Worship
| First Time in
Worship? |
Newcomers to Quaker worship may find it a different experience from
a traditional church service. We have no priest or pastor, nor is
there a formal program of events. We are an 'unprogrammed' meeting.
Instead of a program, we sit, mostly in silence, in rows of chairs
formed in a rough semi-circle. Attenders enter, find a seat of their
liking, and begin worship. For the first 15 minutes, children join
their parents. At the quarter hour (11:15), the children leave and
join age-specific religious education classes for the remainder of
the hour. After worship ends with handshakes at 12:00, we have about
1/2 hour of social time with refreshments. |
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In the quietness of a Quaker meeting those present can become aware of a deep and powerful spirit of love and truth that transcends their ordinary experience. |
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Worship
| Unprogrammed Worship |
Midlothian Friends worship in what is called an 'unprogrammed'
meeting for worship. We have no priest or pastor, nor is there a
formal program of events. We worship in expectant silence, broken
only by messages from those who feel themselves called to share an
experience, thought, or belief that they believe is divinely
inspired and will deepen and enrich the worship.
There are other types of Quaker meetings that practice a
'programmed' or 'semi-programmed' form of worship. This type of
worship combines periods of silence with a more formal program, and
usually has a worship leader. |
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A Quaker meeting is based on
silence, but it is a silence of waiting in expectancy. |
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Worship
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Why no Priest/Pastor/Rabbi? |
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Midlothian Meeting has no paid staff, nor do we have a paid, formal
position occupied by a member of the clergy. However, we have
ministers; each one of us is a minister. We minister to each other. |
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