Worship each and every Friday evening at Holden is the same, Prayer Around the Cross. This simple service of candle light and chanting hymns from
Taize, a religious center in France, becomes the foundation of who we are here at Holden. As much as we love to try new and creative ways to worship, this service varies very little.
We enter the dark room in silence and sing simple chants as we wait for the candles to be lit. Around the cross are bowls and boxes filled with sand. We may pray in solitude at a box or if we choose to kneel at a bowls, we will be joined by others who will pray with us. Often a child will mistakenly kneel at a bowl and is very surprised when four or five people come and pray with them.
Most of us, as we live our lives, wear masks of happiness and contentment. This service is a place where the turmoil can spill out and we can unburden ourselves of pain. All of this is done in silence but the power of human touch can ease the heaviest of burdens.
We enter the dark room in silence and sing simple chants as we wait for the candles to be lit. Around the cross are bowls and boxes filled with sand. We may pray in solitude at a box or if we choose to kneel at a bowls, we will be joined by others who will pray with us. Often a child will mistakenly kneel at a bowl and is very surprised when four or five people come and pray with them. 
Most of us, as we live our lives, wear masks of happiness and contentment. This service is a place where the turmoil can spill out and we can unburden ourselves of pain. All of this is done in silence but the power of human touch can ease the heaviest of burdens.
1 comment:
I've always wanted pictures from this... these are gorgeous. I wonder how you got them.
Counting down my days until coming to holden! peace~
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