Evening star., 1952-04-28
Where President Hoover Sat Alone With God Amid the Friends
By OIeo Jones

on the facing benches. There was
no minister: no choir. 1t was
Sunday morning and the hour
was eleven o'clock.
Prolonged silence prevailed.
Most heads were bowed.
Then a deep, calm voice, of
some one who had arisen near
midway of the Meeting House,
Sowed the seed for meditation
with these words from Psalm 46:
BE still. and know that I am
God"
The place of worship, visited
on a recent Sunday morning, was
the Friends Meeting House, 2111.
Florida avenue NV, near Con-
Inecticut avenue. A Church" of
| the Friends - or Quakers - is
known as a Meeting House."
The word Meeting" came to be
used some 800 years ago. as a.
simple name for any gathering
'of Quakers. It was then that
George Fox, founder of Quakerism,
in England, told the seekers" of
his time:
BE patterns. be examples in
Jail countries, places, islands, ma
Itions, wherever you come, that
your carriage and life may preach
among all sorts of people, and to-
them; then you will come to walk
.cheerfully over the world, answer
ing that of God in every one,
g. your carriage and life"
during weekdays as we'll as Sum-
days, speak louder than your
words, seems basic to Quaker be-
lief.
The seed sown this Sunday
morning by that voice from the
congregation was followed by more
silence. Then another worshipper,
this time from one of the facing
benches, explored further into the
thought.
In simple story he told of how,
in days of old. the angel of the
Lord said to Philip, Arise, and
go out toward the south, unto
the way that goeth down from
Jerusalem unto GAIA. which is
desert" >
He told what happened to.
Philip by his faithfully follow
ing the impulse" the Concern
within; and how by so doing
he came across the Eunuch from
Ethiopia man of great au-
thority"-and how after some
friendly conversation, Philip was
invited to come and sit with the
Eunuch. Eventually it all led to
the Ethiopian embracing a faith
in God.
With deep earnestness the
speaker told of the values that
come from devoutly following
these serious concerns of life, and
in conclusion. he said that ac-
tually "our lives go forward from
one concern to another" and he
urged that we heed these concerns
thoughtfully and actively.
Formal Prayer Unusual.
Although formal prayer is not
usual part of Friends Meetings,
its vocal expression, say men,
bers, is profoundly valuable,
when the spirit of prayer arises
in the hearts and finds ex-
preston in words"
This Sunday morning, ''the
spirit of prayer" arose in the
heart of one of the congregation,
and found expression through his
prayer offered for each individ-
ual. and for each nation around
| the whole world. AS he alone
stood. he prayed for our Presi-
dent, and our leaders: he prayed
also "for Joseph Stain and their
leaders, that they may hear the
voice of God, and follow it"
Then silent prayer seemed to pre-
vail over the Meeting.
| Va CllC oCECA pCI oOAAS VIII SPOhC
all briefly-during the hours
service. one explored the theme
of those familiar words, "I will
lift up mine eyes unto the hills ~
and she urged the need that we
lift up our souls unto God.
Who are the speakers? No one
is introduced and anyone who
wishes to share his thoughts with
others may do so without self
consciousness. Potentially, all are
ministers. Responsibility for the
Meeting is shared by all members
silently or vocally. Everyone de-
cides for himself whether he will
turn his attention when someone
speaks, or continue in his own
silent meditation. Most worship
pers seem to pause from their own
thoughts, to hear another's mes
sage.
A visitor may also wonder what
are those facing benches" They
Academy to Honor