Williamsburg Friends Meeting
Introduction to Quaker Worship
Divine Will ● Speaking ● Children ● Pastoral Work ● Business & Finance ●Membership
The Williamsburg Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) invites you to attend its Meeting for Worship, held every Sunday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. as well as every Wednesday from 6:00pm to 7:00pm (WFM worship schedule). In Meeting for Worship, we trust that you will find a source of help and strength, just as your presence will strengthen us.
To those not familiar with Quakerism, some aspects of our service may be new to you. Upon gathering at the appointed time, we sit in silence. We worship in living silence for there dwells the eternal presence of God. There is no programmed service, no designated minister, no prepared prayers. We have no sacraments or rituals because we believe all living is a sacrament. We have no paid clergy because each of us shares in the responsibility of ministering. We have no prepared prayers because our unspoken prayers serve as a direct communion with the Infinite.
To Friends, God is not a far-off, unapproachable being. Rather, in every human soul exists a loving Divine presence. Thus, each of us is capable of experiencing Divine Will, and may respond to that experience as did Jesus, the prophets, and devout men and women throughout time.
Attaining an understanding of Divine Will requires action by each of us. To that end, we wish to explore the "inner chambers" of our own souls. In silence, we gather together to seek a fuller knowledge of the Divine Will and to grasp its practical implications. In silence, we wait so that God may speak. In silence, we endeavor to yield ourselves to the Divine Will in each of us. In silence, we seek harmony with the greater spiritual force of the Universe.
Thus, from the time the group settles in silence, worship is not dependent on the outward actions of any one person, but flows through the Meeting as a whole. Effective worship requires an earnest effort from each of us to bring a sense of community or “oneness” into the Meeting.
Frequently, we become conscious of a Presence pervading the Meeting. The silence itself may become eloquent or the impulse to share a thought may compel one of us to rise and express a message or a vocal prayer. Anyone who feels called to speak may do so. It is well to remember, however, that the basis of our Worship is silence. Spoken messages should be brief and of a spiritual nature, not deliberately argumentative or contentious. It is not uncommon for a Meeting for Worship to be completely silent, and such a Meeting may give worshipers a special feeling of participation and spiritual uplift.
Meeting for Worship concludes with the shaking of hands, followed by introductions and announcements.
Children are a welcome part of our Meeting. Young children usually attend the first fifteen minutes of Meeting for Worship, then leave with an adult leader to attend First Day School.
The Overseers Committee guides the pastoral work of the Meeting.
Meeting business is carried out by various committees, as well as in the monthly Meeting for Worship for the Purpose of Conducting Business, presided over by the Clerk and held the second Sunday of every month. Meetings for Business are held in a spirit of worship, with decisions not arrived at by vote, but rather by seeking a basis on which all members can unite. This is often referred to as the "sense of the Meeting."
Since there is no formal weekly collection, contributions are made directly to the Treasurer of the Meeting.
We welcome as members any who share our principles and convictions, and are pleased to accept membership applications from attenders who have taken time to consider their applications thoughtfully. The Clerk or a member of the Overseers Committee will be glad to discuss Friends' faith and practice with you.
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 multiplied
By these still forms on either side,
The world that time and sense have known
Falls off and leaves us God Alone.
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Last updated: 17th day 05th month 2004