No trip to Italy is complete without touring at least a couple (or a dozen) churches and we had certainly seen a lot while in Rome. Yet, now on the relaxing leg of the trip in Tuscany, I wanted to see one more. The Sant’Antimo abbey nearby conducts seven services a day where all the prayers are sung in Gregorian chant.
We stopped by to tour the abbey and listen to a service before heading out to tour local wineries. It was a beautiful service, yet so different from any I’d experienced before. The chanting is described as being divine teaching and prayer at the same time, a way to guide the spirit to silence and contemplation of the divine mystery.
Sant’Antimo Abbey
Since worshipping at an abbey isn’t something in reach for most of us, how else can we experience this form of prayer where we are?
Using music to guide your spirit to silence and divine contemplation though repetitive chants
While you can listen to Gregorian chants on your own (there’s even a Pandora station for them), the Taize Community gives us a structure for prayer using meditative song. Taize is south of Burgundy, France and is home to an international, ecumenical community of faith committed to a life of spiritual sharing and simplicity. They are characterized by their prayer services, conducted three times daily. The style of worship is centered around music that is meditative, joyful, prayerful and chant-like.
“Prayer expressed in song remains one of the most essential expressions of our search for God. Short chants, repeated over and over, emphasize the meditative quality of prayer. They express in a few words a basic truth which is quickly grasped by the mind and gradually penetrates into one’s whole being.” – Brother Roger of Taizé
These services give us a model for incorporating repetitive chanting as a way to guide our spirit to silence and open ourselves for contemplation of God’s message. Many churches conduct these services, so you may be able to find one near you if you want to experience it in group worship. Or, you can try a modified version in your own prayer time.
Incorporating Taize Prayer into your own prayers
1) Start your prayer time with a song.
Choose one that is chant-like and meditative. I like to play ones from the Taize website, but you could choose something more familiar from your own faith tradition (such as Kyrie Eleison).
2) Read a passage of scripture.
3) Sing or listen to another chant-like song.
4) Sit in silence for a time and listen for God.
This is the heart of the prayer service, so don’t rush. The music served to prepare your spirit for listening, now sit and listen for God’s word. Reflect on the scripture, but don’t fill your mind with prayers or words. Allow God space to enter.
5) Sing or listen to another chant-like song.
6) Pray intercessory prayers.
7) Close with the Lord’s Prayer.
I’m admittedly just a novice at this style of prayer, but I’ve found it to be profoundly moving. Some mornings I’ll just sit and listen to the recorded services from Taize. Even though I don’t understand all the words, it puts me in the right spirit for prayer and connection with God.
PRAY DEEP CHALLENGE: Listen to the Saturday evening broadcast from Taize. Allow yourself to just listen to the words and rhythm. Spend time in silence listening for God’s word through the scripture reading. Then, pray for others and pray for yourself through the Lord’s Prayer.
Ready to Ignite Your Prayers?
Join our ‘Prayers and Possibilities’ newsletter for weekly encouragement and I’ll send you the “Pray Deep Prayer Cards” as a FREE gift. Ignite your prayer life by exploring over 20 different ways to pray. These prayer cards explain how to pray through a variety of methods, sure to inspire and deepen your prayer experience.
Already on our list? Enter your info below so I know to send it.
Resources:
If you want to learn more about Taize, check out these resources:
The Taize Community
Worship in the Style of Taize brochure
The Value of Silence: Insights from the community of Taizé
Like this post? Explore this and other forms of prayer through the Pray Deep prayer journals. Each book will lead you through a variety of prayer methods through 21 days of focused prayers. Get started with one today!
{These are affiliate links – and my own books – so any purchases help grow and sustain this blog.}
This post is part of the “Pray Deep” series. For more information on the series or to download a complete set of printable prayer cards, click HERE.
Taize Prayer: Meditative Prayer Through Music – Prayer & Possibilities
No trip to Italy is complete without touring at least a couple (or a dozen) churches and we had certainly seen a lot while in Rome. Yet, now on the relaxing leg of the trip in Tuscany, I wanted to see one more. The Sant’Antimo abbey nearby conducts seven services a day where all the prayers are sung in Gregorian chant.
We stopped by to tour the abbey and listen to a service before heading out to tour local wineries. It was a beautiful service, yet so different from any I’d experienced before. The chanting is described as being divine teaching and prayer at the same time, a way to guide the spirit to silence and contemplation of the divine mystery.
Sant’Antimo Abbey
Since worshipping at an abbey isn’t something in reach for most of us, how else can we experience this form of prayer where we are?
Using music to guide your spirit to silence and divine contemplation though repetitive chants
While you can listen to Gregorian chants on your own (there’s even a Pandora station for them), the Taize Community gives us a structure for prayer using meditative song. Taize is south of Burgundy, France and is home to an international, ecumenical community of faith committed to a life of spiritual sharing and simplicity. They are characterized by their prayer services, conducted three times daily. The style of worship is centered around music that is meditative, joyful, prayerful and chant-like.
These services give us a model for incorporating repetitive chanting as a way to guide our spirit to silence and open ourselves for contemplation of God’s message. Many churches conduct these services, so you may be able to find one near you if you want to experience it in group worship. Or, you can try a modified version in your own prayer time.
Incorporating Taize Prayer into your own prayers
1) Start your prayer time with a song.
Choose one that is chant-like and meditative. I like to play ones from the Taize website, but you could choose something more familiar from your own faith tradition (such as Kyrie Eleison).
2) Read a passage of scripture.
3) Sing or listen to another chant-like song.
4) Sit in silence for a time and listen for God.
This is the heart of the prayer service, so don’t rush. The music served to prepare your spirit for listening, now sit and listen for God’s word. Reflect on the scripture, but don’t fill your mind with prayers or words. Allow God space to enter.
5) Sing or listen to another chant-like song.
6) Pray intercessory prayers.
7) Close with the Lord’s Prayer.
I’m admittedly just a novice at this style of prayer, but I’ve found it to be profoundly moving. Some mornings I’ll just sit and listen to the recorded services from Taize. Even though I don’t understand all the words, it puts me in the right spirit for prayer and connection with God.
PRAY DEEP CHALLENGE: Listen to the Saturday evening broadcast from Taize. Allow yourself to just listen to the words and rhythm. Spend time in silence listening for God’s word through the scripture reading. Then, pray for others and pray for yourself through the Lord’s Prayer.
Ready to Ignite Your Prayers?
Join our ‘Prayers and Possibilities’ newsletter for weekly encouragement and I’ll send you the “Pray Deep Prayer Cards” as a FREE gift. Ignite your prayer life by exploring over 20 different ways to pray. These prayer cards explain how to pray through a variety of methods, sure to inspire and deepen your prayer experience.
Already on our list? Enter your info below so I know to send it.
Resources:
If you want to learn more about Taize, check out these resources:
The Taize Community
Worship in the Style of Taize brochure
The Value of Silence: Insights from the community of Taizé
Like this post? Explore this and other forms of prayer through the Pray Deep prayer journals. Each book will lead you through a variety of prayer methods through 21 days of focused prayers. Get started with one today!
{These are affiliate links – and my own books – so any purchases help grow and sustain this blog.}