On Wednesday, September 8, for the first time in almost 19 months, more than a dozen people entered back into the ELPC Chapel for Taizé, to sing prayers, be quiet and still, light candles, and contemplate God’s divine presence in their lives and the world. It was so exciting to feel the intimacy of sung prayer and God’s presence and see the Chapel returned to its contemplative, welcoming, holy, and ambient space.
According to the BBC, “The Taizé community is an ecumenical monastic order with a strong devotion to peace and justice through prayer and meditation.” No wonder Taizé has been a centerpiece and entry point for many at ELPC over the last few decades. In my 16 months of working at ELPC, I would say this captures a large portion of who we aspire to be. We welcome a wide variety of spiritual expressions and paths, we seek to pursue peace and justice, and desire to ground that in a life of prayer and meditation.
As we head into fall, we are excited to build upon the history and tradition of Taizé in France and at ELPC. Through fall and leading up to Advent, we will be focusing on the Beatitudes, meditating on the simple, yet life-altering teaching of Jesus, using our bodies to open us up to Jesus’ ninefold path. We will be weaving in more embodied ways of praying, using palm crosses, mandalas, prayer stones and beads, art, and finger labyrinths.
So, if you find yourself weary and your devotion to justice and peace wavering in these hard times, join us on Wednesdays, 7 pm, to pray and meditate in song, silence, and body and find your spirits renewed. If you are unable to make it in person, keep your eyes out for a 15-minute snippet of each week’s Taizé service that will include music, a meditation, and a prayer that you can sit and listen to at any point during your week.