Taize Worship

If you've been to a college campus or a young adult meeting lately, you might have noticed the current trend in 'Emerging' and 'Post-Modern' style influencing services across the country. In essence these Worship services are a synthesis of ancient and modern styles in worship, liturgical and contemporary styles side by side in one service. A trend setter influencing these liturgical styles comes out of the Taize movement in France. Taize is a united Catholic and Protestant community of believers devoted to prayer and worship. They gather three times daily to Worship and pray. Here is an excerpt describing thier meditative singing:

"Singing is one of the most essential elements of worship. Short songs, repeated again and again, give it a meditative character. Using just a few words they express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God. It allows everyone to take part in a time of prayer together and to remain together in attentive waiting on God, without having to fix the length of time too exactly."

More about Meditative Singing

More About Taize