We begin by stilling our minds and waiting for the promptings of God, both to ourselves as individuals and to the meeting as a whole. We may pass the whole hour in silence or people may rise to speak, or 'minister', if they are so moved, possibly reading from the Bible or other books on the table. We should always leave a pause for reflection after anyone has spoken. We should not rise to speak near the end of the hour, but finish with some minutes of silence. Although nobody leads the worship, it is left to the elders present to decide when to close the meeting, which is done by shaking hands.
Children usually stay in Meeting for Worship for the first quarter of an hour.
Numbers fluctuate but they are always welcome, and we are usually more relaxed about the noise they make than their parents are. There is always someone on duty to take the children out for their own activities. True silence is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. Return to contents list How We Learn Without Sermons Teaching in a Quaker meeting may be different from what you might expect, because we do not have priests or sermons. It may come through spoken ministry in Meeting for Worship, through insights gained in the gathered silence of Meeting, through discussions in study groups and meetings for enquirers or through informal conversations with other Friends.