St. Mark Church will host an evening of music and prayer on Sunday, March 4. All are invited to attend.

The program will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a simple potluck supper of soup and salad, followed by the Taizé prayer service at 7 p.m., featuring the AMA Choir of Our Lady of Mercy High School, Fairburn. The program is being organized in cooperation with Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church in Clarkesville, which hosts Taizé prayer services during the year, on the fourth Sunday evening of each month.

A Taizé prayer service features brief, meditative songs with a repetitive verse or refrain. Each piece calls those present into quiet reflection to deepen their awareness of God’s presence in their lives. The one-hour prayer service consists of passages from Scripture and community prayers interspersed with musical selections.

Taizé refers to an ecumenical, international community founded in 1940 in the village of Taizé, France, by Brother Roger. Today, the Taizé Community is made up of more than 100 brothers of both Catholic and various Protestant backgrounds from more than 25 nations. More information about Taizé may be found on the community’s Web site, www.taize.fr/en.

The AMA Choir at Our Lady of Mercy was founded in 2002 and has since led over 100 celebrations of prayer featuring the music of Taizé. The choir’s name stands for “Amen – Maranatha – Alleluia,” which the members believe is a summation of the music of Taizé. The choir recorded CDs in 2005 and 2006. While on a pilgrimage to Taizé in the summer of 2006, the choir performed there, as well as in the cities of Paris and Tours.

St. Mark’s is located on Highway 197 South in Clarkesville, less than one mile from the post office. Those who wish to participate in the potluck supper are asked to bring approximately one quart of soup to share or a dish of their favorite salad. Sharing a simple meal before the prayer service is an appropriate response to the Christian call to observing a Lenten fast of simplicity in all areas of life. The supper will take place in the St. John Hall.

Those who wish to come only for the prayer service are asked to come to St. Mark’s by at least 6:50 p.m., ten minutes prior to the beginning of the program.

For those who wish to continue experiencing the spirituality of Taizé music and prayers, Grace-Calvary offers a Taizé prayer service on the fourth Sunday evening of each month. The service is held in the church at 7 p.m. in the spring and summer and at 6 p.m. in the fall and winter. The November and December services are combined as an Advent Taizé prayer service on the first Sunday evening in December. This year Grace Calvary will offer its March service on Tuesday of Holy Week, April 3, as a Lenten Taizé Service at 7 p.m. The church is located at Wilson and Green streets in Clarkesville.