• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Quaker meeting

sandandfoam

Veteran Member
I have found out that there is a Quaker meeting near enough to me about once a month.
On the face of it Quakerism would seem to fit with a lot of my own views, but I have no knowledge of Quaker meetings and am wondering if it would be a good idea to turn up at one?
Anyone here have any experience who could offer me a view?
 

Tarheeler

Argumentative Curmudgeon
Premium Member
I have found out that there is a Quaker meeting near enough to me about once a month.
On the face of it Quakerism would seem to fit with a lot of my own views, but I have no knowledge of Quaker meetings and am wondering if it would be a good idea to turn up at one?
Anyone here have any experience who could offer me a view?

I've never had any contact with them. The Wikipedia page for The Society of Friends
says it can be very different from one group to the other.

I'd say give them a call or try to visit when they're not in service and talk to someone there about it.
It's what I do with the synagogues in my area. I feel really self-conscious just showing up out of the blue.
 

Onkara

Well-Known Member
Did you go, Stephen?

Has anyone reading this been to one frequently enough to tell us more about it?
:)
 

Onkara

Well-Known Member
If you do, I would be interested in your analysis in 2000 words or less ;) :)
I think it is a very liberal way to enjoy Christianity, other than UU which I take is not really "Christian" in its purpose.
 
Last edited:

Nateswift

New Member
Don't be fooled by the term. Most Quaker Meetings will meet weekly and the "Monthly Meeting is a reference to the practice of Meeting for worship in Business that takes place after the weekly Meeting once a month; it is the Quaker term for "local congregation."

In the "unprogrammed Meetings" (programmed Meetings are usually Evangelical Quakers and hard to tell from say Methodists) you would go into the Meeting room at the appropriate time or just before, find a seat and "center down" or consider the purpose of your presence in anticipating the presence of the Spirit with possible leadings from it. The entire Meeting might be silent, or some of the members might feel led to give a message to the group. As a rule, any such ministry would be quietly respected and absorbed rather than responded to immediately. Part of the silence would be discerning whether any "leadings" felt were for you as an individual or meant to share. At the end of the time for "silent worship" a member might stand and signify that the silent meeting is over as led and then usually announcements of general interest would be made and visitors asked if they would like to identify or say something about themselves....no pressure. After that, general fellowship and/or who knows what.
I hope that helps.
 

Onkara

Well-Known Member
Thanks Nateswift
Useful! Is the "Spirit" the holly spirit which enters us or can it be described differently?
 

Straw Dog

Well-Known Member
I have found out that there is a Quaker meeting near enough to me about once a month.
On the face of it Quakerism would seem to fit with a lot of my own views, but I have no knowledge of Quaker meetings and am wondering if it would be a good idea to turn up at one?
Anyone here have any experience who could offer me a view?

Well, the first thing you need to know about us is that oatmeal is a sacrament. You must eat it daily, for both nutritional and holy purposes.

Anyway, there are different main branches ranging from the evangelical and conservative to liberal and universalist. The meetings I attend are on the latter half of the spectrum and unprogrammed.

We practice centering ourselves within that which is. Some folks practice contemplative prayer while others meditate. There's a general understanding that theology and dogma can be obstacles to spiritual communion. It's about experience first and beliefs are just supplemental.
 
Last edited:

Onkara

Well-Known Member
Hi Straw dog
Thanks

Because of the removal of dogma and theology, could a non-christian attend in seriousness, not enforcing their own ideas in turn but for union in worship of One God?
 
Last edited:

Straw Dog

Well-Known Member
Because of the removal of dogma and theology, could a non-christian attend in seriousness, not enforcing their own ideas in turn but for union in worship of One God?

There are a few atheists that attend sometimes, so I imagine they wouldn't hold a god-belief. We have several Buddhists and pagans as well. Most are unitarians, universalists, and/or Christian. After meetings, we have a lunch hour for folks to converse about different views with an open mind.

Personally, I view God as a metaphor representing a certain category of experience transcending intellectual comprehension. Religious mythology is more like an art form rather than a science. It's difficult for fundamentalists and the literal minded to understand this form of worship.
 
Top