CHURCH OF THE SERVANT
The first known labyrinth in Wilmington was installed at Church
of the Servant in 1996. A small group from the Episcopal church
attended a retreat in the North Carolina mountains and came back
transformed by the experience of the prayer labyrinth there. At the
same time, the congregation had outgrown its small building and
needed a new sanctuary. The timing felt providential — church
members could incorporate a labyrinth into their new worship space.
When the pattern was imprinted onto the floor, it transformed the
room in an intangible but significant way, says Ginny Lundeen, one
of a small group of Labyrinth Keepers who facilitate visits.
“Before it was just a floor and walls, and then after the labyrinth
was added I walked into the room and it felt sacred,” she says.
The labyrinth at Church of the Servant is a three-quarter scale replica
of the winding walk at Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France, perhaps
the most famous one in the world. The 11-circuit labyrinth in the tradi-tional
medieval Christian style takes 30 minutes to an hour to walk, its
pattern designed to allow ample time for prayer and meditation.
The version at Church of the Servant is intended to create a space
for congregants and visitors to connect with God in a new way.
So many times in church, you don’t participate,” Labyrinth Keeper
Jan Christopherson says. “You sit and listen. A labyrinth is a medita-tion
you do with your whole body.”
The labyrinth is open to the public on the third weekend of every
month, with additional events during Holy Week and on New Year’s Eve.
Do you know of more labyrinths in our area or have unique pictures of the labyrinths in this story? Share your labyrinth finds and photos
via our Facebook page at facebook.com/wrightsvillebeachmag.
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WBM january 2020
ALLISON POTTER