A Taizé service jointly organised by Christ Church Ayia Napa and the Scandinavian Church drew participants from across Cyprus today, for worship led by the Reverend Anders Bondesson and Reverend George Vidiakin.

The service featured much-loved chants in English, Norwegian, Swedish and Latin, including Ubi Caritas, In the Lord I’ll Be Ever Thankful and Bless the Lord My Soul, along with selected Bible readings fitting to the coming Advent season.

Fr George outlined the early history of the Taizé Community, founded in 1940 by Brother Roger Schütz, “who sought a way to live more fully according to the Scriptures, and embraced a new vision of Christian life”.

A year after the Community’s founding, in the midst of war, Brother Roger reflected: “The defeat of France awoke powerful sympathy. If a house could be found there, of the kind I had dreamed, it would offer a possible way of assisting some of those most discouraged, those deprived of a livelihood; and it could become a place of silence and work.” 

The Taizé Community continues to inspire, particularly young people, drawing around 100,000 visitors a year to experience prayer, simplicity and community spirit. And it was that peaceful, reflective character of Taizé that participants at today’s service so appreciated.