Interest in labyrinths
Interest in labyrinths, an ancient form of walking meditation, has been springing up across the country. Sorrento Centre in B.C. built one this past summer and will hold a course on walking meditations as a spiritual tool next summer, Topic notes.
The recent burst of interest in North American may be traced to Episcopal priest, Rev. Lauren Artress, canon of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, says the Saskatchewan Anglican.
Dr. Artress travelled to Chartres Cathedral in France in 1991 to visit the labyrinth that had long fallen out of use. When she returned to Grace Cathedral, she oversaw the building of two labyrinths, each a replica of the one laid in stone in the floor of Chartres Cathedral by Benedictine monks nearly 800 years ago.
In the diocese of Saskatchewan, the shared ministry community of Bread of Life Lutheran, Eastside United and St. Phillip’s Anglican is planning to build a labyrinth of locally gathered stones.
And St. Paul’s Cathedral in Regina has invited a labyrinth workshop facilitator to lead a workshop at the cathedral on Oct. 22 and 23. The facilitator will bring a replica labyrinth of the Chartres Cathedral.
Saskatchewan Anglican
Alpha guidance
A group of Calgary Anglicans is organizing an ecumenical conference on Oct. 1 and 2 to give churches of every denomination guidance on starting their own Alpha courses.
“The interest in Alpha is staggering,” says Sally Start, administrator for Alpha Canada. More than a million people in 62 countries worldwide have attended the Alpha course, designed to introduce newcomers to the basics of Christian faith.
St. James Calgary is evidence that Alpha brings in new members as it grapples with moving to two main services in order to accommodate newcomers.
The two-day conference is designed to provide practical, effective and proven ways of bringing evangelism to the local church.
The Sower
