A Quiet Joy

By Tmax1998 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90832706

We will broadcast the UCC Rocky Mountain Conference worship service this Sunday morning, August 2, in lieu of our regular streaming worship time. As such, our sanctuary will be quite devoid of music to speak of in this weekly space! So I thought I would muse a bit about our Midweek Vespers Services streamed on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.

So what is Vespers and why are we offering it? Vespers is an ancient service, the penultimate service of the seven canonical hours within the monastic Daily Offices. Vesper in Latin literally means "evening." In this time of pandemic, we thought we would offer a midweek prayerful service for rejuvenation and healing as the day draws to a close. A service of comfort and hope. A reminder of the eternal Light in the darkness.

Vespers at Plymouth is quite diverse. Chants or hymns are sung interspersed with prayers, poems, and scripture. Musically, one can expect a broad range of contemplative styles drawing from the Celtic, Ionian, Anglican, and Taizé traditions with touches of jazz, folk, and minimalist influences. Those who have attended the 6:00 p.m. services will often find many similarities, including the regular use of the sung "Prayer of Jesus" by John Philip Newell.

So consider joining us in this Quiet Place next week. The archives on our website offer the opportunity to view past services as well at your convenience.

In Quiet Joy.

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