Going To A Quaker Meeting, Next Sunday.

[catlover]

It is in a person's home and a silent meeting.

Maybe this will become a "home" church.

[Morgaine1205]

Let us know how it goes, please! :)

Also, not to sound stupid, but what does 'silent meeting' mean?

[catlover]

Let us know how it goes, please! :)

Also, not to sound stupid, but what does 'silent meeting' mean?

This is part of the e-mail I received from the person who holds the meeting in her home:

"We are a Quaker "unprogramed meeting,"
which means that our Worship Service consists of 1
hour of silence. After about 20 mins, if someone feels
moved to speak out of the silence, they are welcome to do
so. Sometimes the best meetings are all silence, but the
quality of the silence changes and deepens.."

[Rick Otto]

^_^

Sorry:sorry:
Do tell us about it, Cat.
it sounds very interesting. As a musician,i can testify,"Silence IS golden."

[catlover]

I never managed to go, I am in the final part of the fall semester of college, social work, and have many papers to write.

Next weekend I will check out one church.

I have a few on my list to check out.

For Christmas I will more than likely attend an Episcopal service. I will be in Rhode Island and it's better to go there.

When I get back here, to Maine I will check out the Quakers and Salvation Army

[newleaf]

Sounds good to me. The focus seems to be on God.

[catlover]

Sounds good to me. The focus seems to be on God.

Most churches are focused on God. The question is, what should the focus be? How should worshiping God be carried out?

Obviously, the Espicopal church believes in a traditional mass, communion, responses etc.

The Salvation Army does not really have tradition like The Episcopal Church. So there will be a services with less smells and bells.

The Quaker Meeting will be focused on God, with absolutely no tradition...

All seem to be pointing at God, but the question is: is there one way to worship God? What does being a believer mean? WHAT should a believer believe etc. All confusing questions...as for what a believer believe that would be "THe Nicene(sic) Creed".

[ctay]

Is the Quaker service just one hour of silence? Nothing else, like no bible readings or a sermon?

[catlover]

Is the Quaker service just one hour of silence? Nothing else, like no bible readings or a sermon?

From what I gather, there are no Bible readings or sermon. I have yet to go, but it's called a "silent" or "unprogramed" meeting.

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

I'd be interested to hear about when you do go. I've thought about checking out the Quakers myself. Most of the time when I take online "where do you fit in" tests with regard to religious faith, I score high with Quakers. Never been one, and I don't really know what they believe. I've only met a couple of them in my life and they seemed like really deep, thoughtful people.

I would like to find a church home myself, a place where the true teachings of Christ -- loving compassion and living to bless others -- is practiced and made supreme and the presence of the Holy Spirit is in evidence. No Pharisaic notions of attaining holiness but REAL holiness which is WHOLENESS in Christ, living humble lives of genuine love, joy, peace and blessing. I'd rather sit at a table with honest, genuine people who are "sinners" then in the company of seamless-surfaced liars who are but whitewashed tombs -- seeming so "holy" and "upright" and "godly" but on the inside, void of love, stripped of compassion, and quick to judge and condemn anyone who doesn't "measure up" to their ignorant worship of the letter of the law (which they conflate with and call the Spirit, imagine!!!)