Last month, there was a query sent by Friends General Conference that asked, “How was meeting for worship last week?”  That got me thinking about the rhythms and nuances of our meeting for worship.  We come together each First-day as a community in worship.  For me, along with meeting for business, it is the centerpiece of what it means to be a Friend.

Occasionally I’m able to come into worship early and I like to silently welcome Friends as they come in.  Each person enters into the room, considers where to sit, and settles on the bench, perhaps with a smile across the room at another Friend.  Then I often feel from that person, a sense of opening to the collective centering going on in the room.  I once heard someone talk about a greeter who used to say to Friends as they entered the meetinghouse, “Welcome beloved child of God.”

We once had a worship-sharing evening in front of the fire at the meetinghouse when we shared with each other the processes we went through when we centered into meeting.  Each person seemed to have some sort of process, some had a fairly set routine while others couldn’t exactly describe what was happening.  We were fairly clear that something does happen in the first part of the meeting for worship and it brings us to the depth of silence I feel in our meeting.

Last December, we had a couple discussion groups about vocal ministry.  I wish I had taken some complete notes.  We talked about some of the basics like standing when you speak – something I appreciate with my hearing loss – and not speaking more than once.  We also talked about how there is freedom in that anyone can speak but there are also limitations.  We may have difficulty discerning if our message if from God and is to be shared with the group.  In general, I think we trust in our community to help us to know.

In the last part of meeting at Lake Forest, the children and youth join us.  This is an important part of our worship and I miss them when they are not able to attend.  For me, the younger Friends bring a sense of hope and reaffirm our commitment to faith. 

Now I ask you, how was meeting for worship last week?