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On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Taizé Vespers: A Journey of Praise and Prayer was a vesper service at the 2012 Calvin Symposium on Worship, led by Philip Chan and Yvette Lau.
Enter in Silence
Call to Worship – Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations. (TNIV)
Come and Fill
Words: The Community of Taizé © 1984, Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
Music: Jacques Berthier (1923-1994), ©1991 Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
Psalms of Praise – Psalm 117 and 103
Sing, Praise, and Bless the Lord
Psalms for All Seasons 117B
Bless the Lord, My Soul
Psalms for All Seasons 103C
Confession
Lord Jesus Christ
Words and Music: The Community of Taizé © 1998, Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
Silence
Remembering God’s Grace
By Your Cross
Words: The Community of Taizé © 1991, Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
Music: Jacques Berthier (1923-1994), ©1991 Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
Silence
Intercessory Prayer
Nada te turbe
Words: The Community of Taizé © 1991, Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
Music: Jacques Berthier (1923-1994), ©1991 Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
Kyrie eleison (Greek for “Lord, have mercy”) will be sung after each spoken prayer.
Kyrie
Music: Jacques Berthier (1923-1994), ©1991 Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
The Lord’s Prayer (please pray aloud in your own heart language)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Benediction
Dona Nobis Pacem
Words: The Community of Taizé © 1998, Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
Music: Jacques Berthier (1923-1994), ©1991 Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
In the Lord I’ll Be Ever Thankful
Words: The Community of Taizé © 1991, Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
Music: Jacques Berthier (1923-1994), ©1991 Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, GIA Publications, Inc. exclusive North American agent.
____
Philip Chan and Yvette Lau, liturgists
Cindy de Boer, cantor
Judy Baker, keyboard
Laura Triezenberg, flute
Marie Bloem, cello
Kate MacLeod, oboe
Chan Gyu Jang, guitar
Prayer leaders
Explore the compelling beauty of the Bible's covenantal vision of the divine-human relationship and the transformative difference this makes for how we worship the triune God. This session will feature insights from the authors of two influential books: Esther Lightcap Meek's Loving to Know: A Covenantal Epistemology and Daniel Block's Covenant: The Framework of God's Grand Plan of Redemption.
While Christian baptism is predominantly a transcultural practice, distinct faith communities worldwide experience this initiation rite through unique contextualizing elements. Join us in a fascinating conversation with Christian leaders from five continents about the rich cultural diversity reflected in baptismal liturgies, imagery, and practices, and how they shape Christian life in their contexts.
This panel will explore the intersectionality between culture and disability. What can we learn from the experiences of people across varying cultures and contexts? What do experiences of racism and ableism in the church have in common? How do they overlap? How does belonging for people with disabilities look different in a variety of cultural contexts?
Explore the compelling beauty of the Bible's covenantal vision of the divine-human relationship and the transformative difference this makes for how we worship the triune God. This session will feature insights from the authors of two influential books: Esther Lightcap Meek's Loving to Know: A Covenantal Epistemology and Daniel Block's Covenant: The Framework of God's Grand Plan of Redemption.
While Christian baptism is predominantly a transcultural practice, distinct faith communities worldwide experience this initiation rite through unique contextualizing elements. Join us in a fascinating conversation with Christian leaders from five continents about the rich cultural diversity reflected in baptismal liturgies, imagery, and practices, and how they shape Christian life in their contexts.
This panel will explore the intersectionality between culture and disability. What can we learn from the experiences of people across varying cultures and contexts? What do experiences of racism and ableism in the church have in common? How do they overlap? How does belonging for people with disabilities look different in a variety of cultural contexts?
Teenagers’ desire to encounter God has been realized throughout history as youth ministry has grown and evolved. Indeed, teenagers have expressed needs and desires to practice and grow their faith at church, school, and home as well as at camps and conferences or on short- and long-term mission trips. On the one hand, these worship efforts have been deeply formative. On the other hand, these worship efforts have focused on attracting and keeping teenagers as much as, if not more than, on spiritual formation. This session will identify key historical patterns in adolescent worship and examine how we might engage their wisdom for faithful worship practices with teenagers today.
