Croix de Taizé (photo by Surfnico, own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)
When one thinks of worship, the image of a service delivered through lectionary scripture, sermon, choir and other traditional elements often comes to mind. Many people have connection with a church environment, and their attendance, whether for love of church or for reasons of tradition, becomes a regular and fulfilling occurrence. For others, the practices of institutional religion have subdued their affinity for the church. This separation from worship participation can set in motion a search for spiritual relationship.
Taizé worship offers a refreshing quest for spiritual relationship. It began with a Swiss Protestant brother who sought to live a life according to Scripture. Moved by the desperation felt in occupied France, he founded an ecumenical Christian monastic community in Taizé, France. The community remains an active and important site to this day welcoming more than 100,000 pilgrimages annually, and the practice of Taizé worship has branched out to countries around the world.
Taizé worship integrates prayer, scripture, short songs, thematic readings, and silent meditation into an introspective, spiritual experience intended to bring the worshiper into closer spiritual relationship with God. Soft music and gentle sounds evoke an attitude of contemplation and introspection as one listens for and responds to the Holy Spirit’s presence. There is no sermon; the words spoken, sung, and heard serve merely to unlock a portal to the quiet, inner space where God seeks out His children and where participants often experience a profound sense of peace and tranquility.
Pilgrimage of Trust Taizé Worship will be held on Sunday, June 4, at 9 a.m. in the Laredo Room of the Ranch House. No fees are charged and no offering is collected. Communion at the Lord’s table by intinction is served for any who wish to partake. All Ranch residents are welcome to come and experience this active engagement with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.