Taizé Worship

Definition and Meaning

Taizé worship follows the prayer practice of the monastic community in Taizé, a small village in the Burgundy region of eastern France. It is also commonly called a "Taizé prayer service" or simply "Taizé prayer." At its center are short songs of only a few words sung many times over, a brief Scripture reading, and several minutes of silent prayer. There is usually no sermon or lengthy pastoral prayer. The service is often held in a darkened space with candles and icons (sacred images).

Biblical and Historical Background

The Taizé Community began when Brother Roger (Roger Schütz), who came from the Swiss Reformed Church, settled in Taizé in 1940. It later grew into an ecumenical monastic community in which brothers from various church traditions, including Protestant and Roman Catholic, live together. The community's aim of seeking the unity of the church is closely connected with the ecumenical movement (the movement for church unity). Beginning in the 1970s, as young people from across Europe came to Taizé as pilgrims, short repetitive songs were composed that could be sung together in many languages. Many of these songs are known to have been written by the French composer Jacques Berthier. In 2005, Brother Roger was killed in an attack during evening prayer.

Those who practice this form of worship find support for it in Scripture. Examples include Psalm 136, in which the same refrain recurs throughout; knowing God in stillness (Psalm 46:8–11); and Jesus' prayer for the unity of Christians (John 17:20–23).

Practice in the Korean Church

Brothers of the Taizé Community are reported to have lived and worked in Korea as well. Taizé prayer is offered not only in the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church of Korea but also in some Methodist and Presbyterian churches, at Christian universities, and at joint prayer gatherings. It is frequently used for evening prayer services during Lent and Holy Week, at youth retreats, and at united worship services that bring together people from different denominations. Denominations and organizations active in ecumenical work have presented Taizé prayer as a valuable form of worship for church unity and meditation.

Some conservative evangelical churches, however, have expressed several concerns. They hold that repeating short phrases may weaken the proclamation of the Word, and they also object to the use of icons and to the practice's resemblance to contemplative prayer. Those who practice Taizé prayer respond that the repeated songs are drawn from Scripture passages and traditional prayers and serve as aids to meditation and to listening to the Word.