Walking Psalm 51

Last week, to finish up a Lenten Sunday School series on creative prayer forms, we explored prayer labyrinths a bit. The folks in the class were kind of mixed when it came to experience with labyrinths. Some of us were seasoned walkers, others had never heard of anything like it.

There's nothing like learning through experience, and since my congregation does not have a labyrinth of walking size, a friend and I created on in the Fellowship Hall. Never underestimate the possibilities of two women with a box of sidewalk chalk! For a few hours and with the help of coffee and a pattern, we measured and taped and chalked,

(masking tape is your friend)

added a few little details,

and some text.

The result was a rough but rather pretty labyrinth ready for the walking feet of the adult Sunday School class the next morning. Soft music, a bowl of water at the center and some colored stones created some tangible elements during the class.

Kari summed part of the day up in video form for you viewing enjoyment.

Much of the joy of this day for me was in how this lovely prayer form flowed right into the context of the services we had come out of or were walking into. The sermon this day was on Psalm 51. If you desire to read it, the text of both can be found here. But more importantly, I realized that we took the time to hear the word of God on repentance and then gave the folks of the congregation a tool, even if it was an unfamiliar tool, to do something with it. This is the joy of ministry that is starting to take hold in my spirit, and I thank God daily for opportunities such as this.

I've walked this labyrinth myself several times this week as it slowly surrenders to the vacuum and fades. And I've kept Psalm 51 close to my heart. Those words of the psalmist have brought me to more self-awareness this week than ever before. As my feet follow the curves and my heart sings those lines, brokenness is not a negative. It's the first step to healing, healing in the arms of the God who loves me. The God who loves you. Psalm 51 is a marvelous invitation to repentance, restoration and response. As you walk these last days of your own Lenten journey, perhaps that speaks to your soul a word of God's most precious peace.

Blessings on your week.

~Leslie