Have you seen a Quaker Meeting House and wondered what goes on there? Have you been to a Quaker Meeting before? Do you know somebody who’s a Quaker?
‘Quaker’ is a strange name and is often the name used for people who belong to the ‘Religious Society of Friends’.
Are You New to Quakers?
If you wonder what goes on at a Quaker meeting, it really is very simple. The meetings are usually on Sunday mornings, and when people arrive, they sit down quietly on the chairs or benches, facing towards the middle of the room. There is usually a table in the middle with one or two books and often some flowers.
It’s best to arrive and sit down quietly a few minutes before the meeting for worship begins. Usually somebody welcomes visitors at the door. Some meetings may have just a few people, others might have as many as 50 people, especially in cities.
Often you’ll be given a leaflet or a little book which explains what to expect at Quaker meetings, and you can read it to yourself during the meeting.
About Quaker Worship
During the silent meeting for worship, someone might stand and read a passage from a book, or they might speak about something that has affected them: it could be a personal thing, it might be about an issue in the news, something they want to share that has happened to them, or something they’ve read. When they’ve spoken, they sit down and silence falls again, while everyone absorbs and thinks about what they’ve heard.
In due course someone else might stand quietly and speak, or maybe the rest of the meeting will be quiet. Meeting for worship is a time to think and reflect with a group of people who respect each other.
You’ll know it’s the end of the meeting when two of the older Quakers turn to each other and shake hands.
Ann Galbraith, Skye Local Meeting
See also: ‘Can anyone go to a Quaker Meeting?’