STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Need to take pause after the busy holidays?

Seek peace and comfort in the Taize services at St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

The simple candlelight services, which were suspended during the holidays, have returned.

They begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Feb. 27 and last about 30 minutes.

The services are patterned after the worship style of Taize, a small religious community in France, said Maryanne Whitcomb.

The services were founded in the early 1940s by Brother Roger and he worked tirelessly or more than 60 years until his death in 2005.

His hope: To open ways to heal the divisions between Christians of all faith traditions. Indeed, posted in many different languages as one enters the Church of Reconciliation at Taize, is a sign that reads, “Let all who enter here be reconciled, brother with brother, sister with sister, nation with nation.”

There are two distinguishing marks of Taize worship, according to Whitcomb: Repetition and silence.

Taize is a meditative service that incorporates repetitive song and chant, scripture reading, prayer and several periods of group silence in a setting of peace and soft candl3light designed to foster communion with God.

Attendees may remain in the nave after the service concludes, until they are ready to depart in quiet solitude.

For more information, contact Joel Bejot at 208-726-5349 or via joelbejot@stthomassunvalley.org.