| Learning the Lords song in new ways By Melissa Lauber
UMCONNECTION STAFF United Methodists are directed in their “Book of Hymns” by none other than John Wesley himself to “sing lustily and with a good courage.” United Methodists have often been branded as a singing people. United Methodists, however, rarely sing in Latin. Seldom in their worship do women dance with fire. Sitting in silence, meditating with icons, impromptu bands of trained musicians and music that ends only at the will of the Holy Spirit are not the traditional hallmarks of Wesleyan worship. However, on Oct. 16 at Severna Park UMC in Severna Park, members of the Baltimore-Washington Conference Chapter of The Fellowship of United Methodists in Worship and the Arts were trained in this style of worship as they explored the traditions of the Taize community. Taize is a monastic community in France that was started following World War II. Today, it is an international site for pilgrimages, each summer drawing more than 5,000 young people from 75 countries. Worship is central to the community, which lives simply, and some may say primitively, said the Rev. Judy Loehr, who taught the 35 people gathered at Severna Park about the Taize style. Loehr, who has made two pilgrimages to Taize, is a worship consultant and pastor of St. Andrew’s UMC in Alexandria, Va.  | MELISSA LAUBER / UMCONNECTION | The Rev. Judy Loehr teaches the songs of the Taize community. |
She explained that the distinctive meditative singing that is part of the Taize experience is being increasingly replicated in United Methodist and other churches in the United States. The short, simple songs are sung many times and can induce a spirit of meditation that allows people to pray as they sing. Much of the music is in Latin, to allow it to be understood across a myriad of cultures. The music is seldom directed, but takes on a life of the spirit, ending when the congregation is moved, Loehr said. The Taize worship experience also values silence to calm and renew the soul, and “holy hardware,” like icons, are used to assist people in their reflections of the sacred, Loehr said. The Fellowship for Worship and the Arts workshop also included a session on liturgical dance, led by the Baltimore North District Dance Choir.  | MELISSA LAUBER / UMCONNECTION | Participants learned liturgical dance at a recent worship workshop. |
In this session, participants learned a number of simple dances to the music of Taize. In a circle, they explored how faith can be expressed in rhythmic movements of the body, while worship is enlarged, refreshed and enlivened, with dance. Patty Gillam also taught a session on meditative journaling, in which participants explored how writing can enrich their understanding of and relationship with God. Gillam encouraged those who journal to find a comfortable spot in which to write, to be still and settle into their thoughts before putting pen to paper, and to write, without hesitation or fear, about anything and everything that may cross their paths. As an exercise, the group wrote gbwc_superusered meditations on stones they selected from a fountain. Following the three sessions, the participants came back together for a worship service in the Taize tradition, led by Loehr. According to Brian Winter, the director of music at Severna Park, this is the first time in several years that the Baltimore-Washington chapter of the worship fellowship has broadened its annual training session to reach out to everyone in the conference. The day’s success was very encouraging, he said. During the summer the fellowship also hosts an arts and music camp for youth at Frostburg State University, which draws almost 70 youth from across the conference. This summer’s camp will be held July 10 to 16. The national Fellowship of United Methodists in Worship and the Arts will also meet next summer at a convention on worship in San Francisco at Grace Cathedral July 10-13. | 
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