Worship Schedule and Information
On Sunday mornings (First Day), we have Meeting for Worship at 10:00 a.m. Meeting for Worship continues approximately an hour and is usually closed by one of the clerks who initiates the shaking of hands. Worship is unprogrammed and spontaneous. Each individual is a living part of the Meeting for Worship. Any worshiper, young or old, member or attender, may feel called to speak. Whether one is moved to speak or to keep silent, it is important that one try to be sensitive to, and guided by, the inner prompting.
Friends believe that the Divine
Spirit dwells in each of us and that consciousness of the Spirit is
nourished and quickened by sharing in group worship. A Quaker
meeting is based on reverent silence, a silence of waiting, of
expectancy. When you lift your heart to the Spirit
you are
contributing to the common worship as well as to your own renewal.
There is no "minister," for all may minister. Worship is in our hands corporately. Everyone shares the responsibility for worship and shares in its blessing.
There may be sounds and other distractions during the silence, or you
may be distracted by your own thoughts. Do not worry about this, but
return again and again to the still center of your own being where God
is as you quiet your body, mind and soul. Out of this quiet, this
yielding to the leading of the Spirit may come vocal prayers or spoken
messages helpful for gaining strength and direction in our daily lives.
Children are welcome to attend Meeting for
Worship. First day school begins at 10:00, with the
children joining in
with worship at 10:45. We try to have a person available to provide
child care for pre-schoolers for the entire hour of meeting.
We hold Meeting for Business each second Sunday of the month,
following Meeting for Worship. Meeting for Business is, in
essence a
Meeting for Worship focused upon specific matters. Business is to
be
conducted with careful consideration for each other and with
responsiveness to the will of the Spirit as we
perceive it.
Decisions are made according to the ''sense of the
Meeting" rather
than by
taking a vote. All members and attenders are encouraged to participate.
Also, the Meeting for Worship is followed by a community potluck meal on the second Sunday of the month. We sometimes have speakers along with potluck.