Dear Friends
Disciplemaking lessons from Taize
I recently had the privilege of visiting Taize – a religious community in the south of France for a few days. I wrote about a previous visit two years ago. A community of about a hundred monks from a vast variety of theological backgrounds – both Catholic and Reformed, Orthodox, Anglican and Presbyterian. Living a life of celibacy, solitude and simplicity – focusing on loving one another and serving the visitors that have been coming since 1942.
I witnessed a parking lot of buses transporting thousands of young adults from all over the world, extensive camping sites for campers, hundreds of wooden bungalows and a dormitory with separate simple rooms for older people – like me and my wife. I am asking myself – what draws me to Taize?
1. The church services helped me to hear God’s voice in a special way. Three services per day – no preaching – not even anybody leading the liturgy or making any announcements. Just bible reading, repetitive songs and silence. I learned that God does His work Himself. I never walked out of any service without a clear understanding of God’s will for my life. Preachers are not wrong – Jesus sent out His disciples to proclaim (preach) the good news. BUT – the Spirit is not limited to a specific person taking the lead – explaining what the Bible says. One person talking alone for most of the time and a majority listening passively. I discovered a new that any person can hear God’s voice – as long as you want to and open yourself to God’s work in your life. Thinking back on my pastor’s ministry I wish I had taken myself and the role I played less seriously. As if the wellbeing of a congregation depends on me – trying to entertain people by preaching in such a way that people will be impressed and come back next Sunday (and bring their money with them). Fooling myself by telling myself I am serving God when many times I was serving myself – building my Kingdom, my name and my ego. I plan to teach my disciples – “the good news is that there is a God – the bad news is that it is not you”.
2. Although these “monks” are from “opposing” theological traditions, spiritualities and backgrounds – I never heard any dogma. They proclaim that if you really focus on Jesus Himself – the unity between vastly different people is much more than what divides us. To love one another unconditionally is far more important than being theologically right. To live focused on Jesus and grow towards His character draws people into the Kingdom – to be sure what baptism and the eucharist must look like – how we must worship, if we must speak in tongues, the role of women etc. etc. are issues on the periphery. To be willing to die for these kinds of issues – does not make you light or salt to the world. You may be very sincere – but sincerely wrong. When I make disciples I want to be careful to export only Christ and His character and not my theological background, dogma, church tradition. I want to motivate them to love Christ and not who and how I am and where I come from.
3. After being in ministry for more than 40 years – I still believe in going – go to where they are and reach them where they spend their lives. But – I experienced how thousands of people weekly for almost a 100 years flock to role models whose lives are duplicates of Jesus’ life and values like simplicity – playing for an audience of ONE, servanthood, love and Kingdom living. All again I understood while people swarmed Jesus – often running away from the church of their time – in Jesus’ presence they felt so blessed and loved. I plan to share with my disciples that the best they can do to touch other’s lives and multiply is to repeat the life of Jesus. To live in heaven on earth before they die.
My “gameplan” for myself and my disciples is to live intimately and interactively with Jesus – to grow into the character why Jesus sent me to earth. Who I become is far more important than what I do for Jesus.
Be blessed
Johann Theron