We believe that the arc of transformation does not end in a classroom and does not involve only our personal formation; it is ultimately a process of growing our imagination and capacity for serving God and neighbor. Sustaining that growth requires intentional practices of pausing, reflecting, and listening for the movement of the Spirit in the quiet corners of our hearts and in the people and places around us.
That鈥檚 part of why we seek to foster thoughtful spaces for connection and reflection in our community. We believe something holy and vital happens when we gather in prayer, song, and silence, and when we remember that our individual journeys of formation are intimately connected to each other and to our collective journey. Recently, a group of staff and students initiated a weekly Taiz茅 gathering, an opportunity to gather in a prayerful, liturgical space as a way to help ground each other and re-orient to our work together.
鈥淚n grad school, life can get really busy and hectic,鈥� says Megan Doner, Master of Divinity student and facilitator of the Sacred Space realm of Student Leadership. 鈥淭aiz茅 creates this beautiful space that is doing the work of allowing us to connect with God, allowing us to connect with each other, in such a beautiful form of worship.鈥�
鈥淭aiz茅 creates this beautiful space that is doing the work of allowing us to connect.鈥�
Taiz茅 is named for a monastic community in France known for simple, repetitive songs, reflections, and prayers that express an ecumenical commitment to peace and social justice. The short songs with simple language is designed to welcome a diversity of backgrounds, and the quiet space and repetition allow our bodies to settle more fully in the midst of whatever stress and anxiety we may have arrived with.
In the video above, Heather Barnes (MDiv, 鈥�15), Director of Institutional Support, shares more about the nature of Taiz茅 and why she鈥檚 excited to help bring this rhythm to 天美视频. We also talked more with Megan Doner about why Student Leadership prioritizes fostering intentional space for our community to rest, wrestle, and play together.
鈥淲hen we may not have the words we need to be able to say I鈥檓 sorry, or I鈥檓 curious, or I鈥檓 scared, or I鈥檓 afraid, or that I don鈥檛 know you well enough but is it possible we could move in a new way together?鈥攊f we don鈥檛 have the words, sometimes we can do that together in the room through the music, and let the music hold a lot of the things that we don鈥檛 have the words for,鈥� says Heather.
Additional thanks to those who have helped bring this practice into our space: Rebekah Vickery, Jonathan Coopersmith, Daniel Tidwell, Becca Shirley, Jodi Bagge, Caitlin McDanel. Beginning again on May 7, we will gather for Taiz茅 every Tuesday at 12:15pm in the fourth floor Chapel. Learn more on our event calendar.