Here's what North Shore Quakers say...
It is wonderful, come and try it! It is wonderful to sit in silence with others for an hour, there is no expectation for you to do anything, just come, just be, and allow yourself to be in silence. I find it amazing how no matter how I feel when I arrive, I always feel so much better after spending time in shared silence. There is a deep sense of friendship, acceptance and expectancy as we sit in a circle and settle into silence.
It can feel very strange! At our meeting we usually have around 12 people and we sit in silence for an hour, each focused on our own inner spiritual journey but somehow connected. At the end of the hour we have a short time during which we share some of the thoughts/insights/concerns that have come to us during the meeting. One thing that is quite unique to Quakers in my experience is the practice of receiving what has been said without any attempt to engage in active discussion with other people, instead, allowing space for us all to dwell on what has been said and what it might mean for us individually or as a group. Often
conversations develop which carry over into a shared morning tea but to people unused to Quaker practice that initial way of really listening and considering what has been said without comment can feel very strange indeed!
A quaker meeting is probably unlike any meeting you’ve ever been to. Starting with the fact that the first hour is spent sitting with a group of people in complete silence!
If you think it might be a bit like church, consider this:
There are no hymns or music.
There’s no priest or vicar at the front.
There’s no formal service.
There is no creed to recite, no "I believe..." doctrine.
There’s no stained glass and no statues!
Instead, we gather in silence, a silence of waiting and listening to whatever connects us to our individual spiritual inclinations. It’s a time to step away from our busy-busy, doing-doing daily life (which newcomers quickly come to appreciate greatly.) Time to let the silence envelop us, for inspirations to come, for things that really matter in your life to come to the surface. It's about your experience—not what someone else tells you. Afterwards, we usually spend a few minutes sharing thoughts that have come to us during the silence—only if we wish, it’s completely voluntary.
Then it’s time for tea and coffee, bikkies and a chat!
Peaceful and quiet, but could be difficult for someone who is not used to this
It is wonderful, come and try it!It is wonderful to sit in silence with others for an hour, there is no expectation for you to do anything, just come, just be and allow yourself to be in silence. I find it amazing how no matter how I arrive I always feel so much better after spending time in shared silence. There is a deep sense of friendship, acceptance, expectancy as we sit in a circle and settle into silence.
It's like a warm hug, sitting together in quietness. There's a deep feeling of connection. There is a freedom from rules or structure.
Sitting in a circle, it is a quiet, peaceful hour during which you may share a short message if you feel moved to do so. Usually, there is no singing in our meetings.