Being Fed, part 2

After supper, we went to the evening prayer. Outside the sanctuary at each entrance stand people with large signs that say "silence", "stille" "silencio". As we step in the door, there are boxes which contain the songbooks, a sheet of scripture, and a sheet with a few new chants that haven't made it into the books yet. There are also stacks of rectangles of cloth, available for those (male and female) who may have uncovered shoulders, or midriffs, or thighs.

The sanctuary with all the rolldown gates up is cavernous. (check out a picture here: http://www.pontelandstmary.org.uk/taize.htm) But they have these gates and they are all down when we first enter. It is only when the areas closest in fill up that they open another section. There are no chairs. There are some prayer benches. Mostly you sit on the floor. As we settle in, we hear for the first time the bells of Taize, calling people to worship. They ring for a fair amount of time. Finally, as they die out, the singing begins. Up on the walls are illuminated signposts where the chant numbers are posted as we sing them. Some know the chants by heart, and start singing immediately. Others of us have to search in the book. We sing that night in German, in Latin, in French, in English...we sing the chants over and over, and they begin to sink down in you.

We chant, we hear a psalm and sing alleluia with it, we hear scripture and respond with an alleluia to that too, scripture read in several languages, printed in others. We hear the word, and we digest it in silence. 3500 of us, and it is pretty silent for that number. 8 minutes...
Then we come out of the silence and raise the intercessions. We pray, the brothers speaking the words, and the congregation singing the kyrie. And still the chanting goes on. We finish this prayer, and the brothers rise and exit through the front of the chapel. And then the most amazing thing:

the chanting continues.

The brother who has been leading and playing the piano leaves. And the chanting continues. The numbers stop flashing on the board and the chanting continues. Some of the brothers come back, and station themselves throughout the room for folks to come up and speak to them. And the chanting continues. The crowd thins, and the chanting continues.

These are young folk. Mostly in their early 20s. These are the young adults that organized religion say aren't interested in God. Or church. They have spent their own money to get here, they have taken their vacation time, and they have come to pray with a world community. I am awe-filled.

God bless us all.