Thanksgiving Worship
Thanking God with Our Whole Heart

By Pastor George Antonakos

As promised last week, this article will explain and I hope lure you to a new worship experience here at Central at 7:00pm on Thanksgiving Eve. While this experience may be new to most of us, it has been around since the early 1940's and in some senses well before that. The service is based upon the worship style of services held in Taize, France.

The Taize Community was founded by a Protestant pastor, known as Brother Roger. His father was also a minister who taught him that Christ crosses the barriers and boundaries of different denominations. Brother Roger founded the community during World War II which also contextualized his desire for reconciliation. He chose Taize, an isolated town in the hills of France, because of its quietness and simplicity. What began as something quite small has now grown to fascinating proportions. Literally tens of thousands of people of all ages spend time visiting Taize seeking God in the simple and beautiful worship services of this humble praying community.

Our new organist, Bryan Rowe, has been among those who have been to Taize. He told me recently that his experience there has had a profound impact on his own spiritual journey. He shared that it was amazing to see so many people surrounded by candle light singing simple God-centered prayers. I recently attended such a service at Second Presbyterian Church and I was moved to tears by the worship space which included many candles, a few icons (to make Eastern Orthodox worshippers feel at home) and simple musical instrumentation that helped lead the prayerful singing. That is why we are very excited about offering this experience to everyone who is able to be with us on Thanksgiving Eve.

There are a few other reasons for offering this worship experience at this time. One, is that we felt the need to provide a worship experience that is somewhat distinct from what we are currently providing on Sunday mornings. It can serve as a unifying moment of worship in the midst of our current diversity.

Secondly, there are members and friends at Central that come from a wide variety of church backgrounds. For the longest time I have sensed that this style of worship may find its mark with many. And if that is so we may be able to offer this style of worship more regularly in the future.

And lastly, what better way to offer thanks to God than by calling worshippers of every age to an hour of uninterrupted communion with the God who created us and longs for us to come closer. In these days of stress, anxiety and loudness much can intrude into our lives. Join us on Thanksgiving Eve; offer yourself to God with a new song, and take the time to quietly listen in an atmosphere of joy, mercy and simplicity.

"From the depths of the human condition, a secret aspiration rises up. Caught up in the anonymous rhythms of schedules and timetables, men and women of today are implicitly thirsting for the one essential reality: an inner life, signs of the invisible. Nothing is more conducive to a communion with the living God than a meditative common prayer with, as its high point, singing that never ends and that continues in the silence of one's heart when one is alone again. When the mystery of God becomes tangible through the simple beauty of symbols, when it is not smothered by too many words, then a common prayer far from exuding monotony and boredom awakens us to heaven's joy on earth."
-Brother Roger of Taize

Taize is an ecumenical sung and silent participatory prayer service designed to achieve a contemplative state through music, song and silence. It is a relaxing alternative to traditional and contemporary worship for those seeking inspiration, meditation and contemplation.

Also, come and enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner this year with your larger family of faith! Join us Wednesday, November 21st at 5:30pm for a delicious dinner of turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed and sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sauerkraut, peas, pumpkin pie, etc. The cost of dinner is $8 dollars per person. Children 7 & under are $5. There is a $25 family maximum. Register using the pew cards or call the Church Office (410-823-6145) by November 14th.