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Spiritual Practices

You're Invited to Walk Our Labyrinth

Discover the peaceful grass labyrinth on the south lawn of St. John’s Anglican Church. Learn about this ancient Christian prayer practice, download free guides, and find a quiet place to walk, reflect, and pray.

July 22, 2026

Jeffrey Martin

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Discover a quiet place for prayer, reflection, and peace at St. John's Anglican Church, Bowmanville.

Life can be busy, noisy, and overwhelming.

Between work, family, responsibilities, and the constant pace of modern life, finding a moment of stillness isn't always easy.

At St. John's Anglican Church, we believe everyone deserves a place to pause, breathe deeply, and simply be in God's presence.

On the south lawn of St. John's Anglican Church, 11 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, you'll find our grass labyrinth; a winding path carefully cut into the lawn each season. It is a simple yet meaningful place where people of all ages and backgrounds are invited to walk, pray, reflect, or simply enjoy a few moments of quiet.

Whether you are a lifelong Christian, exploring faith for the first time, or simply looking for a peaceful place to think, you are warmly welcome here.

Resources to Help Guide Your Journey

Whether this is your first time walking a labyrinth or you have visited many before, we've prepared a collection of free resources to help you make the most of your experience. You may wish to read them before your visit, bring them with you, or return to them afterward as part of your personal prayer and reflection.

Our downloadable guides include:

  • 📄 Labyrinth Meditation, Reflection & Insights (PDF) – Gentle reflections and practical ideas to help you pray, reflect, and become more aware of God's presence as you walk.
  • 📄 Labyrinth Prayers (PDF) – A collection of prayers for beginning your walk, reaching the centre, returning, and many different seasons of life.
  • 📄 Praying the Labyrinth (PDF) – An introduction to the Christian tradition of labyrinth prayer, its history, symbolism, and how to approach your walk.
  • 📄 Praying with Finger Labyrinths (PDF) – Discover how a finger labyrinth can become a meaningful prayer practice at home, in hospital, in long-term care, or anywhere a full-sized labyrinth isn't available.

These resources are freely available for everyone. We hope they encourage and enrich your journey as you discover the peace that comes from slowing down and spending time with God.

What Is a Labyrinth?

People often mistake a labyrinth for a maze, but they are very different.

A maze is designed to challenge you with choices, dead ends, and wrong turns. A labyrinth has one winding path leading gently to the centre and back again. There is only one route to follow, allowing you to let go of deciding where to turn and instead focus on prayer, Scripture, gratitude, or simply becoming aware of God's presence.

Walking itself becomes a prayer.

There is no rush, no right pace, and no expectation. You simply walk.

An Ancient Christian Practice

Christians have used labyrinths as an aid to prayer for many centuries.

Perhaps the most famous is the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France, completed in the early thirteenth century. During the Middle Ages, many Christians were unable to make pilgrimages to the Holy Land, so walking a cathedral labyrinth became a symbolic pilgrimage—a journey of prayer undertaken close to home. Rather than travelling hundreds or thousands of kilometres, worshippers could prayerfully walk a path that reminded them of their lifelong journey toward God.

Today, Christians around the world continue this tradition. A labyrinth is not worshipped, nor is it believed to possess any special power. Rather, it is a simple tool that helps us slow down, quiet our hearts, reflect on Scripture, and spend intentional time with Jesus Christ.

As the Psalmist reminds us:

"Be still, and know that I am God." —

How Do I Walk the Labyrinth?

There is no "correct" way to walk the labyrinth.

Some people begin with a simple prayer such as:

"Lord, help me become aware of Your presence as I walk today."

As you follow the winding path, you might:

  • Offer your worries and burdens to God.
  • Pray for your family, friends, neighbours, or those in need.
  • Reflect on a favourite passage of Scripture.
  • Give thanks for God's blessings.
  • Walk quietly in silence, simply listening.

When you reach the centre, pause for as long as you wish. Pray, read a Bible passage, sit quietly, or simply rest in God's presence.

As you begin the walk back, consider what you have received during your time of prayer and how God may be inviting you to carry His peace, love, and hope into your everyday life.

Our Grass Labyrinth

Unlike the permanent stone labyrinths found in some cathedrals, ours is a grass labyrinth, carefully mown into the south lawn during the warmer months of the year.

Its simplicity is part of its beauty.

Beneath the open sky, surrounded by God's creation, it offers a peaceful place to pray, reflect, and reconnect with the One who invites us to walk with Him every day.

Whether you stay for five minutes or an hour, we hope you will find it to be a place of welcome, peace, and renewal.

Everyone Is Welcome

You don't need to know special prayers.

You don't need to have walked a labyrinth before.

You don't even need to be certain where you are on your journey of faith.

Simply come as you are.

Some visitors spend twenty minutes walking slowly in prayer. Others sit quietly nearby. Some come with a Bible, while others simply enjoy the peace of the space.

There is no expectation and no pressure; only an invitation.

Visit Our Labyrinth

Our grass labyrinth is located on the south lawn of St. John's Anglican Church, at 11 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, Ontario.

It is available as a quiet place for personal prayer and reflection whenever the labyrinth has been cut for the season.

If your visit leaves you wanting to explore faith more deeply, we would be delighted to welcome you to one of our worship services, community meals, Bible studies, or other ministries. Whether you are seeking a church home, asking questions about faith, or simply looking for a place to belong, there is a place for you at St. John's.

We look forward to welcoming you.

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."

Learn More

If you would like to learn more about the history and Christian practice of labyrinths, these resources provide excellent background reading:

We hope our labyrinth becomes a place where you discover a little more peace, a little more stillness, and a renewed awareness of God's presence. May every step draw you closer to Christ, who walks with us wherever life's journey leads.

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