Ecumenical Prayer (with Taize chants) for 2019

It's been a crazy busy week, so I've decided to start my Laudato Si Sunday reflections next week, and post the schedule for this year's Ecumenical Prayer evenings that will be held in different churches. If you are in the Edmonton Area, don't hesitate to join us at any of the prayer evenings noted below. Each evening is a wonderful opportunity to listen to scripture, sit together in silence, and join our voices in song to celebrate all the things Christians hold in common. All are welcome!

Two ecumenical ways to have a good Good Friday

I remember dreading Good Friday when I was a kid. Such a heavy, heavy day, with that long story of Jesus' ordeal before he died, and that sad song asking, "Were you there?" To me, it was overwhelmingly sad that a good man had to die, supposedly to atone for my sins. I think it was the guilt complex that came with Good Friday that made it so difficult. I mean, was the fact that I fought with my sisters really why Jesus had to die?

But I was missing the point. Jesus came to show us how to live, even in the most impossible circumstances. He was all about love and forgiveness, right to his death, when he said, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34). 

Even so, I'm still not a huge fan of the traditional three o'clock Good Friday service. That's why I offer alternative possibilities for Good Friday observance in these moodlings every year -- ones that are focused less on the reading of the Gospel narrative of the passion, and more on the hope that Jesus gives all people by the way he surrenders himself to God. His deep trust in God and his solidarity with us in the most difficult of human struggles is meant to give us hope and courage. So for the last several years, I have been attending two different Good Friday events that offer slightly different slants on Christ's death. If you've been following my moodlings for a while, you know where I'm going with this...

The first event is the Edmonton Outdoor Way of the Cross. It's an ecumenical event that begins at 10 am outside of Immigration Hall on the corner of 100th Street and 105th Ave. If the weather holds (the present forecast indicates snow and cool weather, so it's important to dress for it), we will walk an easy two-kilometer route, ending a block from where we began. There will be several stations where the crowd will gather to listen to reflections on the theme of "Speaking Truth to Power." As we follow the cross through the inner city, we are challenged to become Christ's hands and feet on the day we remember that his were nailed to the cross -- we are all called to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly like he did.

The second event is Ecumenical Prayer Around the Cross in the style of Taizé at the beautiful main chapel in Providence Renewal Centre (3005 119 Street) at 7 p.m. It's a little longer than an hour of meditative reflection with silence, a short passage from the Gospel, prayers of the gathered community, and a lot of beautiful music that calms and quiets the soul so that God can be heard.

Both events are free, though donations to Hope Mission are welcomed after the Way of the Cross. The free-will offering collected at the evening Ecumenical Prayer will be divided between Wings of Providence Women's Shelter and the Anawim Food Bank -- two charities associated with the Sisters of Providence, who are hosting the evening prayer.

However you choose to observe Good Friday, I hope it is a deeply meaningful day for you, one that is sad, yes, but also hopeful, motivating us all toward justice and peace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL1_IhVTJmk

A personal perspective on Christian devotional music

My friend Julien, who has interfaith and ecumenical connections in our city, invited me to participate in a local conference put on by the Edmonton Committee of the Parliament of the World's Religions. I was offered ten minutes or so to speak about Christian Devotional music at a session on "The Importance of Music in Different Faith Traditions," along with people of Muslim, Hindu and Jewish faith traditions. It was an interesting interfaith experience of musical prayer. Each presenter either sang or played some music from their faith tradition, live or recorded -- and it underlined the value of song in all of humanity's interaction with God -- no matter our faith, music helps us to express ourselves when spoken word somehow falls short.

How does one do any sort of justice to the breadth of Christian music in ten minutes? I didn't even try, but rather shared my own appreciation for music by presenting a few bits of song that I love. I thought I'd share the text of my presentation, with a few pieces of music interspersed thanks to YouTube, for today's reflection. Thanks again to Denise and Dad for helping to lead the group in singing... and to Julien for giving me the opportunity.

A perspective on Christian music

I'd like to begin by speaking about Christian devotional music in my own life. Music has always held a particularly strong pull for me in the celebration of my faith in God. I find that devotional music speaks to and for my soul in ways that spoken prayer can’t. Fortunately, I grew up during the time when the Roman Catholic Church began switching from hymns based on Latin Gregorian chant, the maestros of classical music and ancient folk melodies to music with a more folksy, contemporary feel. As a little kid, I always got excited when someone played guitar instead of the organ because somehow, guitar music was less intimidating. But that doesn’t mean that those Gregorian- or classical music-based hymns don’t move me. Let’s try one verse of a song with  the melody of Beethoven’s 9^th symphony, just to warm up our voices.

Songs of praise and thanksgiving to God are among my favourites. Marty Haugen's The Canticle of the Sun is a contemporary, lively, and joyful song that uses an adaptation of a prayer by St. Francis of Assisi, and I’ve already decided that I want it sung at my funeral, especially because of the final verse, which says:

Praise to our death that makes our life real,

The knowledge of loss that helps us to feel

The gift of yourself, your presence revealed,

To bring us home.

Much of the music that has been important to my faith life is based on scripture, which I believe is one way that God communicates to me how I am loved, and how I am expected to love. I also really enjoy songs that help me to express my love for God.

I suppose there might be as many different things that draw people to Christian music as there are people. As a music minister, I’ve worked with people who choose music based on the poetry or message of the lyrics, or the feel of a hymn, or its melody or rhythm. But the biggest draw in my books is the sense of community that comes with singing to God with others. I'm not one who wants to sit and listen to a soloist -- I like it when people can participate, and if people enjoy singing a song to God together, that’s reason enough to sing it! I love it when we can raise the roof with an uplifting tune... but I also enjoy quiet and reflective songs. So it was hard to choose only a few songs to share with you.

I've decided to focus on the music of a place known as Taizé, in France. It is a village where an ecumenical group of monks welcome young people all year round to sing and pray together three times a day, no matter what they believe. Youth come by the droves to spend a week in the middle of nowhere, sleeping in tents and living in community with the brothers. We’d like to introduce you to one of the chants used at Taizé. 

Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God's holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul, who leads me into life.

For the last twenty–some years, on and off, I’ve participated in and led Taizé prayer gatherings here in Edmonton, simply because I find it to be my favourite way to connect people – and myself – with God. Merv, Denise and I, along with others, will lead a prayer this coming Sunday evening (tonight) at St. David’s Anglican Church (7751 85th Street). I find that the repetition of the prayerful and musical phrases open a room in my heart where I know that God is; a door that often is forgotten in the bustle of my daily life... but the beauty of Taizé chant helps me to center my awareness on God.  Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “To sing is to pray twice.” Chant is my favourite prayer.

In terms of how music helps us to experience the glory and ecstasy of knowing God, or how it soothes our pain and sorrow, I could tell a dozen stories, but I’ll keep it to just two stories with a single piece of music. The first time I heard the chant we’ll sing in a few moments, I was at a Catholic-Lutheran student conference in Ontario, and the sound of many  harmonious voices and many instruments raising the song together gave me the goosebumps, and an absolute sense that God’s Spirit was among us. It was glorious and very uplifting.

The second time that song spoke to me of God’s presence was with the coming of my second daughter. Halfway through the pregnancy, during a routine ultrasound, a tumour was discovered on my baby. It was a very difficult time – I was scared, and sad, and eventually, angry – how could God allow such a thing to happen to an innocent baby? But to calm myself and soothe my child, I began to sing this same Taizé chant whenever I felt her move, trying to trust that God was taking care of us. Just after she was born, she had a surgery to remove the tumour, and we spent a few days in the neonatal intensive care at the University of Alberta Hospital. I rocked her in the rocking chair for hours, humming the melody, and that’s how a Taizé song of praise became her lullaby. Whenever I hear it now, it takes me back to a time when I am sure God was our consolation and strength, and still is:

Sing praises, all you peoples, sing praises to the Lord.

Sing praises, all you peoples, sing praises to the Lord.

2014 Taizé Prayer in Edmonton

Taizé Prayer is, quite simply, a wonderful thing. Christians from different denominations gather to sing beautiful, multi-layered music, hear scripture, meditate in silence, pray the prayers of their hearts, and enjoy a special, ecumenical sense of community in each other’s churches. I’ve been part of it, on and off, for the past 25 years, and have come to really appreciate its simplicity and beauty, as well as my many friendships with Christians from my neighbourhood and the greater Edmonton area with whom I would be unlikely to meet otherwise.

If you’ve never experienced Taizé Prayer, we invite you to come and pray with us any time. No matter what your past church experience may have been, Taizé Prayer is a welcoming place for peaceful reverence. Many thanks to all the participating churches. Please join us.

Taizé Prayer 2014

Ecumenical, musical, meditative prayer 

in the Taizé style from 7 - 8 p.m.

January 12   St. Thomas D’Aquin Catholic Church   8410 89 Street
February 9   Hope Lutheran Church   5104 106 Avenue
March 9   Lenten Prayer St. Luke’s Anglican Church   8424 95 Avenue

April 18   Good Friday Prayer Around the Cross

Providence Renewal Centre   3005 119 Street
May 4   Easter Prayer   St. David’s Anglican Church   7751 85 Street
September 14   Assumption Catholic Church   9040 95 Avenue
October 5   Holyrood Mennonite Church   9505 79 Street
November 9    Peace Prayer    Strathearn United Church   8510 95 Avenue
December 14   Advent Prayer    First Church of God   9224 82 Street

Everyone is welcome!

For more information and/or a printable poster, contact Maria K. 

(under view my complete profile on the side bar); 

see also www.taize.fr

Taizé Prayer is sponsored by these church communities, 

and the Edmonton Taizé musicians/organizing group.

Music copyright permissions are obtained 

through the kindness of the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton,

and candles are donated by Universal Church Supplies.

A lovely chant for a Sunday

I’m feeling quite low these days faith-wise, but music from Taizé never fails to speak to me and bring me into a place of prayer. Music has always been my best way to pray. These days, this chant praises God endlessly -- especially when I listen to it endlessly... and then it runs through the background of my life like a mantra even when I'm not listening. Enjoy...

Some new Taizé music for a Sunday

Tonight our Taste of Taizé Prayer will be held at 7 p.m. at Assumption Catholic Church, 9040 95 Avenue, and I hope you can join us if you live in the area. But if you're far away, not to worry. Here's a video with some images from Taizé itself, and some new music that I hadn't heard before, Ȏ toi l'au-delà de tout. The lyrics are wonderful... what I love is that they don't talk about God, but directly to God, as a real prayer should. Enjoy!

Ô toi l'au-delà de tout,

Quel esprit peut te saisir

Tous les être te célèbrent

le désir de tous aspire vers toi.

You who are beyond all things,

what mind can grasp you?

All that lives celebrates you;

the desire of all reaches out towards you.

For more information about Taizé, visit www.taize.fr