Labyrinth offers place for prayer, meditation

BLUFFTON — There is a special place for prayer and quiet reflection on the Bluffton University campus — a stone labyrinth. Campus Pastor Chalsi Campbell helped build the labyrinth when she was a student at Bluffton. After graduating in May 2012, she and her husband, Tyler, were married at the site four years later. "I hoped that we would continue to use it throughout the years. And when I came back (as campus pastor), it was nice to see that we were still using it," she said. A prayer labyrinth is a model or metaphor for life and can be used for prayer and meditation. A variety of people can appreciate the prayer labyrinth, even those less comfortable with institutional forms of religion, she said. "We chose the labyrinth because it would be a designated space for worship. It's also really nice because it's not necessarily just Christian. Lots of people can use it just for meditation and a space to be alone," Campbell said. Trinity Borgman, a senior social work and psychology major from Southern Point, said she was just exploring campus as a new student when she first came across the labyrinth. "I could feel like presence there even though I wasn't even a Christian yet," she recalled. "I didn't even identify with religion at that point. I was like this is something significant. There is some kind of presence and power here." Instead of one circle, Bluffton's labyrinth has three circular flagstone paths. Each weaves toward a center section, then on to the next. According to information provided by Campbell, one way for a person to walk the labyrinth is to quietly wind their way along the spiral pathway. As they walk, they can pray for a deeper love for God, for a relationship with someone in need of healing or reconciliation, and for wisdom and guidance regarding a decision they may be facing in life. "You can pace yourself. You can take as much time as you need. And it gives me some time to just quiet my mind and hear what God is trying to tell me because normally I have a lot of questions," said Chuianne Bolden, third-year student from Sidney majoring in social work. "So it's a really nice time to reflect and you kind of meditate as well. I just meditate on the questions and reflect on what God is telling you," she said. The university is affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. Campbell came to Bluffton as a religion major with a focus on youth ministry. "When I was a student my sophomore year, we started coming up with this idea because although we have a good designated space for chapel, it is not like a designated place of worship. There was no space that was just designated for worship," she said. Chapel services were formerly held in Yoder Recital Hall, she said. More recently, the weekly services moved to Bob's Place in Marbeck Center, which is a more central location on campus. Campbell said a couple of the religion professors at the time got the idea going. "And then actually the professor that I started working with left and I just continued to run with the idea," she said. She found another advisor to help her and they came up with a proposal and found a spot on campus. They also did fundraising to pay for the stone which came from the Bluffton quarry. "So by the time I was a senior, right before I graduated, we built the labyrinth," Campbell said. She said about 12 students did the actual physical work of digging the holes and placing the stones. The labyrinth's inauguration was held on May Day 2012. Services continue to be held there. Campbell even bought an indoor labyrinth since coming back to Bluffton to use in bad weather. "At the end of the semester, we don't have a final chapel service that last week because it's exam week. It just would be too difficult to get the chapel band and everybody to find a time we could all do it together," she said. But on the Sunday night after exam week, students will walk the winding pathway. "It's in the evening after the sun sets and we put tea lights all over the labyrinth and it is beautiful," she said. This year's date is April 28. And at the beginning of every school year, Campbell said the students' first introduction to Campus Ministry is at labyrinth site. Team members — there are 13 this year — work at building community and serving as a spiritual resource to their fellow students. Both Borgman and Bolden are members. They also serve as hall chaplains to help students who have questions about their spirituality or the programs offered by the ministry team. Sometimes students just want to talk, said Bolden. Campbell said anyone is welcome to experience the labyrinth which is located in a peaceful, tree-lined area of campus. "People from all walks can do it," she said. "It's also something you can do physically and mentally. So it's this release. It's supposed to mimic a pilgrimage." To find the labyrinth, park in the Sauder Visual Arts Center lot on campus and walk down the hill. The pathway can be found just behind the financial aid house and Houshower House, near Riley Creek.