Authentic Taizé Worship, Building Community in SF's Mission District
This from meditatio:
We've recently begun a Taizé style worship service on Thursday evenings at my parish. The impetus came from our School for Deacons field education student, Judy Hedin, who has experienced this form of worship at her home parish and at the ecumenical monastery in Taizé, France. Judy has a passionate vision of how such worship can reach out to new people, especially young adults. That vision is being realized through Judy's leadership, the musical talent of Charles Rus, our parish musician and cantor, and the parishioners who are showing up to pray and assist with logistics.
Thus far, we are averaging 24 people at this new service (only two weeks old). Last night, we had 10-12 visitors in the congregation, and they were indeed younger than our parish profile. We've flyered the neighborhood and advertised in the local papers, and that is having some effect. People seem drawn to the beauty, simplicity, and contemplative spirit of this form of worship. It is highly participatory, and folks are free to move around during the chanting to pray in the side chapels, light candles, or venerate the cross. People sit on chairs or cushions on the floor, bathed in candlelight.
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