As you enter the building where Meeting for Worship is held, there is normally a Friend to welcome you. You may be given a leaflet explaining what you can expect to happen during the Meeting, which you can take in with you to read. In most Meetings, people sit facing each other. Some Meetings have benches, while others have individual chairs arranged in a circle.

A Quaker Meeting for Worship commences without formality as people gather at the appointed time and take their seats, and usually lasts about an hour. Quaker worship is based on silent contemplation and prayer, and there is no arranged programme or liturgy.

In Meeting for Worship, we sit quietly in an atmosphere of prayerful silence and expectant waiting, trying to listen attentively and patiently for the “still, small voice of God” within. Newcomers may find the silence strange at first; however, as the Meeting settles down, all present can experience a deep and powerful connection that allows each to become aware of God’s presence.

Out of this quiet seeking and listening, some may feel moved to express their thoughts and feelings in words, and may speak, read, sing or pray aloud. We listen carefully to such “vocal ministry”, aiming to receive it in a tender and creative spirit, and recognising that, even if we feel a particular contribution does not speak to us, it may speak to others.  Some minutes should elapse between vocal contributions, to give people time to reflect on what was said. Sometimes there is no vocal ministry, and the time is passed in deep and uniting silence. Gathering in this active spirit of worship and fellowship, we gain insight to see beyond the Meeting itself and to appreciate the deep spiritual connections it fosters. We come to realise that we have truly met with each other in the presence of the Divine.

The end of the Meeting is signalled by two Friends shaking hands. After the Meeting has ended, notices will be read, giving information about special Meetings, discussion groups and any other items of interest. Usually there is coffee or tea after Meeting, when one can chat to whoever is there.

All who wish to attend a Quaker Meeting for Worship are welcome, including children. Children may wish to join other children in Junior Meeting/Sunday School; you should ask whether this is held right from the start, or whether it begins after the children spend some time in Meeting.

You can find a Meeting near you in this list of Meetings and Worship Groups in Ireland Yearly Meeting.

You may find it helpful to read these accounts of two people’s experience of their first Quaker Meeting for Worship: one written in 1890 and another written in this century.

These Meetings can ideally be described as a group mystical experience. The participants settle down in silence, each worshipper striving to make contact with and listen to God. From time to time, one or other feels inspired and divinely compelled to take vocal part, contributing possibly a thought, an experience, a reading or a prayer. The meeting then continues in silence. At the end of a good meeting the members feel refreshed and ready to face the challenges of life.

Stella M B. Webb