Seeking the Still Small Voice Within:
An Invitation to Visit Mullica Hill Friends Meeting on Sunday, January 22nd
An Invitation to Visit Mullica Hill Friends Meeting on Sunday, January 22nd
If you have wondered what your children experience when they participate in Meeting for Worship at school each Thursday, or want to learn more about Friends, or, informally, Quakers, Mullica Hill Meeting invites you to join its members and attenders for Meeting for Worship on Sunday, January 22, 2012. Meeting will begin at 11 am and usually lasts until about noon. Childcare will be provided. This is a chance for interested Friends School families to meet members of the meeting and experience Meeting for Worship for themselves. I’ll be there and would love to welcome you too.
At its core, Quaker worship involves inward reflection and listening. When worship is over Quakers then work to lead their daily lives in the world guided or “led” by the Truth that they have gleaned during the shared silent reflection or worship. Friends are unique in engaging in collective silent reflection or worship. Buddhism, for example, encourages individual reflection or meditation, but does not emphasize the increased value of shared worship of a group of people.
So, what are Quakers listening for when they sit together in silence? “’The still small voice’ that dwells within each of us – the voice of God that speaks to us and that we express to others through our deeds.”[1] George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, traveled through England. He preached “there is that of God in every man.” This profoundly optimistic message held and still holds that each person, regardless of race, gender, or status in life, has within the inherent capacity to listen for and know God’s will, and be guided toward goodness and the best within themselves if they would only stop regularly to listen for God’s voice.
Every person’s experience in Meeting for Worship is different, every time. For myself, sometimes I experience restlessness and have trouble sitting still or preventing my mind from racing to ponder the challenges of my day. On other occasions I settle into a profound stillness and can let my mind roam, finding what is most important for me that day, regardless of whether it was a topic I knew was important. Sometimes someone will rise and speak, and I find that their message speaks to what was on my mind. On other occasions I will fall upon an irresistible focus and energy that forces me to my feet, and I find myself speaking out loud with a message to share with others.
I can’t predict what you will find. I can promise that most likely you will find the experience refreshing and that the period of quiet may be a very welcome place to slow down, turn off your cell phone, and just experience the simple act of “being.” Come and experience it for yourselves!
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