Why come to Quaker meeting for worship?
Tim Gee shares what he finds meaningful about attending Quaker meetings for worship.
The theme for Quaker Week 2026 (26 September – 4 October) is Coming to worship. Opportunities are being planned to welcome newcomers, and gatherings will range from 15 minute 'taster sessions' in public places to a 6 hour worship meeting online with Friends from around the world.
In different countries, Quakers worship in different ways, but in Britain it is usually rooted in silence, from which some people might feel inspired to rise and share what has been inwardly given to them.
If you are considering visiting a Quaker meeting for the first time, it's possible that a question in your mind will be why spend time in worship? I'll try to give some possible answers in this post.
Why come to worship?
One very tangible reason is that it feels good. An hour a week, largely in silence or stillness is very good for wellbeing, whatever the explanations we might give for it. Way back in 1699 early Quaker William Penn observed that silence is to the spirit as sleep is to the body – nourishment and refreshment.
A second is that you can learn. Coming to worship is a bit like the process of learning a musical instrument or another language. It might be a little unfamiliar at first, but with practice, each time you do it you can get more from it, and help others too.
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The inward sense of peace that is nurtured by this form of worship helps strengthen us in turn to work for peace in the world.
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A third is that it is best done with others. Meditation, personal contemplation and thoughtful walks are all also very good and worthwhile things, but a communal Quaker meeting is something else again, because it is shared with other people.
A fourth is that it is exciting. In 1979 Ursula Franklin wrote "I have never lost the enjoyment of sitting in silence at the beginning of meeting, knowing that everything can happen, knowing the joy of utmost surprise; feeling that nothing is pre-ordained, nothing is set, all is open."
This leads to a fifth reason, which is that from the earliest times the central insight of Quakerism, shaped by John 1, is that God can be experienced as an Inward Light, which can calm us, encourage us, teach us and comfort us. Silent, expectant, waiting worship is a logical response to this belief. The inward sense of peace that is nurtured by this form of worship helps strengthen us in turn to work for peace in the world.
Experiencing unity with the Spirit
In trying to explain Quaker meetings, I sometimes say it is a bit like birdwatching: it involves quietly waiting, expecting or hoping to experience something, but never knowing exactly what it will be. Books can help us recognise what we encounter by telling us what others have seen. Sometimes we will see nothing but the peaceful sitting will nevertheless have been a pleasant, peaceful time.
Other times I think of it like gathering in a circle around the rim of a well and slowly (metaphorically) lowering the bucket so that we can drink from the living water within. For this to work we have to believe that there is water in the well. If we don't then we might still have a nice time, but will miss out on what is inside.
And here is the final reason. From the first systematic exposition of Quaker beliefs to our present day book of Faith and Practice, Friends have understood meeting for worship as our version of communion. The peace-filled space also offers opportunity for confession, private prayer, ministry, and even, if only briefly, to experience a sense of unity with the Spirit which is in all. Ultimately it rests on the recognition that where two or three are gathered, Christ is also.
