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Escape the Rush with the Advent Labyrinth

Albert Bogle December 14, 2025 0 0
Escape the Rush with the Advent Labyrinth

Escape the Rush: Discover the Extra-Ordinary Sanctuary First Christmas Labyrinth!

Albert Bogle, former minister of St Andrew’s Bo’ness reflects on the reason it is worth making the physical journey to engage with the Advent Labyrinth at St Andrew’s Bo’ness. Although the building is not being used regularly for worship, special permission has been granted to allow this well loved Advent Installation to be available once more for the public to experience.  This is an opportunity to visit St Andrew’s and feel the peace that can only be found in the Sanctuary.

There’s something truly extra-ordinary about turning up for this Labyrinth installation.

Right from the end of October, the noise begins. Our telly screens are bombarded with Christmas adverts. John Lewis, M&S, Aldi—they all pile on the pressure to make this the ultimate Christmas. But I have to ask you: When did the real story of Christmas get drowned out? What is all the rushing and the relentless stress really about?

This is an encouragement, a simple call to action. Stop. Take a breath. Give yourself a bit of breathing space and ask: What is Christmas truly, fundamentally, about? You have a perfect chance to find the answer. Try the Advent Labyrinth.

 

What is the Labyrinth?

The Labyrinth at St Andrew’s is much more than an art installation—it’s a prayer walk, an encounter.

It is absolutely worth the journey up to Bo’ness. Get yourself to the sanctuary of St Andrew’s. When you step across that threshold, it’s beautiful: hundreds of twinkling lights cutting through the darkening winter mood. The atmosphere is sanctuary itself. Quiet, reflective music plays, setting the stage—preparing your mind and your very being to encounter the holiness and beauty that Christmas should be.

This is a guided, proactive walk with twelve stations, each telling the only story that matters: the true story of Christmas. It’s about God sending his one and only Son, Emmanuel, to be here, with us.

 

Your Journey Begins...

Here is the slightly radical part. For this experience to be fully effective, you need two things: your headphones and your smartphone! That’s the language of today.

At Station One, you're welcomed in by the inspiring voice of writer Maggie Lane. Listen. Engage. And the rest, as they say, is His story! (See what we did there? His Story!)

With the Labyrinth, you take it one station at a time. There is time to stop. To reflect. To breathe and feel the peace. To receive the story not just intellectually, but spiritually. It’s proactive. You get to be involved in the narrative as you move through this prayer walk.

It really is a profound blessing and a genuine comfort to be able to take that vital time out.

So, here is the challenge. Don’t get sucked into the supermarket marketing strategy. Don't let yourself be defined by the stress, the endless busyness, and the strain. I'm telling you: take some time out. Reflect, listen, and go on this journey. It will bless you and, I suspect, bless those you love.

  • Experience the Sanctuary First Christmas LabyrinthLocation: St Andrew's, Bo’ness
    • What to Bring: Your headphones and smartphone. There will be mp3 players and headphones available.
    • Don't Miss: A chance to pause, reflect, and encounter the true story of Christmas.