You are welcome among Friends

(from the New England Yearly Meeting resources)

At the core of the Quaker faith is our trust that all people can have direct, inward experience of divine love, healing and guidance. We have learned that through responding to this guidance, we can be changed—even transformed—coming to live lives reflecting the Light and Love of God. This is the hope, the invitation and the promise that gathers us as the people called "Friends."

We worship...

...as a community with the understanding that all share the responsibility for ministry. We know that we need one another's help to be faithful. We gather in stillness to listen for how the Holy Spirit might speak within us or through the words of another. Most New England meetings, including Hartford Meeting, practice what we call waiting worship—in which we expectantly wait together in silence for inspired speaking or insight to arise. We seek to embody a practical spirituality in our daily lives, where every interaction can be sacred, and where every person can be a teacher and friend.

We work...

...together with our neighbors to help build a more just, peaceful and sustainable world, where all people are honored as beloved children of God, regardless of nationality, class, race, creed, age, ability, family status, sexual orientation or gender identity, and where humanity lives as a humble, blessed part of the commonwealth of all life.

We welcome...

...you to join us as we walk in this Way together. 

Quaker Meeting for Worship

Hartford Monthly Meeting is what is called an “unprogrammed” meeting. We practice silent worship, which begins in silence, and after about an hour, the silence is broken and everyone exchanges greetings with those seated around them. There is no fixed structure to this period of worship. There are no creeds, hymns or set prayers. There is no minister in charge and no formal service. We are a welcoming and affirming faith community.

How it works

Worship begins when the first person enters quietly, sits down and turns his or her mind toward God. When you are settled comfortably, start to "center" yourself by tuning out the sounds of the world around you and the lively thoughts in your mind. This is not so much a matter of being silent, as of being still.

This is often called “waiting worship.”  Soon you might feel a sense of "gatheredness," an awareness that you're in the midst of a prayerful community. Quakers have always believed that the key to worship is quiet listening and waiting. We try to still the voices of our own minds and thoughts and listen instead to the Spirit, remembering that many messages don't come to us in words. The deepest meetings might be mostly or entirely silent.

Spoken Ministry

In unprogrammed Quaker worship, we seek to put aside the thoughts and cares of everyday life and listen instead for what God might be saying to us, both individually and as a worshipping community. Individuals in worship sometimes feel moved by Spirit to speak out of the silence with a message that is meant for the community.  The spoken ministry that arises out of the silence can come from anyone. No one can tell in advance whether he or she will be moved to speak, but all should be open to the possibility.

Should I speak? How will I know?

If you feel the urge to speak, then a process of discernment or "testing" is necessary.    

·       Wait for a time in silence to see how the insight changes.

·       Ask whether the insight is for the whole meeting or is meant for you alone.

·       Vocal ministry should be motivated by your own religious experience, rather than by a desire to respond to someone else’s message.

·       Be certain that your ministry is spiritual and intended for worship. Personal or social concerns can be shared in other ways.

If, after waiting, you do feel called to minister aloud, remember these guidelines:

·       Please stand if you're able and speak in a clear voice that will carry to the person sitting farthest away from you across the room.

·       Speak briefly and only once. A few heartfelt words are better than a long explanation.

·       Do not speak immediately after someone else. Friends need a chance to absorb the previous message. You might be surprised to find that your message changes during this waiting period – what you eventually say might be quite different from what you expected to say. You might also find that the prompting to speak fades away entirely.

Those who don't participate in vocal ministry serve the meeting through silent prayer and attentive listening. If your reason rejects the words of someone’s message, let your heart find the spirit behind the words. Keep in mind that the message might speak deeply to someone else in the group even though it doesn't speak directly to you.