“Taize,” pronounced “Tah-zeh”
Tomorrow night we will be worshipping with the rest of Woodmont in the Great Hall. This 1st Wednesday will be a Taize style worship service which is a little different than what you may be used to, but I wanted to teach you a little about it so you could come with an open mind.
Taize worship is named after a religious community in France in the city of Taize. After World War II a man named Brother Roger was disturbed by the grim new world where Christian brothers and sisters destroyed each other because their nationality was more important to them than their share religious beliefs. So he decided to establish a religious community that put worship of Christ and reconciliation of all people at the center of everything they did. To move away from the Nationalism that was at the heart of WWII (not to mention the newly discovered concentration camps) they needed to do things a little differently. They began writing their own music that they would often sing in multiple languages. The music also gave preference to songs with easily repeatable, almost chant-like, refrains that focused on a very specific aspect of spirituality. This kind of music facilitated 1) the ability for people from different countries and languages to worship together and, 2) the unified focus on a shared belief in Jesus Christ while de-emphasizing national differences.
As you may be able to tell, I kind of dig it. I’d ask that you come and give it a try. It won’t be for everyone, and if it’s not for you it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. However, you might also dig it and you’ll never know until you try.
- David
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This Wednesday at 6:30, we’re going to fellowship with one another and have one of our good ol’ fashioned game nights!
