Visit Taizé this Advent

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One of the catchiest song lyrics written by the baby-boomer generation was Paul Simon’s great line: “Slow down, you move too fast, you’ve got to make the mornin’ last.”

How often during the Advent season have you felt like you’re moving too fast? I hear it all the time from friends and family who get overwhelmed at the busy-ness of the Christmas season … at the expense of Christ.

And yet this should be a season of delirious anticipation as we wait for the birth of the Savior.

Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines, IA is offering Taizé prayer services Sunday nights at 6:00 PM during Advent. What a perfect way to contemplate our Lord.

You enter a dark church, illuminated only by the glow of friendly candles.

You sit quietly in contemplation of our Lord.

You sing a Taizé song, which is a short musical refrain with a simple melody repeated chant-like ten times or however many times the Spirit moves us to sing it.

You listen to a verse from scripture.

You pray in silence.

You sing another Taizé song, the power of the song surely amazing you because of its utter simplicity.

You listen to a brief reflection on the scripture reading.

You pray in silence.

You sing a final Taizé song, its purity leaving you refreshed and in touch with our Lord.

Taizé worship services come to us from the Taizé Community in France, an ecumenical Christian monastic order of Protestant and Catholic brothers. It has a strong following among young people, 100,000 of whom make annual pilgrimages to Taizé, France each year.

Slowing down and finding time for prayer doesn’t take away from the joyful fun that the secular world seeks out of Christmas. It just puts the season in proper perspective so that the joy becomes a reality and not the unreachable illusion it has become for the world.

Do you need to slow down because you’re movin’ too fast this Advent season? Taizé may be just right for you.

Come to Holy Trinity this Sunday night at 6:00 PM and check it out. The service lasts about 45 minutes.

Experience your best Advent ever by simply slowing down and taking time to pray.