It would be easy for someone to drive right by the Taize gathering on Red Shirt Table without knowing that there was anything happening. Except for a few hand-painted signs that point the way to the gathering, there isn’t much to see from the road. The Episcopal Church on Red Shirt Table sits far enough off of the paved highway that many people drive by without even knowing it is there. But If you drive down the dirt road, there is an amazing site. In a place that some might call “the middle of nowhere” a tent city has sprung up, with a few large circus-style tents, a half dozen large family camping tents, three tipis, and a hundred or more backpack style tents. There are benches with tubs of water for washing, banks of porta potties, and rows of tables set up for serving food. The only smoke is from the outdoor cooking fires. But, most impressively, there are hundreds of young people from all over the world, speaking a half dozen or more languages, all smiling, talking, and helping one another.
They have gathered to engage in an ancient Christian practice of praying three times each day, singing sacred songs together, studying the Bible, and talking about their faith. The popular press doesn’t give much attention to the faith practices of young adults, except an occasional article about how they often do not participate in traditional church institutions.
A few minutes before 8 am, 12 noon, and 8 pm, a large singing bowl rings out. It is struck repeatedly by a monk who stands on top of a sturdy section of fence and holds it aloft so that all can hear. The people start to stream through the church yard, out the corner of the gate and down the hill to a little depression in the badlands. They walk in silence. The only things you hear are the sounds of nature and the hum of a portable generator that has been set up to power a sound system. When they gather the singing starts. There is always a psalm and other readings of scripture. Most of the prayers are offered in silence and in song.
It is impossible to describe. It is one of those “you had to be there to understand” kind of things.
After morning prayers, we spent the rest of the time until noon prayers playing and leading activities with about a dozen children. Most of them were preschoolers. There was a smattering of older children and one middle-school youth came by and talked with us for a while, checking on younger siblings. I got to read stories, play paper airplanes, push swings, help little ones climb to the top of the slide and catch them as they came down, share a snack and hold a toddler as she slept in my arms. It was a kind of a grandpa’s dream. We have only one grandchild and he lives a long way from us and we get hungry to spend time with him. In the meantime, we are humbled and honored by the trust that others place in us when they allow us to care for their children.
The weather was perfect for outdoor activities, with a gentle breeze. We had a couple of tables under a shade shelter, but the children wanted to spend most of their time playing games out on the grass of the yard. We kept applying sunscreen and enjoying a truly summer-like day as the highs rose into the 80’s. It is amazing how much fun you can have with very little equipment. In a big open yard with a light breeze, paper airplanes will float a long ways and a team of boys can entertain themselves for quite a while making modifications to the planes, throwing them and chasing after them. Younger ones are entertained by watching the ants crawl in the grass, picking up sticks and exploring the world. They need a little supervision because the yard has also been used by horses and not everything in the yard is suitable to be picked up and used as a plaything.
The time quickly passed. It was a great day.
Most importantly it was an inspiring day. As we enter the season of Pentecost, it is a powerful experience to be reminded that the Holy Spirit is still moving through the people. Sometimes in the more formal settings of the church, the seasons come and go with a sort of routine. We sing the same songs that we sang the last time this season came around. We hear scriptures that are familiar because we read them over and over again. We become attached to our building and the setting of our worship because it holds so many memories for us.
God, however, is always doing new things. The passage from Isaiah that we heard during the morning prayers speaks of God’s power to restore after Israel suffered a devastating blow. “Behold, I am doing a new thing,” the prophet declares on behalf of God. Yesterday we got to behold that God is, indeed, doing a new thing. The new thing isn’t the same as weekly fellowship. The gathering is unique and the young people will scatter to their homes and everyday lives within the next couple of days. The tents will be taken down and stored. The equipment will be hauled away. Red Shirt Table will return to its natural state as a large open area on the edge of the badlands, where there are more birds than people. The children will go to their homes and other activities. Events are different than life-long commitments. The church gathers and then scatters again.
There is no doubt in my mind, however, that lives are transformed by the experience. God is calling forth new leaders for the church. New ways of living lives of faith are emerging. A new generation is emerging with a firm grip on faith and the practices that deepen faithful living. The songs and the prayers will go with the people wherever they roam.
I’m just glad I was there to see it.
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