Taizé Service
Wednesday, February 1, 6:30 pm
Join us the first Wednesday of each month for a Taizé service at 6:30 pm in the Chapel led by Father Phil Mason.
Expect the peaceful candlelight Taizé service to include thirty minutes of worship and reflection, prayers, music, readings, and brief periods of silent meditation. Prayer benches, cushions, or other informal seating methods are encouraged. Music will be led by Tom Dawson, Carol Hofstad, and members The Worship Band.
Welcome to St. Stephen's
Nature Trail is currently closed but will reopen by Easter.
The St. Stephen's Nature Trail and Labyrinth is open to the public from dawn to dusk year-round. It is about two miles long, with places to meditate, contemplate, enjoy nature, or simply explore the outdoor walking path. All are welcome!
When entering the St. Stephen's campus off of FM 3237, drive straight in, turning onto the crushed gravel parking lot on the right (past the Chapel and offices, and just before the main church). The Nature Trail entrance is a short distance down that parking lot, on the south side. Please be considerate in your interaction with this nature area by not littering, and being sure to carry out everything that you carry in!
NATURE TRAIL
Open to the Public!
The St. Stephen's Nature Trail was built in 2002-2003 by the Trailblazers and is maintained by this ministry. The Trail is open to the general public dawn to dusk year-round. It is about two miles long.
Along the way you will notice bas-relief ceramic icons, representing the 14 Stations of the Cross on the way up the hill and the 14 Stations of the Cross on the way down. The icons were designed by a group of St. Stephen’s artists under the direction of Carroll Dolezal. The niches protecting the icons were constructed by the Trailblazers, as was the outdoor chapel.
There is also an area on the trail, past the fountain, that is dedicated to all Episcopal priests who have served St. Stephen’s.
Come enjoy this trail, a place of relaxation, meditation, and connection with the beautiful surroundings of the Wimberley Valley.
LABYRINTH
Along the St. Stephen's Nature Trail, you will find our Labyrinth. It is open the public from dawn to dusk year round. By walking our replica of the Chartres Labyrinth, laid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral around 1220, you are rediscovering a long forgotten mystical tradition that is insisting to be reborn.
The Labyrinth is an archetype, a divine imprint, found in all religious traditions in various forms around the world.
Guidelines for the walk: Clear your mind and become aware of your breath. Allow yourself to find the pace your body wants to go. The path winds throughout and becomes a mirror for where we are in our lives; it touches our sorrows and releases our joys. Walk it with an open mind and an open heart. You may “pass” people or let others step around you, whichever is easiest, at the turns. The path is two-way; those going in will meet those coming out. React or respond in whatever way feels natural when this happens, as two pilgrims meeting on a journey.
You may think of walking the labyrinth in three stages:
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Purgation: a releasing, a letting go of the details of your life. This is an act of shedding thoughts and emotions. It quiets and empties the mind as you walk into the labyrinth.
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Illumination: may occur when you reach the center. Stay there as long as you like. It is a place of meditation and prayer. Receive what is there for you to receive.
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Union: which is joining God, the divine healing force at work in the world. Each time you walk out of the labyrinth you become more empowered to find and do the work you feel your soul reaching for.
