IMYM Faith & Practice, 2009, pp 34-35
Worship by Individuals: Seeking Depth and Knowledge
The history of Friends is not a history of people who waited for First Day to arrive before waiting on God. Stories of the sudden experience of the Divine fill the literature of mysticism and of Quaker lives. Stories of life-long seeking can be found there, as well. A spiritual practice is a vital part of our lives.13 When the only experience we have of silence comes in meeting for worship, our individual needs can so dominate our awareness that we are prevented from being part of the community as we worship. As we deepen our connection to the Spirit through individual practice of spiritual disciplines, our participation in the meeting for worship also deepens. The experience of Friends suggests that the form of the discipline is less important than the fact of it: there is no single path to follow. The movement of the Spirit has not been limited to a flow into Europe out of the Middle East; nor are our exercises limited to those found in that religious history. As in everything else, the Light guides us to a useful practice.
Worship in the Home: Nurturing Spiritual Discipline
From its inception, individuals in the Religious Society of Friends have waited for the Spirit in community and maintained that the highest experience is that of the Spirit uniting the whole community. Worship in each home, whether individually or with spiritual companions, affirms this sense, finding its wholeness in and through the Spirit. In these busy times, when even First Day mornings can seem overscheduled, worship at home provides an opportunity for quiet intimacy under the care of the Spirit.
In the past, Friends’ families worshiped together in the home on a regular basis, and this practice is continued in many households today. This tends to be the most programmed of the various forms of worship covered in this chapter, in part because it provides training for children through adult example. Religious passages may be read and hymns may be sung, providing seeds for centered worship. However the worship begins, it ends with a time of silence and ministry, providing a safe place for children to experience the movement of the Spirit and to share their voices.
