All are welcome to join our parish in worshiping in the style of the Taizé Community several times a year usually on a Sunday evening.
Next liturgy – Sunday, August 28 2022 at 6.30pm at St Aidan’s
The Taizé Community, based near Lyons in France, is uniquely an ecumenical monastic community drawing its membership from the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican/Episcopal, United/Uniting, Reformed/Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran and other Churches. It has developed its own style of worship in song and prayer using simple chants translated into many languages. The Community attracts and reaches out to many thousands of (not just) young people from across the world in pilgrimage, worship, mission, peace and social justice.
| Singing can prove one of the most important ways to shape and express prayer. Chanted short passages of scripture or prayers assist meditation, contemplation, reflection and can assist and sustain our care and concern for others.Here, Taizé-style worship “becomes a way of listening to God … allow[ing] everyone to take part in a time of prayer together and to remain together in attentive waiting on God. … [to] open the gates of trust in God … human voices united in song … [to] sustain personal prayer … our [own] being find[ing] an inner unity in God.”Quiet or hushed chanting like breathing our prayers – allowing a unity of prayer and daily life, “allow[ing] us to keep praying even when we are unaware of it” in our heart’s silence.– Adapted/paraphrased from or influenced by the Taizé Community. |
Our reflective and calming Taizé-style liturgies, usually at our St Peter’s Church in Box Hill, consist of simple chants, seasonal Bible readings and prayers and silences, aided by hushed lighting and candles around a cross. Those who attend can in silence or aloud express their petitions to God (whether for someone personally known, for the wider community or for the wider world and creation), often by lighting a candle. Occasionally the chants and prayers come from other traditions. It is a good way to finish or begin the busy week and you can come and go in silence.
Come as you are: there is no expectation for you to sign up to anything or declare yourself.
In the name of Jesus: Shalom! Salaam! Pax! Peace!