Pastor Norman's Journey

Time at Taize

 

Here is the general daily schedule for the adults (those over 30) for my week at Taize.

8:20 Taize Worship and Silence followed by breakfast
10:00 am Bible study with Brother Richard.  This usually lasts about 45 minutes.
They suggest this be followed by time for prayer and meditation unless, as I am, you ended up on bathroom detail.  So I help clean the men’s bathroom from 11:15 until its done.
12:20 midday prayer followed by lunch
If you want there is song practice at 2 pm
Then afternoon discussion group at 3:15 or 3:30
The suggestion is that you finish discussion in time for afternoon tea at 5 pm
5 to 7 is my longest stretch of free time often ending up in further conversations or if the weather is good enough a walk.
7 pm and it is time for our evening meal
8:20 pm is evening prayers.  While the Brothers process out by 9:10 or so several nights the singing continued for another 45 minutes to an hour.  Several evening services had special components taking longer like the blessing of a new icon and praying at the cross. Friday evening included giving everyone a candle and then lighting them during the service to symbolize the light of the resurrection.

 

Early in the wee the Bible study was on Acts. Brother Richard offered a description of a transformation in the disciples thinking about what Jesus reign meant. They moved from thinking it would all be like the reign of an earthly king to recognizing Jesus sits at the right hand of God.   After each of the Bible Studies, Brother gives us a question or two to discuss in small groups

 

This week included a fairly large contingent of Russians. On Wednesday morning at 7:30 am I attended a Russian orthodox mass. I am not sure what is harder standing for nearly an hour or setting on hard benches or floor as we do in the Taize worship.   The priest acted as a cantor and small group led the response.  In Russia the congregation would know most of the responses. Much incense and priest speaking with his back to the congregation were a couple of differences. He gave a fairly short homily.  He spooned the wine in to the mouths of those participating in the mass.

 

My discussion group is at least half Russian and it is interesting to hear their stories.  One told of a vision and feeling of God’s love which she resisted as a good communist.   But now she says she has turned 180 degrees around and is a Christian.

Also have meet Dutch couple that were missionaries to Rwanda and had to leave during the genocide.  I have talked with Germans, Dutch, French, Russian, Indonesian and Korean folks. I am one of the few Americans here. I hear there is another but living in Paris.  Nationalities do tend to group at meals.  The over thirties are at the far end of the compound and some are staying their own tents.

 

The compound is like a huge summer camp which is run with volunteers.  Up to around 7000 can be here in the summer. Meals are simple - you get a plate, drinking bowl, and big spoon on tray. No plate, just the tray, at breakfast for your 5 inch baguette, jam, butter, which you can wash down with instant coffee, chocolate, or tea with powdered milk optional.  All the other meals are one main hot dish with bread, maybe some fruit.

It is a bit like camping.

 

We have 6 on bunk beds in the room where I sleep. Most brought their own sleeping bags so I got some extra blankets or I would be very cold. The room is in building with probably more than 20 such rooms. There also semi-permanent looking tents around. Most of the space other than the sanctuary and one's room is the open air. Yesterday when it was pretty cool, I had a hard time finding a place to be that was warm.  Our mess (where we eat) is a giant tent.

 

The services are very interesting - A lot of sing, sometimes prayers, and scripture and always a period of silence.  The morning service includes the Eucharist. The brothers enter at the beginning of the service and leave together toward the end although singing can keep going for quite a while after the brothers leave. I think the format is the same each day for morning, midday, and evening with slight variations across the day. Basically we start with a song, then I think a sung Psalm, another song or two, a scripture reading, more songs, sometimes responsive, then silence, more songs, maybe some short prayers,  and end with more songs.  The reason I am not quite clear is because most of the service is done in a variety of languages.  Very little English - usually a scripture reading and maybe one of the songs and part of the prayer.  I have a hard time singing some of the familiar melodies because they will sing them in French, or German, or Russian, or Italian or Latin or some other language. French pronunciation is a bit of mystery to me although I am trying to learn the songs. Yet there is something very meaningful in knowing people with so many different languages are worshiping together.  Even if we do not understand everything we know we are all worshipping, praising and praying to the same God through the work of the savior Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The worship three times a day has given me time for much prayer. Everyone I talked to seemed to be leaving Taize feeling blessed to have been there and reminded of the power and importance of prayer. 

May the grace and peace of Christ be with you,

Norman