.

When she finally reached the centre of the labyrinyth she placed the envelope in the manger beside the baby. She moved on and gradually found herself at the station where children died at that hands of evil men and the holy family had become refugees in Egypt. The significance was not lost on her, she was back in the real world.

The final station had bread and wine and an invitation to partake. She stood over the elements wondering if she was included in the invitation. Then she came across to me: “Can I take the bread and wine?” she asked. I smiled and said: “What did you take to Jesus as a gift?” She said ever so quietly, “I gave him my heart.”

I watched her take the bread and wine and quietly leave the church and I thought to myself, there are more believers out there than we might ever imagine.

If you’d like to go on the journey that the young teenager went on that day you can find the soundtrack to the Labyrinth on the Sanctuary First website or app www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk/resources/view/advent-labyrinth. If you’d like to find out how you could install your own labyrinth in your church using the Sanctuary First soundtrack and recreating the twelve stations feel free to be in touch with us at contact@sanctuary first.org.uk.

As this will be my last article as minister of Sanctuary First I’d like to take this opportunity of thanking you all for the words of encouragement I’ve received when writing this column over the years and I know you will welcome the contributions from my successor, the Rev Ruth Kennedy.