 MAY/SUMMER 2003 (XXXXI 3) |
On Saturday, May 31, Reading Meeting (PA) will host the next gathering on Worship, Ministry and Eldering. The entire morning will be devoted to unprogrammed worship. Although meetings for worship longer than an hour are not common today, they were the norm among early Friends, and in recent years Friends in a variety of different groups and gatherings have been feeling a leading to return to the practice of extended worship.
On First-days in earlier times, Friends used to spend most of the morning in meeting for worship and in some places often came back after lunch for more hours of worship. Stories are told of a Yearly Meeting annual session when Friends found the worship so deep the first day, and then the second, that they continued in worship for days before taking up their business.
Accounts of meeting for worship written by many early Friends testify to the palpable sense of Divine Presence and Power that often came over the gathered body of worshippers. In order to be open to this, they practiced emptying themselves of their own desires, thoughts, and impulses. In many cases, early Friends did not experience the divine Presence among them until hours after the worship had begun.
During extended worship, many people experience periods of restlessness. Then it often melts away, replaced by a sense of spaciousness, freedom, and gratitude to God. The worship can take on a timeless quality and three hours can seem more like two. The vocal ministry often seems more grounded in the Spirit. During extended periods of worship, some have experienced God's love very profoundly or become more clear about how the Spirit may be challenging, transforming or calling them.
After a recent gathering held at London Grove Meeting on a Saturday, a Friend wrote: "The worship was very valuable to me. I came home with such a feeling of peace. The next day in meeting I felt utterly still. I gave a message which mentioned something of my experience. A few minutes later, the woman next to me rose and said she was having a great feeling of peace, and that she thought maybe it was spilling over from me. Her message made me realize that our own prayers really can make a difference to others."
In addition to the May 31 gathering at Reading, a gathering at Pendle Hill is being planned for November 8. The Worship, Ministry, and Eldering gatherings take place on Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm. The entire morning is given to extended worship. A brown bag lunch together is an opportunity for fellowship, and the afternoons are often a time for sharing on a theme that emerges from the morning worship.
All those who feel a call to ministry of any sort, including the spiritual nurture of their meetings, or who are longing for a deeper experience of Quaker worship are welcome to attend. For more information, call Wendy Wells at 215-843-1860 or e-mail wendyw@gfsnet.org.
Marcelle Martin
Chestnut Hill Meeting (PA)
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:18 AM