Meeting for Worship

Meeting for Worship starts as soon as one person has entered the room.  Quaker Meeting is a way of worship based on silence--a silence of expectancy in which we seek to come nearer to God and each other as we share the stillness of the Meeting.  Participants are not expected to say or do anything other than join in this seeking.  Do not worry if the silence seems strange at first. It is not unusual to find ourselves distracted by outside noise or roving thoughts.  Even though there are no creeds, hymns or set prayers, we do start  Meeting for Worship with a query from Baltimore Yearly Meeting's Faith and Practice, the Bible or other Quaker writings.  

During Worship, messages may come to any one of us.  Friends have found that some of the messages we receive are intended to be shared in Meeting for Worship, while others may be for personal reflection or for sharing on another occasion. Friends value spoken messages that are prompted by Spirit, and we also value the silence that we share together. Following a spoken message, we turn our focus inward to examine ourselves in the Light of that message.

Spoken messages come from the spiritual depth of one's life and from the leading of the Holy Spirit. To be absorbed, each message needs to be followed with a period of silence which allows for deepening.
When the vocal and silent ministry speak to the condition of those present and is developed and deepened in the Truth, a profound sense of spiritual community occurs. This is what we call a "gathering Meeting."

During the last five minutes of Meeting for Worship, we share our joys, concerns, and prayer requests.  At the rise of Meeting we greet each other and introduce ourselves to visitors.

Worship Schedule
Menallen Meetinghouse--every Sunday 10:30am -11:30am

Huntington Meetinghouse--first Sunday between April and October  10:30am -11:30am

Redlands Meetinghouse--third Sunday between April and September  10:00am -11:00am

First Day School
When children are in attendance at Menallen Meetinghouse, First Day School begins after ten to fifteen minutes of silent worship.  The children join again at the end of the meeting for announcements and greetings.

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