Different people will use different words to explain what happens in a Quaker Meeting for Worship. The common element in our meetings is listening in silence to our ‘inner voice’ in the company of others. For some that ‘inner voice’ is that of God, however we think of God. For others it may be spirit, an inspiration, or conscience, or self-reflection. Sometimes people will stand to offer a message they feel prompted to share.
Our style of worship in Aotearoa NZ
In Aotearoa NZ all of our regular Meetings for Worship are ‘unprogrammed’. This means that we do not have ministers or any form of liturgy or predetermined pattern. We simply gather in silence, usually for an hour. During that time, anyone in the meeting is free to offer ‘ministry’, speaking from their heart as they are prompted by the Spirit within them. This may lead others to speak. However, in a Quaker meeting we allow time between contributions for what has been said to settle in our hearts and minds before speaking ourselves. Contributions are not in the form of a discussion and do not necessarily keep to a particular subject or theme.
When the time is right, normally after an hour, someone responsible for the spiritual care of the Meeting initiates the shaking of hands to signal the end of the Meeting. In some meetings there will then be a period when people are invited to offer thoughts and ideas that came to them during the Meeting. And there’s always time for a cuppa afterwards!
Spiritual Nurture
The need for a spiritual life is one of the reasons many Friends are first drawn to Quakers. They seek fellowship in the Quaker community, and encouragement for living in accordance with Quaker values.
Meetings foster spiritual growth in different ways. They often appoint volunteers (known as Elders) or committees (for example, spiritual and pastoral care committees) to care for the spiritual needs of the Meeting. Encouraging the deepening of the spiritual life of Friends in Aotearoa is also the work of the Quaker Settlement, which provides weekend live-in seminars and workshops, and the Quaker Learning and Spiritual Development Committee.
Individual Meetings, through their Elders or Pastoral Care Committees, provide opportunities for Friends to deepen their experience and knowledge of Quakerism and its roots as well, in the form of study groups, quiet days, and seminars. They provide religious education and opportunities for spiritual growth for all in the Meeting, including children, and generally watch over the Meeting as a community founded on love.
Quakers Around the World
Quakers around the world follow different traditions, though all are based on the teachings and practices of George Fox and Margaret Fell, as well as other of the early Quakers. In the UK, most meetings are, like in NZ, ‘unprogrammed’ when we allow the teaching or ministry to come out of the silence. There are many Quakers in Africa where meetings follow a set programme and resemble the evangelical churches of other mainstream protestant faiths. In the US there are Quakers from both programmed and unprogrammed meetings– as well as semi-programmed.
If you would like to explore other videos about Quaker Meeting for Worship, here are some suggested links for you to view: