Eye - 24 May 2024

From Winding in Winchester to Glimmers

Winding in Winchester

A new labyrinth has been created by Friends in the Meeting house garden in Winchester as part of outreach efforts this year.

Local Friend Maggie Allder told Eye that the Meeting plans to hold a series of ‘Open Gate’ events: ‘…events that we hope will encourage people to visit the Meeting house, to enjoy the peace of our garden, and to feel welcome.’

But that’s not all! ‘As well as holding a number of open afternoons, our Open Gate events will include a “Space for Peace” music event, opening the house and garden for the Heritage Days, and events to celebrate George Fox’s birthday, and the fiftieth anniversary of Friends buying this Meeting house.’

Friends had felt inspiration stirring for some time: ‘We have a beautiful garden, and have felt for a while that we would like it to be available to our local community for quiet meditation.

‘Several of us knew the labyrinth at Woodbrooke, and our dear Friend Andy Stoller wrote and taught about labyrinths in worship, at Woodbrooke and elsewhere.

‘We have made temporary labyrinths in the past, using string. All these ideas and experiences came together in a Meeting for Worship for Business and we felt it right to experiment with having a more permanent one.’

The labyrinth pictured below shows one phase of its development: ‘A Friend in our Area and one of the wardens of our Meeting House knew a bit about creating labyrinths. The one in the photo is marked out with sand. We plan to mark it with wild flowers, so that people can sit on the grass more comfortably in future.’

Glimmers

We would love to share stories of every day Light in the lives of Friends – be that an act of kindness, a moment of togetherness, or perhaps just something that lifted your spirits. Eye invites you to reach out and share some twinkle with our family of Friends via eye@thefriend.org.

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