Sat. Aug. 28th
Every day the rhythm of life here revolves around the communal prayer that is the heart of Taize. It is unbelievable to gather with 7000 people kneeling on a simple floor of a church and singing scripture passages and then reflecting in silence together three times a day.
Every time there has been something that has spoken to me. Rob’s revelation was that “if you don’t deal with your baggage before you come it will be an even bigger burden as you try and travel.” This is said both spiritually and practiacally as we pack and re-pack our bags to try and get rid of excess luggage to which I reply “back off, I just sold everything I owned to do this I’m allowed to carry too many bobby pins. They’ll be lost by the end of the week don’t you worry!”
Then there is the study of the prodigal son. We are both relating to the younger son because we have left our life and wonder if we are squandering our birthright. Yet, I am mostly relating to the older son in the story. The one who has always done the right thing, obeying the letter of the law but not being “home” with the father but rather feeling like one who is a worker operating out of duty. It hit me what a spirit of love the prodigal has towards his home when he returns from wasting his inheritance and how the older son did not recognize what he had. I feel these thoughts in the silences as I sit in the services at Taize and then the voices begin to sing:
Let all who are thirsty come,
Let all who thirst receive
The waters of life
Freely.
Amen.
Come Lord Jesus,
Amen, come Lord Jesus
Amen.
Every day the rhythm of life here revolves around the communal prayer that is the heart of Taize. It is unbelievable to gather with 7000 people kneeling on a simple floor of a church and singing scripture passages and then reflecting in silence together three times a day.
Every time there has been something that has spoken to me. Rob’s revelation was that “if you don’t deal with your baggage before you come it will be an even bigger burden as you try and travel.” This is said both spiritually and practiacally as we pack and re-pack our bags to try and get rid of excess luggage to which I reply “back off, I just sold everything I owned to do this I’m allowed to carry too many bobby pins. They’ll be lost by the end of the week don’t you worry!”
Then there is the study of the prodigal son. We are both relating to the younger son because we have left our life and wonder if we are squandering our birthright. Yet, I am mostly relating to the older son in the story. The one who has always done the right thing, obeying the letter of the law but not being “home” with the father but rather feeling like one who is a worker operating out of duty. It hit me what a spirit of love the prodigal has towards his home when he returns from wasting his inheritance and how the older son did not recognize what he had. I feel these thoughts in the silences as I sit in the services at Taize and then the voices begin to sing:
Let all who are thirsty come,
Let all who thirst receive
The waters of life
Freely.
Amen.
Come Lord Jesus,
Amen, come Lord Jesus
Amen.
Thanks for the updates!
ReplyDeleteMuch power to you guys,and grace & provision for the road ahead!
In response to your revelation Rob...all my own years of travel taught me that there will always be some "baggage" that can only be recognized as that...once you're on the road! Whether it is literal or metaphorical...there are some things you can only "see" for the baggage they really are...under the duress of an adventure. It's the glorious and gory gift of travel!
May you end up much lighter by the end of your journey!
with love
Carolyn