Evening Prayers in the Tradition of Taize'

2 Sunday evenings each month
at 7:00 PM, in the Sanctuary

Our Evening Prayers in the Tradition of Taizé (teh-ZAY) are adapted from the traditions of the ecumenical Taizé Community in south-central France. Singing, scripture, silence, and prayer permeate the worship experience. Time is suspended. Daily worship at Taizé includes neither communion nor a sermon. It draws from more contemplative roots where silence and reflection are central. Prayers in the Taizé tradition, with fewer words and extended periods of silence, may be at once disturbing and refreshing. Try not to be anxious about knowing what to do next. Allow the silence to be a vehicle for you to speak to God what is on your heart, and more importantly, to allow God to speak to you.

We enter into our Evening Prayers in a space that is marked as holy by the subdued lighting, the flickering candles, the illuminated cross, the Christ Candle, the baptismal bowl and pitcher, the Stations of the Cross, and the icon of Christ on the Cross. The icons are traditional representations of events in the life of Christ and provide "windows to heaven". Allow your spirit to be enveloped and transported and distanced from the world outside these doors. In the worship space at Taizé, there are no pews; everyone sits on the floor or on low stools, all facing one direction, so that our unified focus is on the Christ of the Cross, rather than on worship leaders or our fellow worshippers. If you desire to sit on the floor in front of the chancel or in the aisles, feel free to do so.

For those new to this unique form of musical prayer, a few words of introduction may be helpful. The music was composed for the unique liturgical needs of the Taizé Community by the brothers in the Community and Jacques Berthier, a composer and friend of Taizé who died in 1994. With people coming to this tiny hamlet from around the world, the worship calls for a kind of music that is accessible to these global pilgrims. Worshippers with radically diverse liturgical and linguistic backgrounds are able to participate immediately. While there are vernacular versions of Taizé songs available, worshippers often sing in Latin because it is an historical language of the church, unifying the singers in the mystery of prayer.

Singing is one of the most important forms of prayer. A few words sung over and over again reinforce the meditative quality of the prayer. They express a basic reality of faith that can quickly be grasped by the intellect and that gradually penetrates the heart and the whole being. Each chant is repeated many times. These repetitions afford the opportunity not only for one to learn the chant, but also to allow it to become a prayer of your heart. The chants have simple melodies, short phrases, and predictable harmonies. Do not short-change your worship experience by only listening to others; join in.

With the diversity of the pilgrims at Taizé, scripture is read in several languages. In our setting, we will hear the Scripture read multiple times from various translations and versions. The repetition serves to reinforce the passages; the variations afford the opportunity to hear something anew as the Spirit moves.

It is our intention to offer Evening Prayers in the Tradition of Taizé twice each month on Sunday evenings at seven, though the Sundays of the month will vary.

For more information about the Taizé Community
visit www.taize.fr

2010 Taize Worship Schedule

September 12
September 26
October 3
October 17
November 14
November 21
December 19

Please return to this space
for announcements regarding
future special services.