Taize Worship Candles, 2006
- It is a style of community prayer in which short songs or chants are used, in various forms.
- It originates from the Taizé Community in France – an ecumenical Christian community who welcome visitors from all over the world, to work and pray for peace and reconciliation on earth. (Read more about the Taizé Community.)
- Taizé prayer is not a replacement for Sunday worship and is not Eucharistic (it does not usually include the celebration of Holy Communion). It is a form of common meditative prayer, which can be shared by Christians from different churches and backgrounds, open to all and excluding nobody.
- Taizé prayer is quiet and meditative in style, allowing people to come into and enjoy the space without interruptions or intrusions. So please respect the silence and do not talk too loudly.
- Candles are extensively used in Taizé worship as symbols of Jesus Christ, the world’s light. Many candles burning together also show how much light can be generated by single flames in unison. This reminds us that each one of us makes a difference in the world, as we work together for Christ’s kingdom.
- Because people come from many different countries, sometimes the chants are sung in Latin, as Christianity’s historic universal language.
- Where these chants are used during our services, any non-English words are translated in your printed order, so you know what you are singing.
- The chants are sung repeatedly, allowing the worshipper to meditate on the words and their meaning. There are often periods of silence in Taizé worship, allowing for individual prayer and reflection.
- Where indicated in the program, you are also invited to light a candle in memory of somebody, as a symbol of your prayers, or as a symbol of your Spiritual hopes or intentions.
- How you connect with the service is up to you. The individual prayer and the candle lighting is of course completely optional. Also feel free to join in with the singing or to just listen.
- Please feel free to leave quietly when you wish, as the singing draws to a close. The candles will remain lit and you may like to enjoy them for a while after the singing concludes.