As an opportunity to relax and enjoy each other’s presence during the Advent season I have put together 4 lovely evenings for us to worship and to sing songs from the Taize Community.
I have not had the chance to enjoy these relaxing songs with others for quite some time, the more I am excited to share this wonderful experience with you!
For those unfamiliar with the Taize community here is a little bit of background information:
The Taize Community is an ecumenical monastic order in France. It is composed of about 100 Brothers from 30 countries who come from catholic and protestant traditions.
They have a strong devotion to peace and justice through prayer and meditation. One could say that this order that was founded 1937 is among the liveliest places of Christian Mysticism today.
The Community has become one of the world’s most important sites of Christian Pilgrimage as it attracts over 100,000 people annually for Bible study, worship, communal work and – of course, song.
Through the community’s ecumenical outlook, they are encouraged to live the Spirit of kindness, simplicity and reconciliation.
The Community, though Western European in origin, has sought to include people and traditions worldwide. This is demonstrated through the songs that are sung in many languages and have included chants and icons from the Eastern Orthodox tradition. The music features simple phrases, usually lines from Psalms and other pieces of Scripture that are being repeated several times – the simplicity of the songs also lends itself to harmonization and canon.
The music encourages introspection, meditation and worship. Its heart rate lowering, relaxing effect makes it perfect for a season when the holyday hustle and bustle makes it difficult to decompress after a long day.
If you feel like joining us, we will be meeting in the Sanctuary Wednesdays Nov. 30, Dec. 7,14 and 21. From 6-7pm. Please call the office if interested.
Grace and Peace,
Sonja Wieland
