Jan 21 Insight: Don't Just Do Something--Sit There (Quakers at Worship)

Don’t Just Do Something—Sit There! (Quakers at Worship)

(The 3-Minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U.)

If you’ve ever seen Quakers at worship you might think that they are sitting around waiting for something. Well, they are!

But before we talk about what they’re waiting for, let’s talk about who the Quakers are.

Quakers are more accurately called “Friends,” or even more precisely, “The Religious Society of the Friends of Truth.” This sect was born in England in the mid 17^th Century when a man named George Fox decided to challenge the beliefs and practices of the Anglican Church, 

practices that seemed to him unnecessarily complicated and that prevented a direct connection to God for most people. Today, there are fewer than 200,000 Quakers in the US.

And even though Quakers are small in number, they are widely known for their ethical and peaceful practices. Quakers believe that there is “that of God” in every person; that because of this, no human should be killed or injured through war or any other form of violence; that God’s revelation continues today; that clergy are not needed since everyone can communicate directly with God; and that our lives should be lived in simplicity and integrity, as well as in community and diversity.

Based on these core values, Quakers have an unusual form of worship. They gather on Sunday or “First Day.”  (Quakers eschew use of the names of months or days of the week because these are based in paganism). The venue for worship is not called a church but instead a “meeting house.” The room where worship takes place is generally plain, with no pulpit, stained glass windows or religious decorations. The space usually contains chairs or benches arranged in a circle or square so that everyone faces each other. Quakers speak of “meeting for worship” rather than having a “worship service.”

Perhaps the most distinctive element in Quaker worship is the silence. There is no preaching, singing or reading. Worshipers gather for about an hour “waiting upon God,” listening with their hearts to God’s still small voice.” The silence is unbroken—unless one of the worshippers believes he or she has received a message from God that should be shared with other worshippers. Sometimes no worshippers speak. Other times, one, two or even a handful may share a sacred insight.

And when worship reaches its specified time for ending, a designated individual shakes hands with the person next to them. Then everyone gathered shakes hands, signaling the conclusion of worship.

Why do Quakers worship in this way? According to Marsha D. Holliday of Friends General Conference, “We meet in plain, unadorned rooms because we have found that in such places we are less distracted from hearing that still small voice. There are no pulpits in our meeting rooms because we minister to each other. Our benches or chairs face each other because we are all equal before God. We have no prearranged prayers, readings, sermons, hymns or musical orchestrations because we wait for God’s leadings (guidance and direction) and power in our lives.”

For more information about the Quakers and their style of worship visit:

http://www.quakerinfo.org/quakerism/worship

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