“How Do Quakers Worship?” Program to be at Newtown Quaker Meeting 

An instructional/experimental session of the Quaker way of worship will be offered at Newtown Quaker Meeting adult class on March 19 at 9:45

Newtown Quakers at the Meetinghouse, 219 Court Street, Newtown, on World Quaker Day 2022 

An instructional/experimental session of the Quaker way of worship will be offered at Newtown Quaker Meeting adult class on March 19 at 9:45 at the Meetinghouse, 219 Court Street. Meeting for Worship in the manner of Friends will begin at 11 a.m. The public is invited.

Quakers believe there is no single creed or statement of beliefs that defines one’s faith or spirituality, and that each person must find his/her own spiritual path. Several elements of faith, however, are common to all Quakers::
• The belief that “there is that of God in everyone” and, therefore, each person is of equal value in the eyes of God,
• The possibility for each person to experience direct, unmediated communion with the Divine,
• A belief in the possibility of continuing revelation, and
• A belief that one’s actions and attitudes are an expression of one’s inward faith.

In a traditional Quaker meeting for worship there are no prescribed rituals, symbols, or “program.” Worship begins in silent meditation, and, if moved to speak, anyone may stand and share a message with those gathered in worship.

The instructional session will be led by members of the Newtown Quaker Meeting Committee on Worship and Ministry. Newtown Quaker Meeting has no paid clergy or staff, and all activities are conducted by volunteers from among its 339 members.

Pat Sherwin of Newtown, Clerk of the Quaker Committee on Worship and Ministry said, “The session on March 19 will be based on “Experiment With Light,” a meditative and centering practice from Rex Ambler’s book, Light to Live By, which describes early Quaker meditative habits and translates them into a highly accessible process of clearness and understanding. The meditation is available online and one can follow the prompts at home. https://experiment-with-the-light.org.uk/”

Sherwin said some of the questions to be addressed are: 
How do we quiet our brains enough to hear the still, small voice within us? 

How might we deepen our experience of meeting for worship? 

Do we have life experiences to work through? Decisions to get clear about?

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 at 9:45 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.

Norval ReeceCommunity Contributor

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