by Mike Roberts, HUUC Church Historian
In September 2024, Heritage Church marked the 25th anniversary of the installation of its labyrinth. The project was undertaken by Dan Mathey, son of Heritage members Dean and Becky Mathey, as part of his earning an Eagle Scout rating with the Boy Scouts of America. Before relating the story behind our own labyrinth, it might be helpful to establish the difference between a labyrinth and a maze.
A maze is a multi-path puzzle often undertaken to discover the correct path to the center and eventually to the exit. If any of you attempted the many corn mazes that are created around Halloween, you may have found dead ends that lead nowhere. Mazes are often explored for intellectual stimulation.
A typical labyrinth has one path that is generally easy to follow and ends up at the center after winding through numerous twists and turns. Labyrinths are generally explored for the purpose of meditation and spirituality. This was not always the case. In ancient history, the labyrinth was to be created with such a degree of difficulty that no one could find the way in or out. Labyrinths are frequently related in mythological stories. This changed during the Middle Ages when churches began to include labyrinths in their floor plans and gardens to promote spirituality. Perhaps the most famous labyrinth in the world is the one on the floor of the narthex in the Chartres, France cathedral.
Dan Mathey could not duplicate the Chartres labyrinth completely because of space limitations. However, he followed the basic design of Chartres to create our own place of meditation and spirituality. Dan completed the project under the guidance of Scout leader Keith Harms in September of 1999, just before his 18th birthday. He received much assistance from his scout troop members and his parents. Dean relates that his son worried about breaking down their Astro van because of the weight of the bricks transported to build the labyrinth.
It was critical that Dan complete the project before he turned 18 because Scout rules did not allow for the earning of an Eagle Scout badge after the age of 18. Dan came to a successful conclusion of the project on the eve of his birthday. The bricks were planted in the ground to outline the course. When the labyrinth was finished, there was no grass but seed was quickly planted to sprout the following spring.
A dedication ceremony was conducted on October 31st. Church members were asked to bring bricks or rocks to add to the course as part of the ceremony. The plot was dedicated as a sacred space.
On Sunday, December 5, 1999 at 9:00 a.m. before the worship service, an introduction on the use of the labyrinth was conducted with Tracy Spak organizing the event. An explanation of how to use the space as a means of private spirituality and meditation was offered. Those who attended then walked the labyrinth as a group.
At the conclusion of the project, a thank you letter was sent to Dan from Connie Booth, Director of Building and Grounds. A part of that letter read, “The labyrinth will serve the congregation as an important meditation tool for church members and visitors. It is significant that our community now has this outdoor space to dwell on spiritual matters. The location in our township will be much appreciated.”
Dan went on to earn a degree in mechanical engineering. He currently works for FECON in South Lebanon, OH as a design engineer. A big tip of the Heritage hat to Dan, his scout troop and his parents for providing the congregation with this perpetual contribution to the spiritual life of the church.
Image caption: Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth
Image source: Mike Roberts