Sunrise 6:12: Faith and fish

The Dawn Joggers were up early to attend the Pentecost service at Taize (by coincidence and thanks to an "early" Easter, just as they did last year). It was another gorgeous morning, and when they crossed the Saone River at Tournus and left Bresse for the Maconnais, they were reminded how pretty the rolling countryside of that region of Burgundy is with its rows and rows of grapes.

As they drove up the hillside to the famous ecumenical community, it was the usual crowded seen of mostly young people with a good sprinkling of those who were young once, all speaking multiple languages (sort of fitting for Pentecost) The Church of Reconciliation, as the sanctuary is called, was packed well before the brothers and visiting clergy - all in red stoles - took their places. A service at Taize is mostly sung with the sermon replaced by about five minutes of silence following the Gospel reading. Even with serving Communion to the thousands of people gathered, the service was over in an hour, and the female DJ thought fondly of Father Mike, who firmly believed a service should never take longer.

After buying some Taize essentials in the shop, they headed back to Tournus for a really great lunch at Le Terminus. The female DJ is known to go on and on about how good "the fish is," but today's omble chevalier (a type of lake trout, according to the waiter) was not only tasty but was spectacularly presented on a slate platter. Speaking of fish, the female DJ just spotted some monstrous three-foot long thing swimming under their house...