Taize Evening Prayer
Wednesdays in Lent
with liturgy from All Creation Sings
INTRODUCTION
God’s word, proclaimed & reflected upon, & the prayer it calls forth from those gathered, are the heart of this service. The Holy Spirit, who knows our needs, prays with & through us, & when we have no words, for us. Silence makes room to breathe deeply, time to still the heart & quiet restless thoughts, a place to listen, & rest in the presence of God, “like a child upon its mother’s breast” (Ps 131:2). Some periods of silence will last no longer than a deep breath; some will be more spacious. A bell or bowl may be rung to mark them. Before worship begins, we keep silence to draw ourselves into the unhurried pace of prayer.
GATHERING
The Holy Spirit gathers us into a community of prayer.
GREETING
The love of God poured into our hearts, the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and the abundant life of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
O God, rich in mercy, full of kindness, out of your great love,
you raise us up from sin and death, and make us alive
together with Christ.
Write your word upon our hearts and restore in us
the image of your love that, by your Spirit,
our way of life may become the way of Christ,
through whom we pray. Amen.
SILENCE
GATHERING SONG
WORD
God speaks to us in readings, silence, reflection, & song. The word of God is proclaimed & we reflect upon it, letting the word “dwell in us richly”
(Col 3:16). Scripture reading is surrounded by silence,
communal song, psalmody, & other readings.
READINGS
SONG OF RESPONSE
PRAYER
The Holy Spirit prays with us & through us. Trusting God’s word & promises,
we pray in the power of the Spirit & in the name of Christ Jesus, making our “supplications, prayers, intercessions, & thanksgivings” (1 Tim 2:1)
for the sake of all creation. In singing & silence, in stillness & sighing,
when lifting our hands or lighting a candle, we pray.
INVITATION TO PRAYER
In Christ, we meet the God who knows our weakness and bears the wounds of the world. Therefore, let us be bold as we pray, trusting that God draws near to those in any kind of need.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
At the close of the prayers, or after all have returned to their places if they have moved during prayer, the leader gathers all the petitions, spoken & offered in silence, & entrusts them to God with a concluding prayer.
Gathering our many prayers into one, let us pray.
God of all compassion, gather our prayers in your mercy and grant to us what you know we need, that we may walk in the life and peace of your Spirit, through Jesus Christ,
our hope and our salvation. Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial & deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
SENDING
God blesses us & sends us forth to serve. Following a song & a final time of silence we are sent, with Christ, to enter more fully into God’s love for & work in the world. This is our prayer “without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17).
SENDING SONG
BLESSING
May Christ Jesus dwell in our hearts through faith, as we are being rooted and grounded in love, strengthened by the Spirit, and filled with all the fullness of God. Amen.
Worshipers may leave quietly, but the worship space will be kept silent
and dimly lighted for those who wish to linger
in reflection, meditation, or prayer.
Taizé Songsheet
Wait for the Lord
Wait for the Lord, whose day is near
Wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart.
Our darkness
Our darkness is never darkness in your sight:
The deepest night is clear as the daylight.
Within our darkest night
Within our darkest night, you kindle a fire
that never dies away, never dies away.
Stay with me
Stay with me; remain here with me.
Watch and pray. Watch and pray.
Jesus, Remember Me
Jesus, remember me
When you come into your kingdom.
Jesus, remember me
When you come into your kingdom.
Kyrie
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Liturgical Text and Music from All Creation Sings, © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies License #SAS016761. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
All Taizé Songs, Music: Jacques Berthier, 1923-1994 and the Taizé Community. Music ©1984 Les Presses de Taizé, admin. GIA Publications, Inc. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
