I went to Connection (the national convention for United Methodist youth workers) on Friday night to play guitar for the Taize service. It was one of the most beautiful worship services I've ever been to... certainly one of the most beautiful I've been involved with. I am sure that a lot of youth workers at this service will bring back the Taize experience to their groups.
A few years ago I was very skeptical about the use of Taize in American youth groups. I believed that Western youth would not connect with the extended times of silence, the repetitive music, etc. I was very wrong. I say this in case any of you that read this and work with youth feel the same way I did. It was in fact my naivety that made me feel the way I did. The majority of people that go to the Taize community in France are young--youth and young adults. And many of those people are Westerners.
As far as the music goes... well I would understand if youth workers and worship leaders heard a Taize CD and thought, "Um. It's classical. It's Catholic. It's high church. It's. Not for youth." The Connection Taize service threw that right out the window. Jazzy bass. Gospel tinged lead singing and piano. Beautiful djembe. Violin. My wack guitar skills.
I wish we could have recorded it. I think we should. When we were done, Jonathon said, "this was too good not to do again."
For the most part we used Jenny Youngman's Worship Feast Taize Songbook and you should too. If you look through these blogs you will see I am a big fan of the Worship Feast series. If you feel like the Taize music you've heard is too whatever listen to the CD that comes with the Worship Feast Services book.
On May 5th I will take my youth worship team to Scarritt Bennett for a Taize service around the labyrinth. We'll bring Taize back to our youth group for our next youth meeting. I will be sure to take tons of pictures and post them. Anyone want to buy me a digital camera?
A few years ago I was very skeptical about the use of Taize in American youth groups. I believed that Western youth would not connect with the extended times of silence, the repetitive music, etc. I was very wrong. I say this in case any of you that read this and work with youth feel the same way I did. It was in fact my naivety that made me feel the way I did. The majority of people that go to the Taize community in France are young--youth and young adults. And many of those people are Westerners.
As far as the music goes... well I would understand if youth workers and worship leaders heard a Taize CD and thought, "Um. It's classical. It's Catholic. It's high church. It's. Not for youth." The Connection Taize service threw that right out the window. Jazzy bass. Gospel tinged lead singing and piano. Beautiful djembe. Violin. My wack guitar skills.
I wish we could have recorded it. I think we should. When we were done, Jonathon said, "this was too good not to do again."
For the most part we used Jenny Youngman's Worship Feast Taize Songbook and you should too. If you look through these blogs you will see I am a big fan of the Worship Feast series. If you feel like the Taize music you've heard is too whatever listen to the CD that comes with the Worship Feast Services book.
On May 5th I will take my youth worship team to Scarritt Bennett for a Taize service around the labyrinth. We'll bring Taize back to our youth group for our next youth meeting. I will be sure to take tons of pictures and post them. Anyone want to buy me a digital camera?
On Saturday of Connection I was privileged to open the final worship with the song "Beloved" by Derek Webb. It went well, I think, but I messed up the rhythm. Well... I made the rhythm my own. In other words I changed it accidentally on the first line and couldn't turn back at that point. But it worked.
Then I darted over to the 23rd Psalm Coffee House where I did a concert. That's another blog for another time.
Then I darted over to the 23rd Psalm Coffee House where I did a concert. That's another blog for another time.
Some more of Gavin's pictures here and here. Read what Jonathon has to say here.
