Taize Worship
Taize services are from 6:30-7:00pm. The exact dates for 2012 are:
- February 19
- March 18
- April 22
- May 20
All are welcome and encouraged to attend!
What is Taize?
Taize prayer is prayer that includes repetition and silence and the insertion of those elements into liturgy. Repetition allows each person to commune with the living God. Silence is holding oneself in a presence and letting Christ, through the Holy Spirit, pray in us. These are the parts of Taize that help us to meditate and pray throughout the service. Come and join us for Taize worship. It has been said that prayer is the world’s greatest wireless connection. Come, experience, and get connected! If you have any questions, please contact Karen Wiley at (253) 588-4801.
Where did Taize Originate?
Taize is an internaltional ecumenical community and retreat center in eastern France. It was founded in 1940 by Brother Roger Schutz (Frere Roger). Currently more than 30 countries are represented by over 100 brothers, Catholic and Protestant, who live at Taize. They follow a simple routine of work, song, and prayer.*
Taize music is simple and repetitve. During the service there is time to sing, hear God’s Word and be in silence together as a community. There are neither expectations nor sermons, only space for God’s love to enter.
Listen to the words of the prior of Taize, Brother Alois:
“All over the world, society and the ways people behave are changing rapidly. While unprecedented possibilities of development are multiplying, instability is growing too and worries about the future are becoming more pornounced…In the face of the weariness and helplessness that many people feel, the question arises: what is the source from which we draw life?
Many more people than in the past are unable to find this source. Even the name of God is fraught with misunderstandings or else is completely forgotten. Could there be a link between the disappearance of faith and the loss of a zest for life?
How can we clear away whatever it is that obstructs the source? Surely by being attentive to the presence of God. There we can draw hope and joy. Then the source begins to flow once more and our life becomes meaningful. We become able to take responsibility for our life – to receive it as a gift and to give it in our turn for those entrusted to us.”
*For further information concerning the history and structure of Taize, please visit http://www.taize.fr/. For those interested in more information concerning the Taize service here at Mount Cross Lutheran, please contact Karen Wiley at 253-588-4801.
