DEANERY TAIZÉ SERVICES via YouTube 

Last year, as part of the Diocesan-wide Growing in God initiative,

clergy from our Deanery (Loes) organised a series of monthly Sunday

afternoon services based around the Taizé tradition.

These services used meditative chants, prayer, silence and scripture

around a variety of specific themes.

The Rev’d Canon Graham Hedger, from the Orebeck Benefice,

hosted the services in Easton and the service-format was compiled

by Rev’d Wendy Gourlay from the neighbouring Mid-Loes Benefice.

A good number of people attended and the plan was to continue

the initiative in 2020.

The COVID-19 lockdown jeopardised those plans until technology

was harnessed to make a new series of services available via YouTube.

The format remains the same but the individual elements - bible reading,

prayers, a meditation, an interlude for silent reflection and live music to

accompany the chants - were pre-recorded and then edited together

into a service lasting around 30 minutes. Each service is “stand-alone”,

and each has a different focus. We are grateful for the dozen-plus

contributors who have made the services so personal and individual.

The final service of 2020 will be available from the 15th of November

and can be accessed via the St Peter’s, Cretingham page of the

Mid-Loes Benefice website: www.mid-loes.com/cretingham.php  

This location also gives you access to all of the 2020 services

from June onwards. A printable order of service is also available on the

same webpage but the words for chants, prayers, etc do appear on-screen.

To date the services have been viewed over 350 times and it is hoped

that a new series will be available in 2021 - especially if the pandemic

is still reducing our opportunity to meet safely in larger groups.

You do not have to be a subscriber to YouTube to watch these services.

They are loaded to a private channel within the site and only accessible

via the channel code accessed via the Benefice website i.e. you cannot

search for them via Google. 

Alister Gourlay (Lay Chair Loes Deanery)