Praying the labyrinth in a journal is a visual way to reflect on any given event or topic. The image to the left is the opening page of my reflection on the first four years of God's faithfulness in the process of planting a new church start. I met with the prayer team of one of my sponsoring churches every Monday and had made short "bullet point" entries of prayers for each week. When I reviewed the prayer journal-even though these entries were somewhat staccato in nature due to their brevity-I was reminded of the faithfulness of God in many ways that I had forgotten. I decided to pray these prayers again by writing them down and praying the labyrinth. That set the pattern for the two-volume reflection journal on this new church. I included a prayer labyrinth at the beginning of each section of the two journals. It is a simple way to artistically express prayer, the experience of the new church, and the faithfulness of God. It also is a celebration of the people and churches who responded to God's call through their faithful participation in helping to plant this new church.
The image to the right is a reflection on Taize. When our 24'x24' chapel was completed after being converted from a 12'x24' shed on the former llama ranch, we dedicated the chapel with a service of Taize. The original journal (left side of the photo on the right) includes the reflection from the experience and the labyrinth expresses the ongoing experience of Taize at Community Fellowship.
A labyrinth indicates each new section of my two-volume art journals on the early life of the church. Sometimes I include the actual prayers which are recorded as simple notations in a prayer journal. Other times I write the various ministry, mission, and worship activities included in that section by way of a new prayer of thanksgiving for what God has done. The mission section (left) includes the diverse missional participation of this church.
Rubber stamps that represent the seasons of Lent and Advent decorate the labyrinth that marks this section of the journal. I layered words and symbols that speak to my heart about the theology of the season: hope, peace, love, light.
Praying the labyrinth in a journal is a visual way to reflect on any given event or topic. The image to the left is the opening page of my reflection on the first four years of God's faithfulness in the process of planting a new church start. I met with the prayer team of one of my sponsoring churches every Monday and had made short "bullet point" entries of prayers for each week. When I reviewed the prayer journal-even though these entries were somewhat staccato in nature due to their brevity-I was reminded of the faithfulness of God in many ways that I had forgotten. I decided to pray these prayers again by writing them down and praying the labyrinth. That set the pattern for the two-volume reflection journal on this new church. I included a prayer labyrinth at the beginning of each section of the two journals. It is a simple way to artistically express prayer, the experience of the new church, and the faithfulness of God. It also is a celebration of the people and churches who responded to God's call through their faithful participation in helping to plant this new church.
The image to the right is a reflection on Taize. When our 24'x24' chapel was completed after being converted from a 12'x24' shed on the former llama ranch, we dedicated the chapel with a service of Taize. The original journal (left side of the photo on the right) includes the reflection from the experience and the labyrinth expresses the ongoing experience of Taize at Community Fellowship.
A labyrinth indicates each new section of my two-volume art journals on the early life of the church. Sometimes I include the actual prayers which are recorded as simple notations in a prayer journal. Other times I write the various ministry, mission, and worship activities included in that section by way of a new prayer of thanksgiving for what God has done. The mission section (left) includes the diverse missional participation of this church. 
Rubber stamps that represent the seasons of Lent and Advent decorate the labyrinth that marks this section of the journal. I layered words and symbols that speak to my heart about the theology of the season: hope, peace, love, light.