A Service of Evening Prayer in the Manner of the Community of Taizé
by Dean McIntyre, Director of Music Resources, The United Methodist General Board of Discipleship

The following order of service was used at the national introductory event of The Faith We Sing in Nashville in February 2001. It uses the resources of the Taizé Community in France that are found in The Faith We Sing and The United Methodist Hymnal. You are free to print, reproduce, or adapt this service to your own local church worship needs.

Additional information on the Taizé Community may be found in many sources, including the publications of Taizé and their representatives in the USA, GIA Publishers. This service was designed and led at the Nashville event by C. Michael Hawn of Perkins School of Theology in Dallas; and the instrumentation included two guitars, cello, violin, and flute. Accompaniment, however, is flexible, and may consist of simply one keyboard or acoustic guitar if that is all that is available. A darkened sanctuary and many lighted candles will help to duplicate the worship setting and atmosphere recommended by the Taizé Community.

Two good resources include Praying with Icons by Jim Forest (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1997), which is helpful in understanding this tradition of prayer and meditation. Also see C. Michael Hawn, "Taizé: That Little Springtime," Worship Arts 45:4 (March-April 2000), 3-5, for an introductory article on the Community as well as resources and a suggested service on pp. 6-10. The Taizé Community's web site is http://www.taize.fr/

Enter in Silence and Meditation

BE RECONCILED ALL YOU WHO ENTER HERE—
parent and children; husbands and wives;
believers and those who cannot believe;
Christians and their fellow Christians.
(Taken from the entrance to the Church of Reconciliation at the Community of Taizé, France)

The people are invited to sing on all songs.

Holy Spirit, Come to us (Veni Sanctae Spiritus) 2118

Come and Fill Our Hearts (Confitemini Domino) 2157

Come, Rejoice in God (Jubilate Servite) 2017

Alleluia 2014       Psalm 147:1-11

In the Lord I'll Be Ever Thankful 2195

Gospel       Mark 1:29-39
(Read in English, Spanish, and perhaps Korean)

O Lord, Hear My Prayer 2200

Silence
For private meditation, print a prayer or brief writing here.
Many are available in the various Taizé publications.

Intercessions     Kyrie Eleison     (United Methodist Hymnal 484)

Lord's Prayer     (Contemporary from Taizé: Songs for Prayer, No. 54)

With You, O Lord     (No. 31 from Taizé: Songs for Prayer)
(If Christmas-style individual candles are available, light them here.)

Bless the Lord 2013

Nothing Can Trouble (Nada Te Turbe) 2054

Live in Charity (Ubi Caritas) 2179

Depart in Silence

  Dean McIntyre (dmcintyre@gbod.org) is the director of music resources for the General Board of Discipleship.

Posted 5-21-01