Taizé Service Sunday September 10, 5:00 p.m.

As Br. Roger of Taizé, France says: “A Gospel light, however feeble it may be, pierces our darkness with its rays. It is fire; it is spirit. It enables us to live Christ’s life both within ourselves and for others.”

We’ve been doing this service for 23 years, most of them under the direction of Olive Meyer, with Ray Shackleford and Mark Owen stepping in for a few years a decade ago. Most of the musicians that accompany and form the core choir have been participating for all those 23 years. There’s something about this simple service, with few words, lit by candlelight serving as a focus in the silent, sacred space that keeps us coming back, settled, and centered in God’s grace.

The service itself is meditative; we listen, we sing, and we pray together. The music can be found in most Protestant hymnals, including the Episcopal hymnal, “Wonder, Love, and Praise”. The songs are short and simple, chantlike. As we sing them over and over, they become mantras and slowly we are drawn into God’s timeless, peaceful space. Sometimes someone sings a descant; sometimes someone plays a flute or another instrument. We just keep singing the melody until our hearts are still and at rest. When the service ends, we leave in silence, as we came. Please join us.