TaizéWorship

Aquietreflectiveserviceofsinging,prayerandsilence.WELCOMERevdCanonGrahamHedgerToday,duringthischallengingtimeoftheCovid-19pandemicwegathertogetherfromourhomesthrough the internet, to celebrate Father’s Day, andworship God, our Father. With holywords,Taizechants,silenceandprayer,weexplorehowtobe‘rootedandgrounded’inGod’slove.OPENINGSCRIPTUREEphesians3:16-19Ipraythat,accordingtotherichesofhisglory,hemaygrantthatyoumaybestrengthenedinyourinnerbeingwithpowerthroughtheSpirit,andthatChristmaydwellinyourheartsthroughfaith,asyouarebeing rootedandgrounded in love. I pray that youmayhave thepower to comprehend,withall thesaints,what is thebreadthand lengthandheightanddepth,andtoknowthe loveofChristthatsurpassesknowledge;sothatyoumaybefilledwithallthefullnessofGod.OPENINGPRAYERInthewhirlingwheelsoftheworld,youarewithus;whenthedaytakesitstoll,youarewithus,Intheclamourofstrife,youarewithus;whentheworldturnssour,youarewithus,GreatSpirit,whosebreathisfeltinthesoftbreeze,andwhoselifesurgesthroughsocketandscreen;weseekyourloveandstrengthinthemidstofthispandemic.Maywe,andthepeoplesoftheworld,liveandworkindignityandwalkinthepowerofyourlove.Amen.CHANT1LordJesusChrist,yourlightshineswithinus,letnotmydoubts,normydarknessspeaktome,LordJesusChrist,yourlightshineswithinus,letmyheartalwayswelcomeyourlove.

PSALM67(adapted)LedbyJackieClarkGodbegracioustousandblessus;mayyourfaceshineuponus.Makeknownyourwaysonearth;yoursavinghealthamongallnations.Mayallthepeoplespraiseyou,OGod,mayallthepeoplespraiseyou.Maythenationsbegladandsingforjoy,foryourulethepeoplesjustlyandguidethenationsuponearth.Mayallthepeoplespraiseyou,OGod,mayallthepeoplespraiseyou.ThenthelandwillyielditsproduceandourGodwillblessus.Youwillblessusandtheendsoftheearthwillhonouryou.FORGIVENESSWeoffertoyouLord,thetroublesofthisday;welaydownourburdensatyourfeet.Forgiveusoursins,giveusyourpeace,andhelpustoreceiveyourWord.SCRIPTUREPaul’sFirstLettertoJohn,chapterfour,versesseventotwelve.Dearfriends,letusloveoneanother,forlovecomesfromGod.EveryonewholoveshasbeenbornofGodandknowsGod.WhoeverdoesnotlovedoesnotknowGod,becauseGodislove.ThisishowGod showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into theworld thatwemight livethroughhim.Thisislove:notthatwelovedGod,butthathelovedusandsenthisSonasanatoningsacrificeforoursins.Dearfriends,sinceGodsolovedus,wealsooughttoloveoneanother.No-onehaseverseenGod;butifweloveoneanother,Godlivesisusandhisloveismadecompleteinus. ForthewordoftheLord,thanksbetoGod.CHANT2Withyou,OLord,islifeinallitsfullness,andinyourlightweshallseetruelight,Withyou,OLord,islifeinallitsfullness,andinyourlightweshallseetruelight.

MEDITATION–anextractfrom:TheDesert–aplaceofsolitudewrittenbyJoyceHuggettReadbyRevdWendyGourlayJesusnever forgot thevalueor thewonderof thewilderness.Throughouthisearthlyministry,heseekssolitude–retreatingtoplaceswhere,inthesilence,heisreassuredofhisbelovedness,whereheimmerseshimselfintheFather’slove,wherethatlovetakesthestingoutofthewoundsinflictedon him by friends and enemies alike (see Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:6). These times of solituderechargehisemotionalspiritualandphysicalbatteries.Befriendingandworkingwithpeoplesyphonsoffenergythatneedstobereplenished.AndJesusisalmostalwayssurroundedbypeople.Jesusnotonly learned thevalueof the terrorand thewonderof theactualdesertandsubstitutedeserts,placesof solitude,his lifewasalso formedby thatotherdesert– the innerdesertor the‘symbolic desert’, as it is sometimes called. The symbolic desert refers to any place where thelandscapeofthespirit,ourinnerlandscapeisreminiscentofthebleakness,thebarrennessandthebeautyof theactualdesert – anyplace, for example,whereweare strippedof the resourceswenormallyrelyon,thoseplaceswherewearetestedalmostbeyondourendurance.It might be an internal place where emotional emptiness yawns, where loneliness haunts us orwherethesoulfeelsasparchedanddryascrackedsoilthatcriesoutforwater.Thesymbolicdesertmightbeanexperienceofmentalanguishordis-easethatcreateshavocoftheheart.Itmighttaketheformofaparalysisofthesoul,aweakeningofthebodyoranoppressionofthespirit.The symbolic desert is any situation of helplessness, hopelessness and terror. It is any place thatforces us to make a clean break with the past. It is also a place of wonder, a place where weencounterGodinthedepthsofourbeing,aplacewherefreshrevelationschangethedirectionofourlives,aplacewhereGodwhisperswordsoftendernessintheearsofourheart.Godsometimesneedstopushusintothedesert.Onereasonmightbethatwenevertrytobealone.Thislackofsolitudemayleadtodisasterbecausetherearecertainthingsthatwecanonlyworkoutwhenweareonourown.Otherpeoplemayadviseusandjourneyalongsideusbutsometimesweneedtostopinourtracks,bealonewithGodandallowGod’sthoughtstobecomeourthoughts.Wemaybebusy,busy,busyinGod’sservicebuthavenodeep-downawarenessthatGodlovesusuniquely.Yet theFatherrefusedtoallowJesustorideonsuchaspiritual roller-coaster.TheSpiritdrove Jesus into thewildernessafter theFatherhadremindedhimthathewasamuch-cherishedchild.In today’s spiritual climate,wemay findourselvesdrawn into thedesert so thatGodcanwhispertenderwordsintoourlove-hungryheartsinanenvironmentwherewearefreedtoreceiveit;wherewehaveridourselvesoftheclutterofotherloves.Thedivinedesert-dwellerknowshowvitalthisisforoursurvival.OnlywhenwearerootedandgroundedinlovewillwediscovertheresilienceandthedesiretoresisttheTempterandplaceourfalteringfootstepsintothefootprintsofChrist.

JoyceHuggett‘Formedbythedesert–hearttoheartencounterswithGod.’©2004KevinMayhewLtd.

SILENTREFLECTIONduringINSTRUMENTALMusic“HiddenPromise’©2012WendyGourlay;Artwork©2010CharmianWhite

PleaseponderthewordsofthemeditationandoffertoGodthepeopleandconcernsofyourheart.

INTERCESSIONSLedbyMaryBakerGroundofallbeing,allpeoplecomefromyou,mayweloveoneanotherandseekthecommongood...InourtirednessbeourRest...inourstumblingbeourShield...Intoourplaceofdarkness,intoourplaceofstrife,intoourfearsandworries,comewitheternallife.Whenweneglectyou,remindusofyourpresence...;whenwearefrightened,giveuscourage...;whenwearetempted,giveusthepowertoresist . . . ;whenweareanxiousandworried,giveuspeace...;whenwearewearyinservice,renewourtiredframe.Jesus,Masterofapostles,Teacherofevangelists,Friendofthepoor,Crownofsaints,leadusthroughthisdarknightintoadayofrenewal.Intoyourhands,OLord,weplaceourfamilies,ourneighbours,ourbrothersandsistersinChrist,andallwhomwehavemetinrecentdays….Enfoldtheminyourwill.Enfoldtheminyourwill.Intoyourhands,OLord,weplaceallwhoarevictimsofprejudice,abuse,oppressionorneglect;Mayeveryonebecherishedfromconceptiontothegrave.Mayeveryonebecherishedfromconceptiontothegrave.Intoyourhands,OLord,weplaceallwhoarerestless,sick,orpreytothepowersofevilKeeptheminyourpeace.Keeptheminyourpeace.Intoyourhands,OLordweplacemembersofourcommunityandothersinourhearts...Watchoverthemandwatchoverusthisnight.Watchoverthemandwatchoverusthisnight.THELORD’SPRAYEROurFather,whoartinheaven,hallowedbethyname;thykingdomcome,thywillbedone;onearthasitisinheaven.Giveusthisdayourdailybread,andforgiveusourtrespasses,asweforgivethosewhotrespassagainstus.Andleadusnotintotemptation;butdeliverusfromevil.Forthineisthekingdom,thepowerandtheglory,foreverandever.AmenCHANT3OLord,hearmyprayer,OLord,hearmyprayer:whenIcallanswerme.OLord,hearmyprayer,OLord,hearmyprayer:comeandlistentome.

ASONGOFTHEWILDERNESSThewildernessandthedrylandshallrejoice,thedesertshallblossomandburstintosong.TheyshallseethegloryoftheLord,themajestyofourGod.Strengthenthewearyhands,andmakefirmthefeebleknees.Say to the anxious, ‘Be strong, fear not, your God is coming with judgement, coming withjudgementtosaveyou.’Thenshalltheeyesoftheblindbeopenedandtheearsofthedeafbeunstopped.Thenshallthelameleaplikeahart,andthetongueofthedumbsingforjoy.Forwatersshallbreakforthinthewildernessandstreamsinthedesert.TheransomedoftheLordshallreturnwithsinging,witheverlastingjoyupontheirheads.Joyandgladnessshallbetheirs,andsorrowandsighingshallfleeaway.

Isaiah35:1,2b-4a,4c-6,10

CHANT4SingtotheLordallmybeing

CLOSINGPRAYERandBLESSINGMaytheFatherfromwhomeveryfamilyinearthandheavenreceivesitsnamestrengthenyouwithhisSpiritinyourinnerbeing,sothatChristmaydwellinyourheartsbyfaith,andthatknowinghislove,broadandlong,deepandhighbeyondourknowledge,youmaybefilledwithallthefullnessofGod;andtheblessing...

Taizéservicetextshavebeenresourcedfrom:LiturgiesfromLindisfarne,Copyright2010RaySimpson,PublishedbyKevinMayhew.

Someprayersareadapted,meetingthespecificneedsofourtime.RevdW.Gourlay.OrebeckCCLnumber973325

June2020