Taize Worship - Calvary Baptist Church of Denver

Taizé at Calvary

The Taizé Community

More about Taizé

Taizé weekly at The Threshold
Calvary has created meaningful prayer together for more than 12 years. Now, in partnership with The Threshold, Calvary joins Christians from around the city for cooperative, contemplative worship each Sunday at 5 pm. An optional potluck dinner follows. The location is Highland Park Presbyterian Church at 3401 W. 29th Ave. (at Julian), Denver 80211.

Occasionally a labyrinth is made available at Calvary and at The Threshold. Visit www.thethreshold.us for more information, a location map and other ecumenical worship services offered by The Threshold.

Walk the labyrinth.
A labyrinth is a pathway to aid walking prayer or meditation. It is an archetype, a divine imprint, found in all religious traditions in various forms throughout the world. The earliest Christian labyrinth dates from the 4th century. The labyrinth has only one path in and out; there are no tricks or dead ends, as in a maze. Walking the winding path becomes a mirror for where we are in our lives; it touches sorrow and releases joy. Walk the labyrinth with an open mind and open heart. Let go the details of your life and quiet your noisy mind. Allow yourself to be guided by Spirit to discover the sacred space within. Become empowered to take the next step on your spiritual journey. For more information on developing Taize-style worship in your community, contact www.reinventingsunday.com.

The Taizé Community

Brother John (left) and Brother Pedro (right) from the Taizé community visited Calvary and area churches to share prayer and reconciliation. Brad Berglund, now sponsoring spiritual pilgrimages (see www.illuminatedjourneys.com) and worship renewal workshops (see www.reinventingsunday.com), hosted the brothers as they met in area churches for the ritual of prayer, silence and song that is characteristic of Taizé worship.

Taizé is a small village in eastern France where young adults from all over the world have gathered together since the early 1950s. They come to pray, to worship, and to seek the meaning of life in communion with Christ and sisters and brothers of many races and cultures. The founder and mentor of this ecumenical community is the late Brother Roger, a "bearer of trust, reconciliation and peace." Today there are almost 100 brothers in the Taizé community from more than 20 different countries. They share their material goods, talents and faith together in a celibate life, and lead Bible study groups, prayer services and worship for the thousands of young adults who make a pilgrimage to their community. Common prayer is at the center of their life together, whether they are at Taizé or travel to share the life of the poor in India, Africa or Central America. Worship in the Taizé community takes place three times a day and includes meditative and sung prayer, scripture reading and silence. The singing, often in four-part harmony or in a round, is offered in many languages. Sometimes instruments play an obligato part as voices sing a short, chant-like number. The simple yet magnificent music that is repeated over and over again continues in the heart long after worship has ended.

What’s the attraction? Check out what people say about Calvary’s Taizé-style experience. If you would like to be on our Taizé mailing list, please let us know.

Notes: Brother Roger Schutz, founder of the Taizé community, continued his daily activities from the early 1940s to 2005.

Jacques Berthier, composer of most of the Taizé music, died a few years ago. French priest and musician Joseph Gelineau now composes for the community and new compositions are coming from within the community itself.

Because of the variety of languages spoken at Taizé, Latin—with its pure vowels—is the language of choice for many songs. We continue that custom at The Threshold.

More About Taizé
Since 1957-58, hundreds of thousands of young adults from throughout the world have been drawn to the hill of Taizé in France. Every week of the year, Sunday to Sunday, they meet their peers from 30 to 70 nations. They reflect on the sources of faith and discover the meaning of their lives. During these days of prayer and sharing, they prepare themselves to undertake responsibilities for reconciliation in the places where they live.

Accommodation and lifestyle are very simple. Each person contributes to the cost of the stay according to their means and the value of the currency of their country. Since 1966, the Sisters of Saint Andrew, an international Catholic community in the neighboring village, share the task of welcoming pilgrims.

To give support to young people, Taizé animates a“pilgrimage of trust on earth.” This pilgrimage does not organize the young into a movement but instead encourages them to be peacemakers where they are and to bring reconciliation to all people.

The songs of Taizé are known throughout the world. They are usually based on one simple phrase, sung repeatedly. The phrase enters the conscious mind and gradually becomes an interior mantra. These songs are sung all over the world and have been translated into many languages.

Letter from Taizé
A Letter from Taizé is published in 15 languages every two months: reports and news, themes for reflection, texts for meditation, prayers, Bible texts for each day.

To Reach Taizé
By road: autoroute A6, exit at Chalon-Sud, Tournus or Macon-Sud.
By rail: destinations Chalon-sur-Saone, Macon-Ville or Macon TGV. From there, Taizé is on the SNCF Chalon-Taizé-Cluny-Macon bus route.
To Contact Taizé
(Tel) (+33) (0) 3 85 50 30 30
(Fax) (+33) (0) 3 85 50 30 15
• Mail order—vpc@taize.fr
• To contact Taizé—community@taize.fr
• To visit Taizé—meetings@taize.fr
• For information—info@taize.fr
(Web Site) www.taize.org

Top of page