HIGH COUNTRY LABYRINTH
PRAYERS
When I built the labyrinth back in 2020, I began to write haikus and poetry while meditating in the center. For nearly 5 years that poetry lingered in an unfinished blog. Upon inviting my church women's group out for 'labyrinth luncheon', I took the time to clean up the weeds, and then dedicate the following month to put that poetry into my prayers. Gradually you will see the various painted rocks appear as I 'build' the labyrinth words over the next 30 days. Photos taken over the years will be included. Don't confuse the date of the prayer with the date listed under the haiku. I am simply using the haikus in the order they were written back in 2020.
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Rocks: Be Still, ...and Know God.
The stones above the entrance are memorial stones to family and friends who
have passed in the last few years. |
Sometimes the poetry written is too long to include in the prayer picture. Here is one written early on (and adapted frequently) that I would say as I entered the path. The poem concentrates on experiencing the labyrinth time with ALL the senses.
LABYRINTH
PRAYER
Be
still. (Breathe deeply)
Be
still and feel God’s presence
Within
and all around.
Be
still and see God’s glory
In
Creation that surrounds.
Be
still and hear God’s voice (whisper)
In
the birdsong overhead (silence that surrounds)
Be
still and smell God’s fragrance
In
the wildflowers that abound.
Be
still and taste God’s goodness
In
the abundance of the fertile earth.
Be
still and touch God’s love
In
all life everywhere.
Be
still, be aware, be conscious of God
Within
and all around
Be
still….and KNOW God.
Be
still and EXPERIENCE God.
Be
still. (Breathe deeply)
4.29.20
Adapted frequently
LISTENING
for
GOD
I
walk the winding path
Out
from the labyrinth center
Away
from a time of prayer,
and
I listen…
I
listen for the voice of God.
My
eyes are virtually closed
But
my ears are open,
Ready…..
receptive to hear your voice.
How
do you speak to me this day, Lord?
Chickens
cackle and ravens caw
Geese
honk alonside the
The
songbird choir
A
hawk’s cry pierces the air
against
the constant pidgeon coo
My
ears sense the low hum of a fly
as it wings past my head.
Do
you speak, O God…
In
the crunch of my footsteps on the dry grass
or
the rush of wind in the trees?
The
braying of the mule or the barking of neighbor dogs?
The
drone of cars far off on Wingville road,
the
roar of an airplane passing overhead,
or
the whistle of train on distant tracks?
I
pause and listen...
Lawn
mower music
The
throb of a generator
The
pounding of construction
Encouraging
sounds of people back to work
during
the pandemic threat
Words
of hope from you, O God?
In
the diversity of sounds…
I
pause and listen
For
you speak in a medley of ways
to
a diverse world
We
each must hear for ourselves…
So
I listen, Lord.
May
I hear what you have to say
And
then, may I act…
May
I put your words to life
In
obedience
I
come to the end of the path
and
as I open my eyes
I
focus on the stones written...
“Be
Still and Know God”
Be
still and hear God.
Be
still. Listen.
God
is speaking.
Amen.
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| Rock: World |
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| Rock: Listen |
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Rock: Baker Community
|
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| Rock: Praise! and Lord's Prayer |
Bovine
Conversation
I
had a long chat today
With
a black angus cow -
I
from my labyrinth center
She
from under the tree
Her
friends had left
And
she alone remained
Staring
at me with curiosity.
I
began to speak…
gentle
words of inquiry
She
replied with low moos
I
spoke to her my Spanish Bible verses
She
replied...in her own cow language
She
came over close to the fence
And
we continued our conversation.
Slowly
she began to move away,
But
when I began to shift away,
singing
out from labyrinth center…
She
paused as she heard my song.
Frozen,
she listened, eyes locked on me
When
I stopped walking and singing,
She
responded,
Plodding
off with a chorus of moos
Just
to demonstrate that she, too,
Could
sing and walk as well. (6.22.20)
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| Rock: Heiwa - Japanese Peace |
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| Memory stones for Jay Carr and Bill Fessel placed. |
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| Rock: Tutkium - Innuit for Peace |
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| Rock: Amani
– Swahili for Peace |
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| Rock: Pace - Scottish for Peace |
And that's it for my labyrinth prayers....for now!!
