Worship at the College of the Transfiguration

There is at least one worship service every day at COTT. Weekdays begin with a 6:45 AM meditation. Doors close promptly at 6:45 and students spend the next half hour in meditative silence. Students do a range of things during this silent period: some pray, some read, some write, and some just sit and think. There are no guidelines for this time, just that silence is required.
At 7:15, the doors reopen and any remaining students are allowed in for Morning Prayer or Eucharist. Almost all students turn up for meditation so there are usually few who come in late. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are morning Eucharists, and Tuesday and Thursday have morning prayer. Tuesday and Thursday also have an evening Eucharist at 5:15 PM.
Services at COTT are a multicultural experience. There are more than 10 languages spoken at the college and all of them are featured at times in worship. When the service itself is in English, they Kyrie is almost always sung in another language. The readings from the bible are often in different languages as well. And the Lord's Prayer is usually said by everyone in their own native tongue. Hymns come from around 8 different collections and although English hymns are slightly more common, we sing hymns/songs in just about every language spoken in this province. So far we've had English, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Setswana, and those are just the languages that were pointed out to me.
When one comes to chapel at COTT, other than the mix of languages, the first thing one will notice is the singing. Everyone in chapel sings, and sings loudly! This is by far the most musical worship experience I have ever had. Accompaniment is generally by piano or marimba. And one can expect any silence lasting more than 10 seconds to be spontaneously filled first by one person singing a song and then by the whole congregation joining in.
Worship liturgy itself is practiced in a rather broad style - the style varyies often according to who the celebrant is, but always with a deep intentionality. Students are well versed in their supporting duties as they assist the celebrant and mistakes are rarely made.
Worship at COTT is a true example of how worship can be made to be multi-cultural and yet seem to be a natural, organic experience, rather than a stiff and awkward one. The most important element is that it is always this way and that it has the buy in of the entire student body.

-Gates