On Maundy Thursday I attended a Taize-style service at my church. It was a beautiful contrast from the standard Sunday services, with meditative readings and singing, communion at the foot of the cross, and long periods of silence, all illuminated by flickering candles. Given the strong attendance and the emotional reception of the community, it makes me wonder why we don't do that sort of thing more than once a year.
Taize is a worshiping community in northeastern France (in Bourgogne for you wine drinkers out there) that draws thousands of young people from around the world each year to pray, sing, and discern. I've been threatening to take a retreat to Taize for some time. It offers the sort of contemplative spirituality that I find myself increasingly drawn to. I'm especially intrigued by their option to spend a week in silence.
Has anyone out there ever been to Taize? I would love to hear about your experiences. Have you ever spent an extended period in silence? What was it like?
I have never been to Taize itself, but when I was studying in France in 2008 I went to their annual New Years' meeting. That year 40,000 young people from all over Europe and the world descended on Brussels. Normally a conference of that size would be extremely difficult for me, but I absolutely loved it. I love the time they give for quiet contemplation and meditative singing (in many different languages), and it also helped that a family welcomed us into their home and we got to know them quite well over the course of the week, and we had opportunities to serve in practical ways. It was wonderful to discuss experiences with Christians from many different countries and cultures, including some places where any young person confessing Christianity is seen as very unusual. The worship style is quite introspective, but it was also a time of connecting with others, and while I was there I felt comfortable doing both, without getting burned out.
ReplyDeleteSomeday I would like to visit the Taize site too. The idea of spending a week in silence is intriguing, as well as their focus on contemplation. There are a lot of ideas from monastic traditions that have always appealed to me but never seem accessible or even feasible (since I grew up Protestant in the modern US). For me Taize carries some of those "older" traditions into reality, especially as the movement has brought some Taize-style services to the US as well.
Hey Adam,
ReplyDeleteI have two friends who spent a summer there, I'll direct them over here...
Nick
Frankly, I don't think Taizé is the right place for introverts. It is true that the chants are wonderful. There are meditation sessions, indeed. But Taizé is mainly about thousands of (mostly very young) people from all over the world camping i,n huge fields next to the chapel & community buildings, gathering around discussion groups, dance, singing, and whatever other activities. I've seen it. It is introvert's hell.
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