Urban Labyrinth
More and more retreat and conference centres are introducing the opportunity to walk a Labyrinth. Labyrinths are not mazes, there are no dead ends! The path always leads to the centre. Even in Urban areas, we can give people the ability to experience a Labyrinth.
Inside
Why not rearrange your chairs to form a circle labyrinth, intersperse with prayer stations using the fruits of the Spirit or the Lord’s prayer to give people points to stop and pray. Use visuals, sound or sensory objects so that it includes all the senses, it then become an absorbing experience of creative prayer.
Outside
Why not get some chalk paint (please note chalk paint is temporary but it is illegal to use without permission) to spray a Labyrinth on a church car park, open space or the street outside. There are lots of easy ideas of for drawing simple Labyrinths online, just make sure you have sufficient space and spray paint.
Prayer Walking
There is nothing more eye-opening than praying outside. It includes all our senses! It allows us to see the needs in our community. When we go for prayer walks we pray that God will open our eyes to the world around us, to break our hearts for the needs of our community, for opportunities for conversations with people.
We have prayed around buildings where there has been “ghost” activity, down an alleyway where drug dealers have been seen and up and down a high street after a stabbing! It does expose us, but we believe it has the power to change the community we live in for the better
Urban Journeys
We are so reliant on sat nav’s to take us from A to B that we have lost the wonder of the Journey! We have encouraged people to walk from one part of the city to another without a map or a phone to help guide. It is not a race, it is a journey. In the process we can allow God to speak to us. At the end we meet, talk and reflect. What was different in each area, what was familiar, what emotions did we feel or experience? This reflection may need to pray, it may also lead to a challenge, where can we be answers to our prayers? What is God saying about how comfortable we are, where is he preparing to shake us up?
Litter Picks
Sounds really simple. Get some bags, litter pickers, a sharps box and get out there. When we have done it we have opened it up to people in and outside the community. If you are lucky enough to live near a beach, why not do a regular beach clean. God made us stewards of our world, how can we take that responsibility seriously?
Urban Orchards
In any urban area there are patches up unused and uncared for patches of land. Why not adopt one? Why not make it part of a social action project to clean it up, but better still why not make it something that will benefit the community around you. Why not turn it into an urban orchard, with free to pick fruit, or a herb garden? Why not turn something ugly into something beautiful as a sign of redemption? To show that God cares?
Yarn Bombing
It sounds crazy, but why not adopt a high street, and then cover it in wool, bunting or pom poms. Better still do it in secret! It creates a talking point, it makes ugly things very beautiful, it turns grey space into colourful space, and it tells the community that they are loved and not forgotten. Even if you are not knitters, you can ask local churches to provide “granny” squares, which you can patch together. During Easter or Christmas you can theme the yarnbombing to create a festival feel.
Urban Spirituality 