The Sound of Silence
Taizé service offers meditative music, prayers and time for reflection at First-Plymouth Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Lincoln, NE
There are not many times when you can actually go somewhere to be silent.
But silence is one of the main components of the monthly Taizé (pronounced "te zay") services held at First-Plymouth Congregational Church, Lincoln, NE.
Worshippers come to First-Plymouth Congregational Church on the first Sunday of each month at 7 p.m. seeking peace, harmony and spiritual connection through the simple, candle-lit worship service. To achieve this soul-quieting effect, signs are posted on the doors of the dimly lighted sanctuary asking that those participating in the ecumenical service of prayer, music and meditation to enter and exit in silence.
During the 45-minute service, they sing uncomplicated, repetitive songs, light candles, hear scripture, pray and meditate, following a simple order of worship.
While the ministers of the congregation do participate in the services from time to time, the welcoming, reading of scripture, and prayers are done by members of the congregation and Lincoln community--may of the service leaders are teenagers and young adults.
Jack Levick, former First-Plymouth minister of music, said he often spent hours choosing the appropriate musical pieces from a book of Taizé songs. He also arranged the music for a variety of instruments used in the service, as well as coordinated the musicians that play for the service.
"The music is not terribly complicated, by design," Levick said. Rather than be cluttered with too many words and verses like some hymns, Taizé songs such as "Jesus Remember Me," "The Lord is Risen" and "Bless the Lord" are repeated eight to 12 times. Most of the songs are eight measures long.
"The simple, repetitive songs wash over you like a mantra," Levick said. "They can act almost like a quasi-hypnotic trance."
Levick said the spiritual magic comes through the power of simplicity. "I was smitten by the light and drama of the candles," he said.
Bringing the music and meditation-oriented service to Lincoln was something Otis Young, senior minister at First-Plymouth, had wanted to do for several years.
"We needed some form of worship in this city and in our lives that's calm and meditative," said Young. "We lead such noisy, rushed and bright lives. My feeling was that by offering a service that is quiet and peaceful, it might give some rest to people's lives."
There is no sermon or prepared message in traditional Taizé services. Freed from the limits doctrinal or theological concerns, the service is able to speak to each person's spiritual needs through music, scripture readings, prayer, and meditation. The fact that First-Plymouth's service is gift to the people and congregations of our community in the hope that their experience will strengthen the ministry they carry out in their home church" is borne out by the fact that most of those attending the monthly services are non-First-Plymouth Church members.
The model for this unique, spiritually uplifting service was started after World War II in the Burgundy region of France by a Swiss Protestant named Brother Roger. His intention was to reconcile Christians who had been divided centuries of theological and doctrinal conflict and to provide an ecumenical community for contemplation and reconciliation. Today, the small French village of Taizé where Brother Roger held the first service still attracts Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians from around the world. While all are welcome to visit the Taizé community, the various programs and twice-daily prayer services are intended for those who are under thirty years old.
Taize History
