THE MEETING FOR WORSHIP

And so, I find it well to come

For deeper rest to this still room,

For here the habit of the soul

Feels less the outer world's control;

The strength of mutual purpose pleads

More earnestly our common needs;

And from the silence multiplies

By these still forms on either side,

The world that time and sense have known

Falls off and leaves us God alone.

--John Greenleaf Whittier

The Meeting for Worship is the heart of the Society of Friends. We gather to experience communion with God. In active, expectant silence we strive to disassociate the mind from outward thoughts and to center inwardly. Each is aided and strengthened by the seeking of others and, since everyone is a participant in this fellowship, worship becomes a corporate experience.

We begin participation in Meetings for Worship as we still the body and direct our minds beyond the distractions of the immediate environment. Sometimes we can surmount the insistence of self by dwelling on the needs of others, or on our sense of community with our fellow humans near and far. As we quiet our senses and center ourselves and approach the spiritual center of the Meeting, and a sense of greater nearness to the divine source of all truth and reality.

On this deeper level we may become aware of a clearer insight, perhaps a fresh understanding of some passage in the Bible and its spiritual application today. Or it may be some deep concern for the world or a recent experience giving a new meaning to life.

Friends approach the Meeting for Worship confidently, believing that God speaks directly to us, reveals His will, and gives guidance to the one who listens. Each worshipper becomes a listener ready to receive God's message.

The absence of outward rites and sacraments in Friends' worship is a result of our emphasis on the reality of the inward experience. Direct communion with God and the baptism of the Holy Spirit make the observance of rites unnecessary and even a hindrance to spiritual experience for some.

Because of this inward experience, worship in our Meetings is spontaneous and unplanned. Until we have gathered and settled into silence as a group, no one can foresee how this common experience may develop. Out of the spiritual communion of such a gathered Meeting there comes a sense of divine direction and insight. The call to vocal ministry may come to any worshiper--young or old, attender or member. The sensitive person will know when to share a message with others. Whether one is moved to speak or to keep silent, what matters for the Meeting is that the speaker be sensitive to and guided by the inner prompting.

Each individual, whether a speaker or a listener, is a living part of the Meeting for Worship. If each is sensitive to the messages of others and to the promptings of his or her own heart, the influence of the Meeting can extend throughout the community during the week.

Friends are urged to lead their children in the habits of regular and orderly attendance at Meetings for Worship. A vocal message from a child or a young person may be very helpful to the Meeting.

The Meeting for Worship is closed in a special way. Either at an appointed time or when the spirit of the Meeting seems to indicate that the time to close has come, a designated person in the Meeting shakes hands with another, and everyone else shakes hands with those nearby.