a blog by howard jameson @ gatheringgrace.org

Advent Labyrinth (again)

Love doing this sort of thing, but very time consuming to set up solo!

I would recommend anybody trying it. If you want to make a labyrinth then there is my category about making one. I made this and it is a portable one (all fits into a medium stacker box) but, as I discovered here, it is not ideal for use on a wood and/or tiled floor. I need to come up with something different if I do this again in Winsley.

This pdf file

Download advent_labyrinth_text_2006.PDF

contains all the stations texts and stuff plus some side stations for people to engage with whilst they wait their turn.

Advent labyrinth pt 11

A photo of the labyrinth in operation. As you can see it looks a little congested. This could be reduced by reducing the number of stations and/or by taking out some of the boundary lines so that the spaces at the stations are larger.

I was very pleased with how it went, and have some ideas for improving it in future. Ideally the solution for the congestion problem would be to increase the width of the paths from 0.5 mtr to, say, 0.7 mtr, but that would increase the floor space required. As mentioned earlier this is a problem where we are. I am probably going to do another labyrinth in February in Salisbury, but whether I can muster energy to make new mats is another question.

Advent labyrinth pt 10

Wooow!!

20 of us were there aged from 15 to 70+. Most people went round the labyrinth, some seemed to be happy just being quiet, praying silently, watching some visuals and listening to quiet music. Some great feedback as well.

Will post more tomorrow with some pics and quotes.

Advent labyrinth pt 9

This pdf file is the text for the various stations on the labyrinth.

Download advent_labyrinth_text.PDF

Advent labyrinth pt 8

Thanks to those who have commented ideas and suggestions. I will change the station about the buried talents, as Richard commented.

I am also going to start using the meditation on page 7 of Jonny Baker (and others) book Alternative Worship. Then I think I will use the slideshow of the world today (I made this some time ago and have used it twice) with "Where is the love?" and "I will" as a soundtrack. I think these two songs represent different human responses, the first of anger (look at all the horrible things they are doing) and the second is that ostrich response (I will lay me down, in a bunker underground)...but we are called to neither of these, as tempting as they are.

Advent labyrinth pt 7

D-Day -1. Woke in the night and remembered that I have not done anything about arranging to borrow the data projector. This in itself is not insurmountable (but you know what its like when you are half awake).

Advent labyrinth pt 6

Having had a look at pea shingle as a means of creating a more natural looking edge to the pathways, and having had experience of pea shingle when I did one with Resonance in Bristol, I have had a re-think.

In a cheapy fabric shop I got 6 mtrs of ruby crushed velvet, which I hope to be able to cut into strips of about 3 mtrs long by about 25 cms wide. I think this will then make a nice soft edge with the strips scrunched or twisted gently (and hopefully one with a nice rich colour in dim lighting). It should also be a lot quicker to set up and break fdown afterwards. I have a good collection of pebbles which I can use to hold the cloth in place and mark the corners etc.

Advent labyrinth pt 5

I just spent an hour marking out the labyrinth. I used blue masking tape onto the dust sheets. It was quite easy really, the regular geometry of the design meant that I could mark out the major points on the design by placing a pebble as a mrker, and then measuring tape in units of 0.5 mtr.

One thing to be careful of, as the masking tape is not permanent, is that it is easy to pick up the tape already stuck down if you walk over it. I have also yet to see how the tape will survive folding up and the unfolding. I think I will look for some 1/2" duct tape to make the lines more permanent if the dust sheets survive the worship.

Advent labyrinth pt 4

I have added a "Making a labyrinth" category, so that at a later date it should be possible to come back and find these posts more easily.

Some thoughts so far...

Advent labyrinth pt 3

I have now designed a labyrinth pattern based on a 3 x 4.5 mtr rectangular space. I have added numbers to indicate those places where a station could be sited. There are also two grey squares which I intend to use for either plants (something decorative) or a tall display space to add some height when looked at from outside.