“Word on… Tuesday”
ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7:00 PM
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Joshua 1:8
What do you do when you’re not celebrating Valentine’s Day? Tomorrow, you can join us in the sanctuary at 7:00 pm, for our Ash Wednesday Service.
During the service, we will worship together using meditative singing. This type of worship enables people to meditate on God’s Word by singing verses of Scripture.
The Taizé Christian Community in the Burgundy region of France made this type of worship popular. This community was founded by Roger Schutz, who was known as Brother Roger. He was a Presbyterian from Switzerland who journeyed to France in 1940 at the start of WW2. He rode a bicycle from Geneva to the small town of Taizé which is still surrounded by rolling green hills and dairy farms. Since the town was located in unoccupied France, he bought an empty house and hid Christian and Jewish refugees there.
On November 11, 1942, the Gestapo occupied Brother Roger's house while he was in Switzerland collecting funds to aid in his refuge ministry. He was not able to return to his home in Taizé until 1944, when France was liberated.
Brother Roger then started a quasi-monastic community of Protestants and Roman Catholics who committed themselves to serving Christ and living their lives together. Thousands of young pilgrims come to Taizé every year from all over the world to worship together, meditating on God’s word through meditative singing.
The Taizé Christian Community describes how meditative singing helps us to worship God: “When people come together to pray, meditative singing can help everyone to participate and to stay together in waiting on God. Using just a few words, they express a fundamental reality that can quickly be grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality can gradually sink into one’s whole being.”
Here's a link to a YouTube video from Taizé that describes what a retreat is like there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngA8BFbjrE0
Since the songs we will be singing may be unfamiliar, I have also included links to the songs on YouTube. I am looking forward to spending time with you in worship tomorrow night.
In Christ,
Pastor David
Song - Come and fill our hearts with your peace. You alone, O Lord are holy. Come and fill our hearts with your peace. Alleluia
Song - Sing praise and bless the Lord. Sing praise and bless the Lord. Peoples! Nations! Alleluia!
Song – Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten. Those who seek God shall never go wanting. Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten. God alone fills us.
Song - Oh Lord hear my prayer. O Lord hear my prayer. When I call answer me. Oh Lord hear my prayer. O Lord hear my prayer. Come and listen to me.
Song - Stay with me, remain here with me, Watch and pray. Watch and pray.
Song - In our darkness there is no darkness. With you, O Lord, the deepest night is clear as day.
Song - Ubi Caritas et amor, ubi caritas Deus ibi est. (Where there is charity, selfless love, where there is charity, God is truly there.)
Song - Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God’s holy name. Bless the Lord my soul, who leads me into life.
Song - Let your servant now go in peace, oh Lord. Now go in peace according to your word.
