Taizé
How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.
These meaningful words from a favorite hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem” remind us that God does not usually come into our lives with a big splash, a roll of thunder, or unmistakable sign of power and presence. More often we find God in the quiet unexpected places of our lives; the innocent question of a child, the ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds, the moment of grace found in a troubled time. Remember Moses found God in a burning bush. If he hadn’t taken the time to ‘turn aside’ he might have missed the message entirely. Elijah heard God speak not in the earthquake or fire but in the ‘still small voice.’ Jesus withdrew from the crowds to seek God’s voice in the depth of night and early hours of the morning when everything was silent.
So how are you doing with silence? Many of us lead hectic lives full of activities, responsibilities of job and family or friends, with hardly a moment to ourselves that we do not fill with loud music, talk radio, television, or some other distraction. Even in our church worship we fill each moment with music, spoken prayers and scripture, sermons. I often think we need advanced degrees just to get through all the words of the bulletin. My daughter, who has endured twenty-eight years of her father’s and mother’s church services and sermons, says her favorite part of worship is the silent prayer. Even then most churches fill that with ‘background’ music, or barely hesitate for a minute of quiet before rushing into the assurance of pardon. We are uncomfortable with silence- we want to ‘fill it up.’ Sometimes that means we miss the wondrous gift of God’s presence.
Taizé is a different kind of worship service that is not sermon centered nor filled with creeds. Music is simple in melody and message that often takes the form of a chant. There are scripture readings followed by long periods of silence for meditation. Prayers are not formatted but rather a simple heartfelt communication between worshipper and God, without the intermediary of priest or minister. The worship space is usually filled with candle light rather than artificial illumination. It is quiet. The model comes from a group of Catholic religious fathers who have their community in Taizé, France, near Paris. We will visit and be a part of this community for a week during our Sabbatical, from July 3-10. As in Iona we will live in communal quarters, help to prepare and serve meals, contribute to the upkeep of communal life. Old folks like us are in bunk- rooms, while many young people live in tent villages. This type of worship and this community attracts over 30,000 young people a year who often come seeking to experience this personal and intimate connection with God, and with other faithful followers of Christ. I experienced a ‘taste’ of this form of worship at my CREDO conference in November and look forward to being immersed in the actual community. I am excited to share that experience with you upon my return to Church of Christ Uniting.
In the meantime, look for places of quiet in your life. Cultivate silence. Listen for God. Pray deeply and personally without getting hung up on the words. God is within you!
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.
Pastor Carol
