When I was in Seminary at Andover Newton, it was such a gift to learn about different worship practices.  It was in Seminary that I first heard and sang some of the chants from the Taizé community.  Taizé is an ecumenical Christian monastic community in Taizé, France (the Burgundy region).  There are a lot of wonderful aspects of the community.  For instance, Taizé brings Catholics and Protestants together in a spirit of ecumenical cooperation and understanding.  The community is also known for offering simple worship services and compelling chants that are part of the services. 

On Maundy Thursday, we will be singing a Taizé chant as we listen to the readings. 
The song is “Stay with Me” based on what Jesus asked of his disciples as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

Stay with me, remain here with me.
Watch and pray, watch and pray.

If you would like to listen to a lovely version of “Stay with Me” on YouTube, it can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Dc0wh8dcY

On Good Friday, we will be singing a Taizé chant as we walk from station to station.  The song is “Jesus, Remember Me” based on what one of the thieves crucified next to Jesus asked of him as they suffered on their respective crosses. 

Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.

If you would like to listen to a lovely version of “Jesus, Remember Me” on YouTube, it can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3AhrNBpWDY

It’s these two chants that I often have on my heart during Holy Week, as we move from Palm Sunday (thank you for covering worship as I have been getting over the plague, Tom!) into Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, with Easter on the horizon. 
These are chants that capture parts of the story that I wanted to share with you in Thursday Thoughts.

As we worship together, we will hear Jesus asking for his disciples to stay with him, remain with him, to watch and pray with him. 
We will sing the words of someone coming to see Jesus as the Christ in a moment of sorrow, asking for Jesus to remember him as Jesus comes into his Kingdom. 
(And if you can’t make it to worship, that’s alright.  You could listen and sing and pray on your own.)

Let us take heart as Holy Week continues. 

Love,
Pastor Lauren 

Photo by Rev. Lauren Ostrout of the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, Israel.

Thursday Thoughts 3/28/24