A parable, a phone call, a French community

About four years ago, three things converged in my life that transformed my practice of prayer in a most wonderful way. Here’s what happened.

The parable

It all started while discussing prayer with a trusted mentor. He challenged me with this short parable: “Have you ever known someone who always talks at you, but never really listens to you? They tell you all about their concerns, their projects and goals, perhaps even ask you to help them out, and then wander off saying how ‘life is way too busy.’ They treat you like this each time you meet. How do you feel?”

With an answer welling up within me like a flash flood, my mentor gently added, “I wonder if God ever deals with this in hearing our prayers? If so, how might he feel about this?” That really got me thinking.

The phone call

At about the same time, I received a phone call from a stranger, inviting me to participate as a musician in a new series of prayer services.

The caller envisioned a dedicated prayer space where people could focus on listening to God. She imagined a quiet and simple service, she said, most often candlelit, which would include the reading of Scripture, periods of silence, a time for prayers of the people, all woven together with the songs of Taize.

Hold it just a sec. Tai-what?

Taize

I learned that Taize (pronounced tay-zay) is an ecumenical community named after its hometown in France. Founded by Brother Roger in 1940, the Taize community is now home to more than a hundred brothers, both Catholic and Protestant, from more than 25 nations.

Taize has also become a pilgrimage site for young people. They started to arrive in the late 1950s, uninvited and without any special event to attract them, with more arriving every summer. Last year, some 25,000 people came from all over the world.

And why do they come? To pray.

As you can imagine, it’s a challenge to create a worship service that will be meaningful for people who speak many different languages and come from different Christian backgrounds. The response that emerged was the writing of songs consisting of very short but significant prayers. For many, these songs have become an attractive and effective apprenticeship in prayer.

The significance

After nearly four years of playing violin for these monthly Sunday evening services, I can hardly overstate the significance of this experience – for myself, and for others from the Mennonite Brethren and Anglican congregations involved. I have benefitted in four ways:

• The emphasis on listening has helped me be more open to, and aware of, God. I have the freedom to practice a lot more “listening” prayer (especially within daily life) and much less “talking” prayer.
• The experience of silence, so rare in our day, acts as a kind of soul barometer. Do I find myself at peace? Or do I find all kinds of chaotic and twisted feelings struggling in tension? If it’s the latter, communal silence is a powerful aid in finding at least enough peace to pray for guidance. On my own, this disoriented inner world can be harder to deal with.
• This quieter place of prayer has helped me learn to simply rest in God, to simply enjoy being with God. I find it enormously helpful and freeing to “be” with someone without feeling the need to be attractive, interesting, funny, talented, cool, good, productive, hard-working, smart, or any of the other requirements other relationships place upon us.
• The last thing has to do with inner healing. It’s a curious thing, but many people have a hard time naming, let alone facing, those areas where they need healing the most: their deepest wounds. The containment of the feelings associated with these wounds can be damaging, while their expression to God can transform them – not only into part of the healing process but into a powerful emotional solidarity with God. A number of Taize songs assist people in expressing to God these painful sentiments. They have also played a large role in my own healing journey.

Dan Huget attends Bakerview Church in Abbotsford. He is the violinst on MCC’s Suppportive Services new fundraising CD featuring Taize music. Information on the Abbotsford Taize services is at Taize Evening Prayer.

Want to “sing Taize?” The community’s website posts its songs, with texts (in various languages), music, and instructions on use, as well as audio samples. Four Taize songs are included in the MB hymnal, Worship Together – “Bless the Lord” (181), “Eat This Bread” (244), “Hosanna” (339), “Jesus, Remember Me” (355).

A Taize service typically includes the reading of psalms and other Scriptures, silence, intercessions or praise, and songs.