Taize at TBC

Taizé Prayer Service

Taizé prayer (pronounced Teh-ZAY) is a monastic community in southeastern France. It was founded in 1940 with the mission of healing the divisions between Christians and within the human family. The community seeks to create an environment where reconciliation could become a concrete reality every day. It is an ecumenical community which includes 100 brothers from over twenty different countries.

Thousands of Christian people from all over the world, young and old, gather at Taizé every week to pray, to search, to sing, and to find refreshment and renewal. The Taizé service is marked by its depth and by its simplicity. It lasts for about an hour and consists mostly of singing with periods of silent meditation, prayers of intercession, and with readings from the book of Psalms and Gospels.

The songs are not meant to be sung as hymns, but rather as a series of prayers. Some are sung in Latin and others in English, French, Spanish, and many other languages. They are repeated many times over transforming themselves into melodic chants and mesmerizing mantras. The hope is that the repetitiveness will be helpful in not only learning the words and music, but also in allowing the songs to become prayers of the heart.

Time is suspended in a Taizé service. Silence is a central part of this service and is a gift to those leading busy, hectic lives. It provides an opportunity to commune with God through the heart and bring a measure of peace to one’s mind and spirit.

For more information about Taizé, visit the official Taizé Web site.

No Taizé services are currently scheduled at TBC.

Other Regular Taizé Services in the Saint Louis area:

(service schedules may change, please call the location to confirm)

Mercy Center - Second Sunday of each month
St. Francis Xavier (College) Church - Third Thursday of each month