What is Meeting for Worship?
If you've never attended a Meeting for Worship, we hope you will come worship with us.
Many have found help in viewing the "introductory" videos (below) to answer questions that might arise in expectation of a Quaker Meeting for Worship.
Most Quaker meetings, at least in this part of country, are so-called "unprogrammed" meetings. This means that our meetings for worship are not led by a minister, but are largely conducted in silence. Typically, a Clerk or other Member of the Meeting will close worship with a simple "Good morning friends" but otherwise the meeting may be completely silent.
Members and attenders are always invited to speak out of the silence with a message about their spiritual journey, although messages are not responded to directly.
A message has been described as a pebble tossed into a pond. The resulting ripples are received by others in the meeting and may contribute to their own spiritual journeys.
For more information about Meeting for Worship, as well as Quaker history, principles and beliefs, see the below list of videos-
(Click ► or the title to open table of videos)
New to Meeting for Worship
New to Meeting for Worship in the Manner of Friends
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Quaker Worship Part 1:
The Challenge of Sitting in Silence
What happens when you try to sit in silence for an hour? These seven Quakers discuss the challenge of being alone with one’s thoughts in Quaker worship, and the opportunity for grace and true communion on the other side. |
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Quaker Worship Pt 2:
Giving Vocal Ministry
In the Quaker religion, adherents believe that a higher power can speak through them. We asked Quakers what it’s actually like to experience this.
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Quaker Worship Pt 3:
The Gathered Meeting
The potential for this worshiping experience that you’re going to be walking into, it’s one of the most inspiring things that I’ve ever witnessed and been part of, which I think is the reason I’m still Quaker with all the things that I struggle with. It’s that potential that keeps us there. But the potential is this thing that we call a “gathered” meeting or a “covered” meeting.
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Why Quakers Worship In Silence
On the surface, it can seem like Quaker worship is just sitting in silence. But as Lloyd Lee Wilson explains, something much more profound is happening.
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My First Time at Quaker Meeting
“My 1st impression of Quaker meeting was confusion. I really couldn't believe that people were uniting together in practice, not in dogma. This was literally incomprehensible to me. The fact that people believed different things and used different language and yet could come together to be a great community because they shared the same set of practices...”
What's it like to attend Quaker meeting for worship for the first time? We asked 6 Friends what they remember about their first experience.
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Quaker Silence
"Silence is the ground out of which worship comes. The silence leaves the space for the sound, the whisper, even the noise of the spirit."
We asked a diverse group of Friends what they find most valuable about silence in Meeting for Worship. This is what they said.
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The Difference Between Quaker Meeting
and Other Services
"We are a seeking faith community. We experience the space in which we can explore our spiritual journey. We are not offering answers, but trying to ask the right questions."
How does Quaker Meeting compare to other Christian services? Quaker author Ben Pink Dandelion explores this question.
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Quakerism in the 21st Century
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Quaker Glossary
“Monthly Meeting”, “Clerk”, “Convincement”, “Clearness”, “Minutes” – What do all these words have in common? They all mean something specific to Quakers! In this video we teamed up with Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to define 12 common Quaker terms. |
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9 Core Quaker Beliefs
As a lifelong Quaker, Arthur Larrabee was frustrated that he couldn’t answer the question, “What do Quakers believe?” So he set out to do just that. |
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The Experience of Newcomers
What draws seekers to Quakerism, and what keeps them coming back? Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and QuakerSpeak asked seven people who have been attending Meeting for 2 years or less. |
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What Do Quakers Believe?
What do Quakers believe? As an experiential religion with no creed, there isn’t always an easy answer. We asked 26 Quakers about belief, and the resulting conversations were powerful. |
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Leaving Quakerism Better
Norval Reece was giving a tour of his Quaker meetinghouse when someone asked, “What is this space used for now?” That’s when he realized we’ve got to do a better job of telling our story. |
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How Quaker Meeting Changed My Life
Lidney Molnari was “church shopping” when he had an experience that spoke to his condition at Live Oak Friends Meeting in Houston, TX. |
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Some History of Quakerism
Some History of Quakerism
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The Start of Quakerism (Part 1 of 4)
Ben Pink Dandelion (of the Woodbrooke Center (Professor of Quaker Studies)) discusses the origins of Quakers. |
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The Start of Quakerism (Part 2 of 4)
(Part 2 of a 4 part series) Ben Pink Dandelion (of the Woodbrooke Center (Professor of Quaker Studies)) discusses the origins of Quakers. |
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The Start of Quakerism (Part 3 of 4)
(Part 3 of a 4 part series) Ben Pink Dandelion (of the Woodbrooke Center (Professor of Quaker Studies)) discusses the origins of Quakers.
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The Start of Quakerism (Part 3 of 4)
(Part 3 of a 4 part series) Ben Pink Dandelion (of the Woodbrooke Center (Professor of Quaker Studies)) discusses the origins of Quakers. |
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Susan Vorwerk, 10/15/2019