I was introduced to the labyrinth as a tool for spiritual growth about ten years ago during my initial training in spiritual direction. Since that time I have been drawn to explore the spirituality of the labyrinth in greater depth for my personal growth, as well as introducing it to my parish church as an annual event we did during Lent.

The more that I write and speak to groups about spiritual direction, the more aware I’m becoming of the rapidly growing interest in the labyrinth. Throughout the world, people of all denominations are discovering its many gifts by including this sacred tool in their own spiritual practice. While the origins of the labyrinth are shrouded in the distant past, it still has much to offer and teach us today. If one is able to relax and approach it with an open mind, the spiritual benefits of this walking meditation can have a significant impact on most anyone. 

Biographical Sketch of the Author

Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O.  (known as “Fr. Louis” in the Trappist monastery, Bardstown, KY) a popular and influential 20th century American, Roman Catholic author and mystical theologian, was born on 31 January 1915 in Prades, southern France. The young Merton attended schools in France, England, and the United States. He attended Columbia University in New York City (1935-38) and entered the Catholic Church in 1938 following a dramatic conversion experience. Merton entered the monastic community of the Abbey of Gethsemani on December  10, 1941. The abbot urged Merton to write his autobiography (The Seven Storey Mountain), published in 1948, which became a best-seller.

In 1949, he was ordained to the priesthood and during the next 20 years, Merton wrote prolifically (more than 70 books) on the contemplative life, prayer, and religious biographies. These works often included controversial issues such as race relations, violence, nuclear war, and economic injustice. Merton was a leading figure in ecumenical relations following Vatican II and was one of the first Catholics to enter into serious dialog with eastern religions, including the Dalai Lama, D.T. Suzuki, and Thich Nhat Hanh. Merton died by accidental electrocution in Bangkok, Thailand, while attending an interfaith meeting of religious leaders on December 10, 1968.

Biographical Sketch of the Author

Eugene Peterson is Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Seattle Pacific University, a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from New York Theological Seminary, a Master of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins and holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Seattle Pacific University. In 1962 he founded Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland, where he served for 29 years. Peterson is a prolific author who is probably best known for The Message, his translation of the Bible.

Summary of Contents

Peterson organizes his text into three major sections. Under the heading “Redefinitions,” he provides four chapters in which he outlines his understanding of the character attributes of the pastor. Peterson argues that the noun “pastor” has become unintelligible to a modern audience and supplies a chapter on each of his three modifying adjectives (unbusy, subversive, apocalyptic). The middle section, “Between Sundays,” is an eight chapter discussion of the pastor's work throughout the week and how crucial it is for pastors to intimately know the congregations they serve. This section concludes with an account of Peterson’s sabbatical year in Montana. The third section, “The Word Made Fresh,” is a collection of fourteen poems Peterson composed on the topic of the Incarnation.