The Taste and See Day of Bite-Size Spirituality on Saturday 19th March 2011 was the third such event held in York, and the largest yet with some 300 participants.
The idea behind Taste and See is to offer Christians different ways of expressing their faith. Interactive workshops allow Christians of different denominations to discover and reflect on new ways of relating to God and one another.
Carmelites have been involved in this ecumenical project since the very first planning meeting. The initial Taste and See days were held in 2008 and 2009, with participants gathering in York Minster before taking part in workshops in different city-centre churches. This year, Taste and See took place on one site, York St John University, which co-hosted the event along with the Diocese of York and CoRE (York City Centre Churches Care and Development Trust).
Carmelite spirituality was one of 23 workshops available. Other styles of prayer and spirituality on offer included: Franciscan prayer; Ignatian spirituality; Taizé worship; Dance and bodily prayer; Prayer walking; Labyrinth meditation; Messy Church; Godly Play; Sensory prayer; Prayer for Healing and Wholeness; Fresh Expressions Café-style Worship; Celtic prayer; Singing the Scriptures; Art and worship; Praying the Bible; and Christian Meditation based on the teachings of John Main.
Among the more prominent workshop leaders were Margaret Sentamu (wife of the Archbishop of York) who led a session on ‘Praying with Thomas Merton’. The prominent Methodist theologian, Rev Inderjit Bhogal, OBE, led a workshop entitled ‘Lent-ills: Just Fast’. The religion correspondent of The Times, Ruth Gledhill, hosted a workshop on ‘Faith and the Media’.
The workshop participants came from many different denominations and churches in York, the Yorkshire region and beyond. They were able to sign up for three workshops each. The day was so popular that many would-be participants had to be turned away.
The day began with a word of welcome and opening act of worship in the university’s Temple Hall. The logo for this year’s Taste and See was an apple, and Temple Hall was decorated with baskets of the fruit kindly donated by the Benedictine monks at Ampleforth Abbey.
The opening act of worship was led by Margaret Sentamu, who preached about the value of different styles of prayer and spirituality for different personalities, temperaments and moods, and the importance of broadening our minds and experiences so as to draw closer to God.
Musical accompaniment for the opening act of worship was provided by the ‘Resurrecting Tradition Choir’, which is linked to the Catholic Students’ Society at the University of York, where the Carmelite friars have care of the Catholic Chaplaincy. They gave a beautiful rendition of Vaughan Williams’ short anthem ‘O Taste and See’.
At the opening act of worship, prayers of intercession were led by Methodist minister, Rev Chris Humble, and the Gospel was proclaimed by Lay Carmelite, Johan Bergström-Allen. Johan, who runs the British Province’s Projects and Publications Office, facilitated the Carmelite spirituality workshops that were attended by some 40 participants. The Carmelite workshops reflected on how the Biblical episodes of Elijah on Mount Carmel and Mount Horeb might inspire us to worship God alone, and to encounter God in silence.
Carmelite resources were among the materials on display at the ‘Spirituality Marketplace’ held in Temple Hall throughout the day. St Paul’s Bookshop ran a stall on which Carmelite books featured prominently.
At the end of the day, participants came back to Temple Hall for a closing act of worship led by Rev Phillip Roderick in the style promoted by the ‘Contemplative Fire’ movement. This included simple chants inspired by African music, and ‘bodily prayer’ incorporating slow, meditative movements whilst saying the Our Father.
Feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive, and it is hoped that a further Taste and See event will be held next year.
Johan Bergström-Allen