Jennifer Hubbard, a member of the Worship and Ministry Committee of Newtown Friends Meeting, will lead a discussion on The Living Stream of Quaker Worship: Letting Go and Opening at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, October 11. Following the discussion, there will be worship in the manner of Friends at 11:00 a.m. with people speaking out of silence as they are moved to do so. The public is welcome at all events.
Quaker worship is based on expectant silence, and visitors sometimes wonder what is happening among those sitting in the room, apparently doing nothing. Hubbard, a trained spiritual director, will explore how we move from our busy outward lives into silence and open ourselves to the movement of the Divine Spirit. These inward practices are subtly different from meditation in other traditions. The session will look at what we do when we first enter worship to let go of everyday concerns, and how we can practice letting go during the week to prepare for Sunday. It will also look at how we experience the presence of the Spirit once we have settled in.
Jennifer Hubbard grew up as a pastor’s kid in California during the Jesus movement and moved to the east coast during college where she discovered Quakerism and became a member. She has a bachelor’s degree in English, a graduate level certificate in Christian counseling, and is a certified Spiritual Director. Jennifer and her husband, Greg, live in Newtown and have three young adult children. Jennifer enjoys reading, listening to music, attending concerts, hiking, watching basketball, and traveling.
Newtown Friends Meeting, co-founded by the Quaker artist and minister, Edward Hicks, in 1815, holds services every First Day (Sunday). During the school year, First Day classes for children and adults are at9:45 a.m.and Meeting for Worship is at 11:00 a.m. Professional childcare is provided. All meetings are open to the public and visitors are warmly welcomed.
Submitted by Norval Reece.