Joining us for worship for the first timeWhoever you are, you are welcome to worship with us. Quaker worship is wonderfully simple and provides a space for calm and reflection in the company of open-minded friends.
What to expect Quaker worship is grounded in silence. We go into the meeting room, sit down and settle in silence. It doesn't matter where anybody sits. Everybody is equal in our meetings. After a while someone - even you - might feel inspired to stand up and speak briefly in their own words, or to pray, or read from the Bible or some other book. The rest of us receive in silence what is spoken to us. All those present are making an effort to open themselves to their relationship with God. It is not unusual for newcomers to discover in the silence of worship profound relief, fresh insights and a deep sense of connection, but you should not worry if at first you find Quaker meetings are simply a place to rest and find peace. Beginning & ending our worship The meeting begins when the first person goes in and sits down and ends when, usually after an hour, two established Friends shake hands and the handshake goes all round the room. Settling into silence Friends have different ways of settling into the silence (called 'centring down'). It is, of course, important to sit so that you are physically comfortable. We hope our chairs make that possible for most people. Alternative chairs are available. You can sit with eyes open or closed, though many people find that closing the eyes, at least at first, helps to slow down a busy mind. It can be helpful to use meditative techniques such as focusing your attention on the rhythm of your breath for the first ten minutes. Or you could use a visualisation to calm your mind, perhaps imagining a pebble cast into a pool and the ripples gradually subsiding. You could use some reading to focus your thoughts. The Bible and Quaker Faith and Practice are always available on the table in the meeting room, and there are other books and magazines in the Meeting House library and on the shelves in the Committee Room. Want to speak to us before visiting for the first time? If you would like to speak to someone about attending Lynn Quaker Meeting for the first time then do please get in touch and phone or email one of the elders. You are very welcome, though, simply to turn up. If you tell the person at the door that you are new to Quakers then they will help you out. And please don't be anxious about doing the wrong thing, we'll just be glad to have you with us. |
"The treasure I had found [in meeting for worship] seemed startlingly simple, and I held this treasure quietly to myself, exploring its significance, feeling it almost too good to be true." |