Northeast UMC to dedicate prayer labyrinth this month

COLUMBIA, S.C.—Northeast United Methodist Church will dedicate its prayer labyrinth Sunday, Sept. 10.

The dedication will take place at 4 p.m. at the church, located at 4000 Hard Scrabble Road, Columbia. Along with the labyrinth, a walking path with prayer benches was added to the campus, as well as a directional map and permanent sign to explain the labyrinth.

The hope is the space will be a place of respite for individuals to have time with God. 

Labyrinths have long been associated with the journey of life, and in medieval times they were symbolic of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the Christian imagination. Praying with a labyrinth is a form of walking meditation, a physical expression of the interior journey toward Christ that characterizes all Christian contemplation.

In addition to dedicating the labyrinth, Dr. Melanie Dobson will teach three classes; Dobson is a United Methodist elder, professor at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and director of the Spiritual Direction Certification Program. Titled “Practices of Presence: Prayer for Life’s Journey,” they focus on prayer for our life’s moments (days and weeks).

The classes are scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m., “Practicing the Presence: Welcoming God in Life’s Moments”; Thursday, Sept. 21, 6:30 p.m., “Practicing Awareness: Discerning God’s Presence in a Day (Examen)”; and Thursday, Sept. 28, 6:30 p.m., “Practicing Sabbath: Resting with God in a Week.” Childcare will be provided.

This was made possible by Relevance to Resonance: Exploring the Practices of Transcendence in Ministry and Congregational Life by Lilly Endowment Inc. in association with Luther Seminary. 

For more information, contact Northeast UMC’s pastor, the Rev. Antoinette Gaboton-Moss, at 803-736-6386 or [email protected]