Grace Cathedral 6/1/13

"While I have never been a regular churchgoer, I'm anything but immune to the power and the majesty of the religious experience."  ~~ Joseph Barbera

Picture courtesy of The Examiner

I don't care what religion you are or if you have none at all.  Myself?  I am - as the cliche goes - spiritual, not religious.  I pray often and definitely believe in a Higher Power.  But I definitely DON'T believe that you are going to hell if you are not of the "ONE, TRUE RELIGION".  That one, true bullshit varies by whatever church you happen to be standing in at the moment.  

As Marcus Aurelius once put it:


"If there are gods and they are just, they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by.

If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them.

If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones."

Sounds good to me.

I love almost all religious artwork and the beauty of various sorts of houses of worship. But there is one that moves me most deeply.  One that my soul craves. When I am feeling very weak, stressed, sad, or lonely I want to go to Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

There are several reasons why I make the long drive to San Francisco even if I don't have any other reason to be there.  

1) The Labyrinths - there are two...one indoor and one outdoor. 
2) The sheer gorgeousness of this beautiful building.
3) The opportunity to pray and feel sheltered by such a beautiful and loving monument and the holy spirit that resides within it.

But enough prattle...here's another link if you'd like to read more about this wonderful place.

The main entrance doors of the cathedral (which are not used) are copies of copies of the original Gates of Paradise doors by Ghiberti on the Florence Bapistery.  Although not original, they are very beautiful. 

Upon entering, the first thing that always draws my attention is the indoor Labyrinth.  This is what I come for.  It's said that when you walk a labyrinth you reach a state of meditation.  This is certainly my aim.

The Labyrinth looks like a maze, but it isn't.  A Labyrinth has only one path in and one path out.  

Courtesy of PerceptionFilter.com

For me, while I'm entering the Labyrinth I am thinking about all the things that are troubling me.  By the time I reach the center, I feel like I've given them all up to God.  He's taking the burden from me.  I stand in the center, feeling His presence and pray.  I feel so much lighter as I start my way out.  The walk out for me is a celebration.  I usually sing hymns in my head (I Know That My Redeemer Lives & I Stand All Amazed being two favorites) and think about the things I have to do to be a better person.  

Unfortunately, on this particular day, a family of tourists was letting their son use the Labyrinth as a playground so I didn't walk it.  Instead, I had to work internally on one of my major shortcomings, which is impatience with the idiocy of others.  Apparently, I have more work to do... 

I was soon able to overcome my sense of disquiet when I noticed the beautiful ribbons which were gracing the gorgeous arched ceilings!  

From the Cathedral's website:

Graced With Light

As a part of 100 Years of Music at Grace Cathedral, visual artist Anne Patterson created Graced With Light, a stunning, music-inspired installation that incorporates Grace Cathedral’s vaulted ceiling arches. Ms. Patterson envisioned a series of light pathways, connecting heaven and earth, manifest as ribbons. The ribbons carry our prayers, dreams and wishes skyward, and, in turn, grace streams down the ribbons to us.
 

Graced With Light is constructed of nearly 20 miles of ribbon, and has been hand-assembled by Ms. Patterson and the Grace Cathedral community. The piece will grow and change over the coming months, and will be on view through the summer.

I'm just going to let the photos speak for themselves with interjection when I have something to say.

I was so blessed!  Just as I reached the back of the church, the organ started to play.  It is so magnificent to hear!

 Standing there, watching the organist manipulate that beautiful instrument with the pipes on either side of me was a form of heaven on earth. 

After spending an hour or so wandering, praying, and photographing, I went outside where I hoped I could spend some time in the outdoor Labyrinth (which usually garners less attention).

I had to wait for these nice people and the pigeon to finish walking it first.

And then I made my own entrance.

After my meditation time, I spent some time taking pictures of the beautiful foliage on the grounds.

Wonderful start to a wonderful day.  
I'll leave you with one last quote by Maya Angelou:

"It is this belief in a power larger than  myself and other than myself which allows me to venture into the unknown and even the unknowable."

xoxo