Greetings, In the fall of 02 and the spring of 02, on the last Sunday evening of the month, a group of us met for vespers at Calvary. Participants were a mix of Methodists, Catholics, and Mennonites. This past fall no one started the ball rolling.
I am willing to help make these happen if there is a group of 20 or so people who are interested. The format we used was very simple, and we used the songs and prayers of the Taize community in southern France. They are repetitive chants, developed to be sung in a variety of languages. We sang mostly in English with a few songs in Latin and Spanish. Opening song or two Opening prayer Singing First Scripture Lesson Singing Second Scripture Lesson Singing Silence for 10 minutes Intercessory prayer, usually a litany. The Lord's prayer Singing Benediction. I am including at the end of this message a few paragraphs about the Taize community which I have never visited but find intriguing. Their web site is www.taize.fr if any of you want more information. Let me know if you are interested. Peace, Fred Kauffman, neighbor and Pastor of West Philly Mennonite TAIZE Everything began in 1940 when, at the age of twenty-five, Brother Roger left Switzerland, the country where he was born, to go and live in France, where his mother came from. For years he had been an invalid, suffering from tuberculosis. During that long illness, the call had taken shape in him to create a community where simplicity and kind-heartedness would be lived out as essential Gospel realities. When the Second World War started, he had the conviction that he should begin at once to offer assistance to people in difficult straits, just as his grandmother had done during the First World War. The small village of Taiz�, where he settled, was close to the demarcation line that divided France in half, and so was well situated to be a place of welcome for refugees fleeing the war. Friends from Lyon were happy to give the address of Taiz� to people seeking refuge.... Today, the Taiz� Community is made up of over a hundred brothers, Catholics and from various Protestant backgrounds, coming from more than twenty-five nations. By its very existence, the community is thus a concrete sign of reconciliation between divided Christians and separated peoples. The brothers live by their own work. They do not accept gifts or donations for themselves, not even their own personal inheritances, which are given by the community to the poor. The brothers have developed contemplative litanies and songs which can be used in a wide variety of cultural and social contexts. ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
