|
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
|
Pictures are from a Taizé service at
First-Plymouth Congregational Church UCC, 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.
|
