Do you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of your holiday preparations? Do you long to slow down, catch your breath and center yourself in the true meaning of the season? Do you desire a place and the time to pray, contemplate and reflect on life as the New Year approaches? If you can say, yes, to these questions, Edgecomb Community Church invites you to replenish your inner self, your soul, by walking our indoor advent spiral labyrinth. On Wednesday, Dec. 21, in celebration of the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, the labyrinth will be open to all from 2 to 7 p.m. at no charge.

The tradition of spiral labyrinth goes back over four thousand years in history. As an ancient art form, the spiral can be found in almost every culture including the rock carvings of Celtic art, Native American rock carvings, South American Nazca earthworks, rock gardens of Japan, African art, Australian aboriginal paintings and Arabic architecture.

The spiral can also be found in nature. It is found in hurricanes and tornados, in the pattern of seeds in a sunflower, in the growing tips of ferns, in the pattern that leaves grow on a stem, in the shape of a nautilus shell, and, as a helix, the shape of the DNA molecule. The spiral has been associated with the cycles of time, the seasons, the cycle of birth, growth, death, and then rebirth; the cycles of life.

The spiral is also considered a symbol of the spiritual journey. Walking a spiral labyrinth during the advent season symbolizes finding light in the darkness. As an individual, walking the spiral carries the image that every human being must make. It is the journey to an inner place where we can find a light to carry back into the world to help us on our own journey. The spiral belongs to everyone and represents our spiritual path as individuals.

Edgecomb Community Church is located at 15 Cross Point Road in Edgecomb at the intersection of Cross Point and Eddy Roads (from Wiscasset - take immediate right after the Wiscasset Bridge and follow Eddy Road up the hill to Cross Point Rd.  The church is right at the corner). For further information please call the church at 882-4060. All are welcome.