,an ,interpretation of                  
,friends ,worship                       
,,by               ,n4 ,,jean ,,toomer  
,device                 ,published by   
,,the ,,committee ,,on ,,religious      
,,education ,,of        ,,friends       
,,general ,,conference  #aeae ,cherry   
,street1 ,philadelphia #b1 ,pa4         
,price twenty-five cents     ,,contents 
,introduction                           
#c   ,worship and ,love                 
#g   ,the ,basis of ,friends ,worship   
and ,other ,inward ,practices      #aa  
,what to ,do in the ,meeting for        
,worship                        #bj     
,questions and ,answers                 
#bh   ,for ,further ,reading            
#ce                                     
,copyright #aidg                        
,friends ,general ,conference           
,transcriber's ,note3      ,extensive   
research did not uncover any evidence   
that the ,u4,s4     copyright on this   
publication was renewed4 ,minor spelling
 and     typographical errors have been 

corrected without note4                 
,,introduction   ,i was not more than   
ten years old when ,i first heard       
mention of the ,quakers4 ,the grown-ups 
of my family were talking among         
themselves1 speaking of an uncle of mine
 who lived in ,philadelphia and operated
 a pharmacy near the university4 ,i had 
never seen this uncle and was curious   
about him1 so my ears were open4        
,presently a reference to the ,quakers  
caught my attention4 ,i wanted to know  
who the ,quakers were4 ,what was told me
 then ,i have remembered ever since4    
,the ,quakers1 ,i was told1 are people  
who wait for the spirit to move them4   
,a picture formed in my mind4 ,many a   
time ,i had seen my grandmother sitting 
quietly1 an aura of peace around her as 
she sewed or crocheted or did her       
beautiful embroidery work4 ,so ,i       
pictured older people1 most of them with
 white hair like my grandparents1 all   
with kindly faces1 gathered in silent   
assembly1 heads bent slightly forward1  

waiting to be moved4 ,it never occurred 
to me that young people1 boys and girls 
of my age and even younger1 might be    
present and participating4  ,as the word
 spirit meant nothing definite to me1 ,i
 could have no idea of just what would  
move the ,quakers1 but ,i had a sense   
that it would be something within them1 
perhaps like the stirrings that         
sometimes moved me1 and ,i may have had 
a vague notion that this something      
within them was somehow related to what 
people called ,god4 ,i never thought to 
ask what the ,quakers might do after    
they were moved4  ,had ,i been invited  
in those days to attend a ,friends      
meeting for worship ,i would have gladly
 gone4 ,i would have gone because my    
picturings had given me good feelings   
about the ,quakers4 ,i would have gone  
because1 young though ,i was1 ,i liked  
to be silent now and again4 ,sometimes  
my best friend and ,i would sit quietly 
together1 happy that we were together   
but not wanting to talk4 ,sometimes ,i  

would go off by myself on walks to look 
at the wonders of nature1 to think my   
own thoughts1 to dream1 to feel         
something stirring in me for which ,i   
had no name4 ,or ,i might withdraw for a
 time from the activities of the boys   
and girls and sit on the porch of our   
house1 my outward eyes watching them at 
play1 my inward eyes turned to an inner 
life that was as real to me1 and        
sometimes more wonderful than my life   
with the group4  ,certain experiences ,i
 had when alone1 certain experiences ,i 
had with my young friends1 attitudes and
 feelings that would suddenly arise in  
me at any time or place--these made up  
the mainstream of my religious life4    
,such religion as ,i had was            
life-centered1 not book-centered1 not   
church-centered4 ,it arose from the well
 of life within me1 and within my       
friends and parents4 ,it arose from the 
well of life within nature and the human
 world4 ,it consisted in my response to 
flowers1 trees1 birds1 snow1 the smell  

of the earth after a spring rain1       
sunsets and the starry sky4 ,it         
consisted in my devotion to pet rabbits 
and dogs1 and to some interest or       
project that caught my imagination4  ,i 
had been taught several formal prayers4 
,one of these ,i said every night1      
regularly1 before getting into bed4 ,but
 ,i am thinking of the unformed prayers 
that welled up in me whenever ,i had    
need of them4 ,i had been read some     
stories from the ,bible and some of the 
psalms1 and from these ,i had doubtless 
gained attitudes of reverence4 ,but ,i  
am thinking of the worship that         
spontaneously arose as ,i beheld the    
wonders of the world which ,god created4
 ,young eyes are new eyes1 and to new   
eyes all things are fresh1 vivid1       
original4  ,it is sometimes asked if    
children and young people are capable of
 the religious life4 ,certainly they are
 not capable of sustained effort towards
 an unswerving aim4 ,certainly they     
cannot hold themselves to a consistent  

discipline4 ,they cannot engage in the  
religious life as a conscious way of    
living4 ,these abilities come only as we
 grow up and subject ourselves to       
training4 ,but1 just as certainly1 young
 people do have religious experiences1  
and these often are more vivid and      
glowing than those of the elders4 ,that 
is it--children can glow4 ,they can     
light up4 ,this capacity to glow is at  
the very heart of what we are talking   
about4  ,to be sure1 people young and   
old need instruction4 ,we need          
instruction in the ,bible1 in poetry1 in
 all literature that contains truth and 
beauty4 ,we need to be helped to        
struggle against our faults1 to overcome
 our imperfections4 ,and we need to be  
curbed on occasion1 as the only way in  
which we may eventually become able to  
curb ourselves4 ,but it should not be   
forgotten that all people1 especially   
young people1 have poetry in them4 ,and1
 more than that1 according to the faith 
of the ,friends all people have within  

them something of the very spirit that  
created the scriptures4  ,religious     
education1 it seems to me1 is on the    
wrong track if it assumes that religion 
is something that must be drilled into  
people4 ,it is on the right track if it 
recognizes that the source of religion  
is within us as a native endowment1 and 
that the function of education is to    
call this endowment forth1 supply it    
with the nourishment it needs in order  
to grow1 and guide it in ways that      
promote maturing4 ,people should have   
reason to be assured that formal        
religion is not contrary to the springs 
of innate religious experience and      
longing1 but is in accord with the life 
and light within1 and simply seeks to   
direct and develop this spiritual life4 
,had a ,friend approached me in those   
days with some such understanding and   
assurance1 and had ,i been able to      
understand what he said1 ,i would have  
had still another reason1 and this a    
compelling one1 for attending a meeting 

for worship4 ,and so ,i would have gone4
 ,i'd have sat there with the others1   
feeling much at home1 perhaps feeling ,i
 was in a holy place4 ,i'd have sat as  
quietly as any for the first ten or     
fifteen minutes4 ,i would not have      
worshiped in any formal sense1 for ,i   
had not been taught any form4 ,but ,i   
would have practiced my kind of         
inwardness1 thinking my own thoughts as 
,i did when alone1 dreaming wonderful   
dreams1 feeling a life stir within me4  
,had there been a spoken message or two1
 ,i would have listened attentively1    
tried to understand1 and honestly       
responded4  ,presently1 however1 ,i     
would have begun to fidget4 ,not knowing
 what ,i should try to do in a meeting  
for worship1 ,i would have had nothing  
to fall back on when my thoughts ran    
out1 no purpose for curbing my          
increasing restlessness4 ,through the   
windows my eyes would have caught sight 
of the world outdoors1 and ,i'd have    
wished ,i were out there having fun with

 the boys4 ,time would have dragged4    
,i'd have asked myself1 ,will the       
meeting never end8 ,and when finally it 
did end1 ,i'd have been as glad for the 
ending as ,i had been for the beginning4
  ,what should we try to do in a meeting
 for worship8 ,what do we hope to attain
 through it8 ,why is silence desirable8 
,what is the main idea behind the       
,friends manner of worship8 ,it is true 
that ,quakers wait for the spirit to    
move them4 ,why wait8 ,wouldn't it be   
better just to go ahead8 ,besides       
waiting1 what more is to be done8 ,can  
we not pray and worship when we are     
alone1 or as we go about our daily      
affairs8 ,why is it necessary to meet   
together8 ,what is worship8  ,these are 
not questions that you answer once and  
for all4 ,you continue to think about   
them and continue to increase your      
understanding4 ,but it helps us to think
 if we put our thoughts in order and    
study the thoughts of others4 ,so ,i am 
going to write down some of the thoughts

 that have come to me4 ,we shall think  
about worship and the central faith of  
the ,friends1 and let the answers come  
as they may4     ,,worship ,,and ,,love 
,worship is the action of the spirit4   
,it springs up from our depths1 as love 
does4 ,it is a form of love1 and just as
 desirable1 and just as necessary to    
human life at its fullest and highest4  
,to worship is an innate need of man4   
,it is not imposed upon us from the     
outside1 though the way we sometimes go 
about it may make it seem an imposition4
  ,suppose you are hungry4 ,no one has  
to tell you to eat4 ,no one has to force
 you to take food4 ,suppose you are in  
love4 ,must you be told to think of the 
person you are in love with8 ,must you  
be forced to yearn for the loved one8   
,worship is a hunger of the human soul  
for ,god4 ,when it really occurs1 it is 
as compelling as the hunger for food4   
,it is as spontaneous as the love of boy
 for girl4 ,if we feel it1 no one needs 
tell us we should worship4 ,no one has  

to try to make us do it4 ,if we do not  
feel it1 or have no desire to feel it1  
no amount of urging or forcing will do  
any good4 ,we simply cannot be forced1  
from the outside1 to worship4 ,only the 
power within us1 the life within1 can   
move us to it4  ,but others can guide   
our preliminary efforts4 ,they can help 
us to prepare to worship4 ,such         
preparation1 as ,rufus ,jones has said1 
is the most important business in the   
world4 ,others can provide conditions1  
such as the ,friends meeting for        
worship1 thanks to which the desire to  
worship may spring up and grow4 ,the    
meeting for worship came into existence 
because the early ,friends were         
powerfully moved to worship together and
 meet the spiritual needs of one        
another4 ,i use the word needs4 ,their  
spiritual needs were more dynamic than  
ours--or theirs--for food and shelter4  
,neither threats of violence nor active 
persecution could keep them away from   
their meetings4  ,why is it that some of

 us would rather go to a movie1 or      
listen to the radio1 or see a ball game1
 or read an exciting book8 ,one reason1 
it must be acknowledged1 is because our 
meetings today are sometimes dull and   
unliving4 ,we assemble in our meeting   
houses1 but nothing happens4 ,a related 
reason is that many of us have not yet  
awakened spiritually4 ,our bodies are   
active4 ,our minds are alert4 ,but not  
our spirits4 ,such awakening1 however1  
will come in due time1 if we encourage  
it1 if we do our part to prepare for it1
 if we live honestly and are true to    
ourselves1 face life with clear eyes1   
and continue growing4  ,the main reason 
why we do not worship1 or do not want   
to1 is that ,god is not yet sufficiently
 real to us4 ,he is not as real to us as
 our human father4 ,his power is not as 
real to us as the power of man's brain  
and muscles1 as steam power1 as         
electricity4 ,worship expresses man's   
relationship to ,god4 ,how then can we  
worship if we are not aware of this     

relationship1 if the main party to it is
 unreal to us8  ,some people speak of   
worshiping things that are not of ,god4 
,god being unreal to them1 their        
relation to ,him being unrecognized1    
they turn to what is real to them1 and  
engage in various so-called worships3   
money-worship1 hero-worship1            
ancestor-worship1 the worship of        
material power and machines1 the worship
 of political ,states and their rulers4 
,these are false worships4 ,god is the  
sole object of genuine worship--,god and
 ,his power which ,he manifests to us as
 love1 light1 and wisdom4  ,all forms of
 true worship arise from an experience  
of the fact of ,god1 from the           
realization that ,god is4 ,men such as  
,george ,fox and ,john ,woolman had     
their first experiences of ,god early in
 life4 ,most of us come to the          
experience gradually and later on1 if at
 all4 ,what are we to do meanwhile8     
,most religions offer formal official   
statements of what they believe ,god to 

be4 ,they say what ,god's nature is1 and
 set forth ,his attributes4 ,friends    
make no such pronouncement2 and ,i1 for 
one1 am glad there is none4 ,man's words
 about ,god cannot substitute for a     
first-hand experience of the living     
reality4 ,friends are directed to seek  
for the reality within themselves4      
,meanwhile1 we are called upon to have  
faith that ,god exists and that it is   
possible for us to meet with ,him4 ,we  
are called upon to prepare ourselves for
 this supreme experience4 ,we are urged 
to try to sense ,god's presence1 daily  
to practice ,his presence4 ,by such     
practice1 if we persevere1 we shall     
surely come to have a convincing        
experience4  ,worship is our response to
 ,god's reality1 a reality which is1 to 
be sure1 within men1 but which also is  
the radiant foundation of the entire    
universe4 ,in trying to worship1 we turn
 ourselves ,godwards4 ,we yearn for ,him
 and endeavor to know ,his will4 ,our   
lives are pointed toward ,him4 ,if1 and 

as we succeed1 we make contact with     
,god1 and by this contact ,he is made   
real to us4 ,when ,he becomes real to us
 we spontaneously love ,him4  ,can we   
see a sunset without responding to its  
beauty8 ,can we witness those we love1  
in their goodness to us1 without being  
touched and moved8 ,can we hear the     
voice of our best friend on the phone   
without eagerly listening and eagerly   
replying8 ,be sure1 then1 that when we  
come into ,god's presence we will be    
touched and moved beyond our greatest   
expectation4  ,nothing so deters us from
 wanting to worship as the notion that  
worship is unliving4 ,if it is unliving 
it is not worship4 ,if it seems dull1   
tedious or difficult1 it is because we  
are not truly worshiping4 ,we are1      
perhaps1 preparing ourselves to worship4
 ,there are difficulties to be overcome 
in the preparatory stages4 ,or1 we are  
but assuming the appearance of worship1 
there being no life1 no yearning within1
 we being more dead than alive inside4  

,indeed it is dull and tedious to hold  
the posture1 if it is not backed up by a
 quickening life of the spirit4  ,true  
worship is a living experience4 ,by and 
through it we enter into a life so      
vital1 so vivid1 so large and glorious  
that1 by comparison1 our life of        
ordinary activities seems narrow1 dull1 
dead4 ,by bodily action the body comes  
alive4 ,by mental action the mind comes 
alive4 ,so by spiritual action the      
spirit comes alive4 ,worship is         
spiritual action4 ,by means of it our   
spirits awake1 mature1 and grow up to   
,god4  ,all human beings1 except those  
who have been badly damaged by man's    
inhumanity to man1 are moved to love4   
,some love animals1 some flowers4       
,others love the sea or farm lands or   
mountains4 ,some love truth1 some love  
beauty4 ,all of us want and need to love
 and to be loved by our families and    
friends1 and we would be happy were we  
able to love all people everywhere4 ,to 
love and be loved is a universal human  

urge4 ,is it any wonder1 then1 that we  
are moved to seek ,god's love8 ,it is   
inevitable that we should desire this   
supreme form of love4 ,the ,first       
,commandment expresses our innermost    
desire as well as ,god's will4  ,there  
is nothing incredible about our wanting 
to love and to be loved by ,god4 ,the   
incredible fact is that it can actually 
happen1 does happen4 ,some day we will  
experience it4 ,then our doubts will    
end4 ,then we will worship ,god through 
love of ,him4  ,here is what two        
religious men of advanced spiritual     
development had to say of their         
experiences4 ,george ,fox wrote1 ,the   
word of the ,lord came to me1 saying1   
',my love was always to thee1 and thou  
art in my love4' ,and ,i was ravished   
with the sense of the love of ,god4     
,brother ,lawrence wrote1 ,you must know
 that the benevolent and caressing light
 of ,god's countenance kindles          
insensibly within the soul1 which       
ardently embraces it1 a divine and      

consuming flame of love1 so rapturous   
that one puts curbs upon the outward    
expression of it4  ,it is to this divine
 love that we are called4 ,this is the  
high promise of man's life4 ,we are     
called away from indifference1 from     
meanness1 malice1 prejudice and hate4   
,we are called above the earthly loves  
that come and go1 and are unsure4 ,we   
are called into the deep enduring love  
of ,god and man and all creation4       
,worship is a door into that love4 ,once
 we have entered it1 our every act is a 
prayer1 our whole life a continuous     
worship4     ,,the ,,basis ,,of         
,,friends ,,worship ,,and ,,other       
,,inward ,,practices   ,some people     
believe that whereas ,god's nature is   
divine1 man's nature is depraved4 ,god  
is good1 but men are evil4 ,god1        
according to this view1 exists in       
heaven1 remote from us4 ,we exist in    
sin1 remote from ,him1 in hell or next  
door to it4 ,human beings are completely
 separated from the ,divine ,being4 ,the

 only possible connection between men   
and ,god is that brought about by the   
mediation of the church and its         
authorized officials4 ,friends have     
never held this view4  ,friends1        
beginning with ,george ,fox1 realized   
that something of ,god dwells within    
each and every human being1 and that1   
therefore1 ,he is reachable by us       
through direct contact1 and we are      
within ,his reach1 subject to ,his      
immediate influence4 ,this is the       
well-known basis of ,friends worship4   
,since ,god is within us1 ,friends turn 
inward to find ,him4 ,this is not a     
matter of choice or inclination2 it is a
 matter of necessity4 ,turning inward1  
we turn away from all externals4        
,friends practice inwardness4 ,rufus    
,jones writes1 ,the religion of the     
,quaker is primarily concerned with the 
culture and development of the inward   
life and with direct correspondence with
 ,god4  ,some number of ,friends in the 
early days of the movement not only     

sought ,god but found him1 though it    
would perhaps be better to say were     
found by him4 ,it was because they found
 ,god that they had such living worship1
 such vital meetings4 ,it was because   
they truly worshiped and had vital      
meetings that they progressively        
discovered ,god and came increasingly   
within his power4 ,the one led to the   
other4 ,without the one we cannot have  
the other4  ,that there is that of ,god 
in every man was1 as already implied1   
more than a belief or a concept with the
 early ,friends4 ,it was an experience4 
,it was a recovery of the living ,deity4
 ,as he made and continued to make this 
recovery in himself1 ,george ,fox went  
about his apostolic work and laid the   
foundation of what came to be the       
,society of ,friends4 ,what did ,fox aim
 for8 ,how did he regard his ministry8  
,let him answer in his own words4 ,i    
exhorted the people to come off from all
 these things 7from churches1 temples1  
priests1 tithes1 argumentation1 external

 ceremonies and dead traditions71 and   
directed them to the spirit and grace of
 ,god in themselves1 and to the light of
 ,jesus in their own hearts1 that they  
might come to know ,christ1 their free  
,teacher4  ,pointing as they do to the  
basis of ,friends worship1 these several
 considerations do not1 of themselves1  
throw light on the reason for certain   
other inward practices4 ,the basis of   
these other practices is1 unfortunately1
 less simple and less well-known4 ,why  
is there need of particular occasions   
for prayer and worship8 ,why need we    
gather together and sit quietly8 ,why   
practice waiting before ,god8 ,if ,he is
 in us1 why does ,he not manifest to us 
continually1 why does ,his power not    
always motivate our actions8 ,why do we 
have to practice ,his presence1 and why 
is this practice so difficult8 ,to      
answer these questions we are forced to 
adopt a somewhat complex and            
non-habitual view of the situation4     
,suppose we are approached by a person  

of inquiring mind who says1 ,you say    
that there is that of ,god in every man4
 ,all right1 ,i am prepared to accept   
that as truth4 ,but precisely where in  
us does the divine spark exist8 ,is it  
in our bodies8 ,is it in our ordinary   
minds and everyday thoughts and         
emotions8 ,do you mean to say that ,god 
exists in ignorance1 in man's prejudices
 and hatreds1 in human evil8 ,how will  
we reply8 ,obviously ,god does not exist
 in our trivial actions1 nor in our     
godless thoughts and feelings4          
,certainly ,he does not exist in our    
ignorance and evil4 ,but these things   
exist in us4 ,they constitute a part of 
us4 ,this part of us1 then1 is separated
 from ,god1 while another part is       
related to ,him4 ,insofar as we identify
 with the separated part and believe it 
to be ourselves1 we exist divorced from 
that of ,god in us4  ,the attitude1 in  
brief1 is this4 ,there is that of ,god  
in every man4 ,therefore man1 in his    
entirety1 is not separated from ,god4   

,but man is divided within1 and against1
 himself1 into two different and        
opposing aspects1 and one of these      
aspects is separated from ,god4 ,this is
 my view of the situation4 ,if ,i       
understand the writings of the early    
,friends1 this was their view of the    
situation4  ,the early ,friends had     
names for the part of us that is        
separated from ,god4 ,they called it the
 natural man1 the earthly man4 ,i shall 
sometimes refer to it as the body-mind  
or the separated self4 ,the early       
,friends called the part of us that is  
related to ,god and in which ,god dwells
 the spiritual man1 the new birth1 the  
new creation4 ,i shall sometimes call it
 the inner being1 the spiritual self4   
,it is of course the separated self that
 presents the problem4 ,it obstructs our
 attempts to relate ourselves to ,god   
and to our fellow men4 ,it interferes   
with worship as well as with love4 ,it  
is because of this self that we do not  
pray and love as naturally as we        

breathe4 ,the separated self stands in  
the way4 ,therefore it must be overcome4
 ,for divine as well as genuinely human 
purposes it must be subdued and         
eventually left behind4 ,every real     
religious practice1 whether of ,friends 
or of others1 either directly or        
indirectly aims to enable human beings  
to transcend the separated self in order
 that we may be united with the         
spiritual self or being which is near   
,god because ,he dwells therein4  ,in   
the light of these facts we can         
understand the need and the purpose of  
certain specific inward practices1 such 
as the practice of contending with      
oneself 7,isaac ,penington called it    
lawful warring7 and the practice of     
gathering silently and waiting upon     
,god4 ,since the separated self exists1 
and is an obstruction1 we must contend  
with it4 ,we contend with it so as to   
remove it and1 at the same time1        
activate the spiritual nature4          
,gathering in silence and waiting upon  

,god is necessary for the same reason1  
and is another means to the same end4   
,more will be said of this presently4   
,the early ,friends1 while proclaiming  
the good news that there is a spiritual 
man in each and all of us1 that ,god    
dwells in this part of human beings and 
is1 for this very reason1 close even to 
the earthly man1 regarded the earthly   
man as unregenerate1 sinful1 blind and  
dead to the things of the spirit4 ,only 
by rising above the earthly aspect of   
ourselves can we pass from sin into     
righteousness1 from death to life1 from 
that which exists apart from ,god into  
that which exists as part of ,god4 ,only
 by yielding to ,god's power can the    
earthly man be regenerated4 ,to the     
degree that this happens1 we are unified
 with our spiritual natures4 ,thus we   
are mended and made whole4 ,what        
formerly was a separated and contrary   
part1 becomes the instrument of         
expression of the resurrected spiritual 
being4  ,if the earthly man is dead to  

the things of the spirit1 then1 as long 
as he remains so1 he obviously can      
neither truly pray nor truly worship4   
,nor can we1 as long as we remain       
identified with him4 ,should he try to  
pray1 he but prays according to his own 
ignorant and faulty notions4 ,should he 
try to worship1 he but worships in his  
own will1 not according to the will of  
,god4 ,robert ,barclay called this kind 
of worship will-worship4  ,will-worship 
was what the ,friends condemned and     
tried to avoid4 ,they aimed for true    
spiritual worship4 ,they wanted to      
worship ,god by and through the workings
 of ,his spirit and power in their      
spiritual beings4 ,how were they to     
fulfill this aim8 ,what1 specifically1  
were they to do8 ,try1 by all available 
means1 to quiet and subdue the earthly  
man1 to lay down his will1 to turn the  
mind to ,god4 ,but1 having done this1   
they found that something more was      
wanted4 ,they discovered1 as you and ,i 
have or will1 that it is one thing to   

still our habitual thoughts and motions1
 but quite another to cause the         
spiritual self to arise4 ,by our own    
efforts we can subdue the body-mind to  
some extent4 ,few of us1 by our efforts 
alone1 can activate our spiritual       
natures in a vital and creative way4 ,we
 need ,god's help4 ,we need the help of 
one another4 ,but ,god's help may not   
come at once4 ,our help to each other1  
even though we are gathered in a meeting
 for worship or actively serving our    
fellow men outside of the meeting1 may  
be and often is delayed as regards our  
kindling one another spiritually4 ,what 
are we to do in this case8 ,there is    
only one thing we can do--wait4 ,having 
done our part to overcome the separated 
self1 we can but wait for the spiritual 
self to arise and take command of our   
lives4 ,having brought ourselves as     
close as we can to ,god1 we can but hold
 ourselves in an attitude of waiting for
 ,him to work ,his will in us1 to draw  
us fully into ,his presence4  ,so the   

early ,friends engaged in silent        
waiting1 humble yet expectant waiting1  
reverent waiting upon the ,lord1 that   
they might be empowered by ,him to help 
one another and to render to ,him the   
honor and the adoration which1 as       
,robert ,barclay said1 characterizes    
true worship2 that ,his power might come
 over them and cover the meeting2 that  
,he might bring about the death of the  
old1 the birth of the new man4  ,friends
 waited1 both in and out of meeting4    
,they waited for ,god to move them1     
quicken them to life1 make them ,his    
instruments4 ,they waited for the power 
of ,god to do its wonder-work1 lifting  
up the part of them that was akin to    
,him1 gracing them with the miracle of  
resurrection4 ,waiting preceded worship4
 ,waiting prepared for worship1 and the 
springing up of new life4 ,by waiting   
they began worshiping4 ,the stillness of
 the meeting house1 the silence of the  
lips1 the closed eyes and composed faces
 were the tangible signs of the         

preliminary period of waiting4  ,it is  
instructive and reassuring to note how  
frequently1 among the early ,friends1   
the practice of waiting did have the    
desired sequel4 ,this seeming inactivity
 led to spiritual action4 ,out of this  
chrysalis what a life was born6 ,god    
found them in the silence4 ,blessed and 
renewing experiences came to ,friends1  
experiences which enabled them to be    
agents of the divine spirit in every    
situation of human life4 ,it is         
instructive because it points us1 of    
this day1 to a religious practice that  
is effective4 ,it is reassuring because 
from it we may have sound hope that1 if 
we rightly and faithfully engage in this
 and other inward practices1 we may     
reach and even surpass the high level of
 religious experience and service       
attained by ,friends in the days when   
the ,quaker movement really moved4 ,in  
our present-day lives and meetings there
 can be soul-shaking events4 ,the ,light
 can invade us4 ,truth can take hold of 

us4 ,love may gather us4 ,above all1    
,god himself may become real to us as   
the supreme ,fact of the entire         
universe4  ,we of this modern age are   
inclined to be more lenient in our views
 of the earthly man4 ,we are disposed to
 consider him a moderately decent fellow
 except when under the active power of  
evil4 ,this makes us more tolerant1 less
 intense4 ,it makes us more likely to   
indulge our fondness for the earthly    
world and its things and pleasures1 less
 moved to seek ,god and ,his ,kingdom4  
,nevertheless if we examine our         
experience we shall recognize           
characteristics of the earthly man that 
are similar to those seen by the early  
,friends4 ,the outside world has changed
 considerably in three hundred years1   
but man's constitution is much the same 
now as then in all essential respects4  
,the earthly man1 whether we regard him 
as good1 bad1 or indifferent1 is        
evidently an exile from ,god's kingdom4 
,our body-minds1 namely our everyday    

persons1 are out of touch with our      
spiritual natures most of the time1     
hence out of touch with ,god4 ,we1 as   
ordinary people1 are not by inclination 
turned towards ,god1 but1 on the        
contrary1 are turned away from ,him4    
,day in and day out we do not even think
 of the possibility of loving ,god and  
doing ,his will1 but think of ourselves1
 and are bent to enact our own wills1   
have our own way4 ,whether we1 as       
earthly men1 can truly pray and worship 
is a question about which there is      
likely to be disagreement4 ,but who will
 deny that when we are absorbed in our  
affairs1 as we are most of the time1 we 
do not pray or worship8 ,recognition of 
these several facts will lead us to a   
position similar to that of the early   
,friends1 and point us to the same needs
 as regards what we must do if we would 
truly pray and worship1 and1 indeed1    
truly live4 ,we too must endeavor to    
subdue the body-mind and turn the mind  
,godwards4 ,we too must try to overcome 

the separated self and re-connect with  
our spiritual natures4 ,we too must     
practice waiting4 ,we too must strive to
 attain the ,quaker ideal so well       
expressed by ,douglas ,steere1 to live  
from the inside outwards1 as whole men4 
,when compared with bodily action1 what 
could seem more inactive than waiting   
upon ,god8 ,the modern world asks1      
,where will that get you8 ,young people 
say1 ,we want action4 ,yet1 as we have  
seen1 it was precisely through this and 
other apparently inactive means that the
 early ,friends came into a power of    
whole action that surpasses anything    
that we experience today4 ,we say we are
 activists1 but often lack the spiritual
 force to act effectively4 ,they said   
they were waiters1 and frequently acted 
as moved by ,god's light and love4 ,i   
think that we in this age of decreasing 
inner-action1 of ever increasing outer  
activity1 have a profound lesson to     
learn from the early ,friends4 ,we had  
best learn it now1 and quickly1 lest the

 faith and practices of the ,friends    
become so watered that they lose their  
character and flow into the activities  
of which the world is full1 and are     
absorbed by them1 and ,friends cease to 
be ,friends4 ,i do not say we should go 
back to the old days4 ,that is          
impossible4 ,let us move forward1 as we 
must if we are to move at all4 ,but let 
us build upon those foundations1 not    
scrap them4 ,let those past summits show
 us how high men can go1 with ,god's    
help4  ,friends are by no means the only
 ones who realize that the body-mind    
presents a problem2 that1 in its usual  
state1 it is an obstacle to worship and 
to all forms of the religious life4     
,friends are not alone in recognizing   
that when the separated self is         
uppermost and active1 the spiritual self
 is submerged and passive1 and that we  
are called upon to reverse this4 ,all   
genuine religious people1 whatever the  
religion1 have recognized the problem   
and have endeavored to solve it in one  

way or another4 ,generally speaking1    
there are two ways of dealing with the  
situation4 ,one way consists of the     
attempt to lift the body-mind above its 
usual condition1 so that it may be      
included in the act of worship4 ,the    
body-mind is presented with sight of    
religious symbols4 ,it is given sound of
 religious music and of specially       
trained speakers called priests or      
ministers4 ,it participates in rituals1 
ceremonies1 sacraments4 ,this way may be
 effective4 ,when it is1 the body-mind  
actually is lifted above its usual      
state1 the spiritual nature is evoked4  
,but when this way is not effective it  
merely results in exciting the body-mind
 and gives people the illusion that this
 excitation is true worship4 ,or it may 
result in a sterile enactment of outward
 forms4  ,the other way is just the     
opposite4 ,it consists of the effort to 
reduce the body-mind below its usual    
state1 so that it will not interfere    
with worship4 ,all externals are        

dispensed with4 ,no religious symbols   
are in view4 ,no music is provided1 no  
rituals1 no appointed speakers4 ,the    
external setting is as plain as         
possible1 so that the body-mind may be  
more readily quieted4 ,internally1 too1 
the attempt is to remove all causes of  
excitement1 all of the ordinarily       
stimulating thoughts1 images1 desires4  
,the one thought that should be present 
is the thought of turning ,godward1     
seeking ,him1 waiting before ,him4 ,this
 way may be effective4 ,when it is1 the 
body-mind is subordinated and ceases to 
exist as the principal part of man4 ,the
 spiritual nature is activated and      
lifted up4 ,when1 however1 this way is  
not effective1 it merely produces       
deadness4  ,in both cases the test is   
this3 ,does the spiritual nature arise8 
,friends have chosen the way of subduing
 the body-mind1 of excluding it from    
worship except insofar as it may act as 
an organ of expression of the risen     
spirit4 ,having chosen this way1 we are 

called upon to do it effectively1       
creatively4 ,if we succeed--and we      
sometimes do--our inner life is         
resurrected1 the whole man is           
regenerated1 and a living worship       
connects man with ,god4 ,but if we      
fail--and we often do--the spiritual    
nature remains as if dead1 and1 on top  
of this1 we pile a deadened body-mind4  
,what should be a meeting for worship1 a
 place where man and ,god come together1
 becomes a void4 ,there is no life1 only
 a sterile quietism4 ,sterile quietism  
is as bad as sterile ritualism4         
,sterility1 in whatever form1 is what we
 want to avoid4 ,creativity is what we  
must recover--aliveness1 growth1 moving1
 wonder1 reverence1 a sense of being    
related to the vast motions of that     
ocean of light and love4     ,,what ,,to
 ,,do ,,in ,,the ,,meeting ,,for        
,,worship   ,definite periods for       
worship should be established because1  
constituted as we are1 worship does not 
occur as naturally as it might1 and at  

all times4 ,unless we set aside         
regularly recurring times1 many of us   
are not likely to worship at any time4  
,we appoint times and places so that we 
may do what something deep in us yearns 
to do1 yet which we all too rarely      
engage in because most often we are     
caught up in the current of contrary or 
irrelevant events4 ,set times of worship
 not only aid us to worship at those    
times but at others too2 and1 of course1
 the more often we try to worship at    
other times1 the more able we become to 
make good use of the established        
occasions4  ,among the people of our    
day1 ,mahatma ,gandhi is an outstanding 
example of applied religion4 ,it might  
seem that he1 of all people1 would feel 
no need of special times of prayer2 yet 
this is not the case4 ,there are        
appointed times each day when he and    
those around him engage in prayer4      
,whenever possible he attends a ,friends
 meeting for worship4 ,the following    
quotation from the ,friends             

,intelligencer gives his view of this   
matter4 ,discussing the question whether
 one's whole life could not be a hymn of
 praise and prayer to one's ,maker1 so  
that no separate time of prayer is      
needed1 ,gandhi observed1 ',i agree that
 if a man could practice the presence of
 ,god all the twenty-four hours1 there  
would be no need for a separate time of 
prayer4' ,but most people1 he pointed   
out1 find that impossible4 ,for them    
silent communion1 for even a few minutes
 a day1 would be of infinite use4  ,each
 of us individually should daily prepare
 for worship and1 now and again1 go off 
by himself in solitude4 ,fresh stimulus 
and challenge are experienced when a man
 puts himself utterly on his own and    
seeks to come face to face with his     
,god4 ,aloneness may release the spirit4
 ,so may genuine togetherness4 ,group or
 corporate worship is also necessary    
because1 as already mentioned1 we need  
each other's help to quiet the          
body-mind1 to lay down the ordinary     

self1 to lift up the spiritual nature4  
,many a person finds it possible to     
become still in a meeting for worship as
 nowhere else4 ,peace settles over us4  
,many a person is inwardly kindled in a 
meeting for worship as nowhere else4    
,the creative forces begin to stir4     
,when a number of people assemble       
reverently1 and all engage in similar   
inward practices with the same aim and  
expectancy1 life-currents pass between  
them2 a spiritual atmosphere is formed2 
and in this atmosphere things are       
possible that are impossible without it4
 ,more particularly1 we may have        
opportunity in a meeting for coming     
close to a person more quickened than we
 are4 ,by proximity with him or her we  
are quickened4 ,it is true that in a    
,friends meeting the responsibility for 
worship and ministry rests upon each and
 every member2 but it is also true that 
,friends1 like others1 must somewhat    
rely for their awakening upon those who 
are more in ,god's spirit and power than

 the average4 ,we minimize an essential 
feature of our meetings if we fail to   
recognize the role of the sheer presence
 of men and women who are spiritually   
more advanced than most and are able to 
act as leaven4  ,the meeting for worship
 should begin outside of the meeting    
house1 on our way to it4 ,as we enter   
the house1 we would do well to remind   
ourselves of the meaning of worship1 the
 significance of corporate worship1 the 
possibility of meeting with ,god4 ,be   
expectant that this may happen in this  
very gathering4 ,lift up the mind and   
heart to the ,eternal ,being in whom we 
have brotherhood4 ,the hope is that by  
these initial acts we will put ourselves
 in the mood of worship and kindle a    
warmth of inner life that will continue 
throughout the meeting and give         
spiritual meaning to all subsequent     
efforts4  ,settle into your place as an 
anonymous member of an anonymous group4 
,if you have come to have a reputation  
among people1 forget this and become    

anonymous4 ,if you have not made a name 
for yourself1 forget this4 ,the         
opportunity to practice anonymity is a  
precious one4 ,the meeting for worship  
would be of great value if it did no    
more than make this practice possible4  
,if you are accustomed to feel yourself 
important in the eyes of men1 lay it    
down and feel only that you and others  
may have some importance in the eyes of 
,god4 ,if you feel unimportant1 lay this
 down4 ,if articulate or inarticulate1  
forget this4 ,lay aside all your worldly
 relationships and your everyday        
interior states4 ,in fine1 forget       
yourself4 ,surrender yourself4 ,immerse 
yourself in the life of the group4 ,this
 is our chance to lose ourselves in a   
unified and greater life4 ,it is our    
opportunity to die as separated         
individuals and be born anew in the life
 and power of the spirit4 ,seek1 in the 
words of ,thomas ,kelly1 to will your   
will into the will of ,god4  ,quiet and 
relax the body4 ,we should try to quiet 

its habitual activity1 to relax it from 
strain1 yet not over-relax it4 ,though  
relaxed it should not become limp or    
drowsy4 ,it must be kept upright1 alert1
 wakeful4 ,what we desire is a body so  
poised and at rest that it is content to
 sit there1 taking care of itself1 and  
we can forget it4  ,still the mind1     
gather it1 turn it steadfastly towards  
,god4 ,this is more difficult4 ,it is   
contrary to the mind's nature to be     
still4 ,it is against its grain to turn 
,godwards4 ,left to itself it goes on   
and on under its own momentum1 roaming1 
wandering4 ,it thinks and pictures and  
dreams of everything on earth except    
,god and the practice of ,his presence4 
,even those who developed great aptitude
 for taking hold of the mind and turning
 it to ,god found it difficult and even 
painful in the beginning4 ,if we expect 
it to be easy and pleasant we shall be  
easily discouraged after a few trials4  
,brother ,lawrence warns us that this   
practice may even seem repugnant to us  

at first4  ,the mind of an adult is more
 restive and all over the place than the
 body of a child4 ,how are we to curb   
its incessant restlessness and stay it  
upon prayer and worship8 ,how restrain  
its wanderings and point it to the mark8
 ,how take it away from its automatic   
stream of thoughts and focus it on ,god8
 ,only by effort1 practice1 repeated    
effort1 regular practice4 ,it requires  
life-long preparation and training4 ,we 
cannot hope to make much progress if we 
attempt to stay the mind only on        
,first-days during meeting4 ,we must    
make effort throughout the week1 daily1 
hourly4  ,it is by stilling the         
body-mind that we center down4 ,put the 
other way1 it is by centering down that 
we still the body-mind4 ,i would judge  
that all ,friends have in common the    
practice of centering down4 ,this is our
 common preparation for worship4 ,from  
here on1 however1 each of us is likely  
to go his individual way1 no two ways   
being alike4 ,this is the freedom of    

worship which has ever been an integral 
part of the ,friends religion4 ,we are  
not called upon to follow any fixed     
procedure4 ,this is creative4 ,the      
individual spirit is set free to find   
its way1 in its own manner1 to ,god4    
,yet it leaves some of us at a loss to  
know what to do next4 ,some of us are   
not yet able to press on4 ,we are unsure
 of the inward way1 and our available   
resources are not yet adequate to this  
type of exploration4 ,we need hints from
 others1 suggestions1 guides4 ,to meet  
this need1 a number of ,friends have    
written of what they do after they      
center down4 ,among these writings may  
be mentioned ,douglas ,v4 ,steere's ,a  
,quaker ,meeting for ,worship1 and      
,howard ,e4 ,collier's ,the ,quaker     
,meeting4 ,in the same spirit ,i would  
like to indicate what ,i do4  ,once ,i  
have centered down ,i try to open       
myself1 to let the light in4 ,i try to  
open myself to ,god's power4 ,i try to  
open myself to the other members of the 

meeting1 to gain a vital awareness of   
them1 to sense the spiritual state of   
the gathering4 ,i try so to reform      
myself inwardly that1 as a result of    
this meeting1 ,i will thereafter be just
 a little less conformed to the         
unregenerate ways of the world1 just a  
little more conformed to the dedicated  
way of love4  ,i encourage a feeling of 
expectancy4 ,i invite the expectation   
that here1 in this very meeting1 before 
it is over1 the ,lord's power will      
spring up in us1 cover the meeting1     
gather us to ,him and to one another4   
,though meetings come and go1 and weeks 
and even years pass1 and it does not    
happen1 nevertheless ,i renew this      
expectation at every meeting4 ,i have   
faith that some day it will be          
fulfilled4 ,we should be bold in our    
expectations1 look forward to momentous 
events4 ,we should not be timid or small
 but large with expectancy1 and1 at the 
same time humble1 so that there is no   
egotism in it4  ,i kindle the hope that1

 should the large events not be for me  
and for us this day1 some true prayer   
will arise from our depths1 some act of 
genuine worship4 ,i hope that at the    
least ,i will start some exploration or 
continue one already begun1 make some   
small discovery1 feel my inward life    
stir creatively and expand to those     
around me4  ,having aroused my          
expectancy1 ,i wait4 ,i wait before the 
,lord1 forgetting the words in which ,i 
clothed my expectations1 if possible    
forgetting myself and my desires1 laying
 down my will1 asking only that ,his    
will be done4 ,in attitude or silent    
words ,i may say1 ,i am before thee1    
,lord4 ,if it be thy will1 work thy love
 in me1 work thy love in us4  ,o wait1  
wrote ,isaac ,penington1 wait upon ,god4
 ,be still a while4 ,wait in true       
humility1 and pure subjection of soul   
and spirit1 upon ,him4 ,wait for the    
shutting of thy own eye1 and for the    
opening of the eye of ,god in thee1 and 
for the sight of things therewith1 as   

they are from ,him4  ,sometimes1 while  
waiting1 a glow steals over me1 a warmth
 spreads from my heart4 ,i have a chance
 to welcome the welling up of reverence1
 the sense that ,i am in the presence of
 the sacred4 ,sometimes1 though rarely1 
the practice of waiting is invaded by an
 unexpected series of inner events which
 carry me by their action through the   
meeting to the end4 ,i feel ,god's      
spirit moving in me1 my spirit awakening
 to ,him4  ,more often ,i come to have  
the sense that ,i have waited long      
enough for this time4 ,to forestall the 
possibility of falling into dead        
passivity1 ,i voluntarily discontinue   
the practice of waiting and turn my     
attention to other concerns4 ,i may     
summon to mind a vital problem that     
confronts me or one of my friends1      
trying to see the problem by the inward 
light1 seeking the decision that would  
be best4 ,i may bring into consciousness
 someone ,i know to be suffering4 ,this 
may be a personal acquaintance or       

someone whose plight ,i have learned of 
through others1 or people in distress   
brought to my attention by an article in
 a newspaper or a magazine4 ,i call to  
him or them in my spirit1 and suffer    
with them1 and pray ,god that through   
their suffering they will be turned to  
,him1 that by their very pain they may  
grow up to ,him4  ,hardly a meeting     
passes but what ,i pray that ,i and the 
members of the meeting and people       
everywhere may have this experience3    
that our wills be overcome by ,god's    
will1 that our powers be overpowered by 
,his light and love and wisdom4 ,and    
sometimes1 though again rarely1 ,i find 
it possible to hold my attention1 or1   
rather1 to have my heart held1 without  
wavering1 upon the one supreme reality1 
the sheer fact of ,god4 ,these are the  
moments that ,i feel to be true worship4
 ,these are the times when the effort to
 have faith is superseded by an         
effortless assurance born of actual     
experience4 ,god's reality is felt in   

every fibre of the soul and brings      
convincement even to the body-mind4  ,i 
would not give the impression that what 
,i have described takes place in just   
this way every time1 or that it happens 
without disruptions1 lapses1 roamings of
 the mind1 day-dreams4 ,frequently ,i   
must recall myself1 again still the mind
 and turn it ,godwards1 again practice  
waiting4 ,all too often ,i awake to     
find1 no1 not that ,i have been actually
 sleeping1 but that ,i might as well    
have been1 so far have ,i strayed from  
the path that leads to ,god and         
brotherhood4 ,and ,i must confess1 too1 
that during some meetings ,i have been  
buried under inertia and deadness and   
unable to overcome them4 ,having meant  
nothing to myself1 it is not likely that
 my presence meant anything to the      
others4 ,my body was but an object1     
unliving1 filling space on a bench4 ,it 
would have been better for others had ,i
 stayed away4 ,a dead body gives off no 
life2 it but absorbs life from others1  

reducing the life-level of the meeting4 
,as ,i am one of those who are sometimes
 moved to speak in meetings1 ,i may     
indicate how this happens in my case4   
,first let me say what ,i do not do4 ,i 
never try to think up something to say4 
,i am quite content to be silent1 unless
 something comes into my mind and ,i am 
moved to say it1 or unless ,i sense that
 the meeting would like to hear a few   
living words4 ,in this latter case1 ,i  
may search myself to see what may be    
found2 and by this searching ,i may set 
in motion the processes which discover  
hidden messages4  ,i never go to the    
meeting with an itch to speak1 though it
 sometimes happens to me1 as to others1 
that ,i am moved to speak before        
arriving at the meeting house4 ,even so1
 ,i usually restrain the urge until we  
have had at least a short period of     
silent waiting before ,god4 ,one is vain
 indeed if he thinks that his words are 
more important than this waiting4 ,if ,i
 have not been moved to speak before    

arriving1 such an impulse1 if it comes  
at all1 is likely to arise after ,i have
 been waiting a while4 ,it arises within
 my silence4 ,an insight or             
understanding flashes into my mind4 ,a  
prayer or a pleading or a brief         
exhortation comes upon me4 ,i hold it in
 mind and look at it1 and at myself4 ,i 
examine it4  ,is this a genuine moving  
that deserves expression in a meeting   
for worship1 or had ,i best curb and    
forget it8 ,may it have some real       
meaning for others1 and is it suited to 
the condition of this meeting8 ,can ,i  
phrase it clearly and simply8 ,if it    
passes these tests1 ,i regard it as     
something to be said but ,i am not yet  
sure it should be said here and now4 ,to
 find out how urgent it is1 ,i press it 
down and try to forget it4 ,if time     
passes and it does not take hold of me  
with increased strength1 ,i conclude    
that it is not to be spoken of at this  
time4 ,if1 on the other hand1 it will   
not be downed1 if it rebounds and       

insists and will not leave me alone1 ,i 
give it expression4  ,if it turns out   
that the words were spoken more in my   
own will than in the power1 ,i feel that
 egotistical-,i has done it1 and that   
this self-doing has set me apart from   
the other members of the meeting4 ,i am 
dissatisfied until again immersed in the
 life of the group4 ,but if it seems    
that ,i have been an instrument of the  
power1 ,i have the feeling that the     
power has done it and has1 by this very 
act1 joined those assembled even closer4
 ,having spoken1 ,i feel at peace once  
again1 warmed and made glowing by the   
passage of a living current through me  
to my fellows4 ,with a heightened sense 
of fellowship with man and ,god1 ,i     
resume my silent practices4  ,i never   
speak if1 in my sense of it1 spoken     
words would break a living silence and  
disrupt the life that is gathering      
underneath4 ,but ,i have on occasion    
spoken in the hope of breaking a dead   
silence4 ,spoken words should arise by  

common consent4 ,the silence should     
accept them4 ,the invisible life should 
sanction them4 ,the members of the      
meeting should welcome them and be      
unable to mark exactly when the message 
began and when it ends4 ,the message    
should form with the silence a seamless 
whole4  ,if the message be a genuine    
one1 the longer ,i restrain it the      
better shaped it becomes in my mind and 
the stronger the impulse to express it4 
,a force gathers behind it4 ,presently1 
however1 ,i must either voice it or put 
it from my mind completely1 lest it     
dominate my consciousness overlong and  
rule out the other concerns which should
 engage us in a meeting for worship4 ,it
 is good when a message possesses us4   
,our meetings need compelling           
utterances4 ,but it is not good when a  
message obsesses us to the exclusion of 
all else4 ,this is a danger which       
articulate people1 particularly those   
like myself who have much dealing with  
words1 must avoid4 ,we miss our chance  

if we do not use the meeting for worship
 as an opportunity to dwell in the      
depths of life far below the level of   
words1 rising to the surface only when  
we are forced to by an upthrust of the  
spirit which seeks to unite the surface 
with the depths and gather those        
assembled into a quickened sense of     
creative wholeness--each in all and all 
in ,god4     ,,questions ,,and ,,answers
   ,,what ,,moves ,,us ,,to ,,pray ,,and
 ,,worship8 ,sometimes we are moved by a
 quickened sense of a sacred ,presence4 
,prayer and worship are our spontaneous 
responses as we awaken to ,god's        
unutterable radiance and wonder4        
,sometimes we are moved by a realization
 that1 left to ourselves1 we are        
inadequate1 that apart from ,god we are 
insufficient4 ,realizing that our       
knowledge is insufficient1 we turn to   
,god's light and wisdom4 ,and there are 
those who pray and worship as a         
conscious means of growing up to ,god   
and becoming firmly established in ,his 

kingdom4  ,,why ,,do ,,not ,,more       
,,people ,,pray8 ,why do not all of us  
worship more often8 ,many lack a        
quickened sense of a sacred ,presence4  
,though aware of material things1 they  
are inert to the things of the spirit4  
,they wait to be spiritually awakened4  
,most of us persist in feeling that we  
are self-sufficient4 ,we feel we are    
adequate for all ordinary affairs1 and  
it is only when we find ourselves in    
overpowering situations that we         
recognize we are not self-sufficient1   
and may then turn to ,god4 ,but when the
 crisis passes we are likely to lapse   
into an assumption of self-sufficiency4 
,,why ,,do ,,not ,,the ,,leaders ,,of   
,,nations ,,turn ,,to ,,god8 ,did not   
the recent war1 does not the present    
chaos of the world show them that their 
powers and knowledge are inadequate8 ,it
 would seem that the leaders1 despite   
all evidence to the contrary1 still     
believe that their own powers and       
politics are enough to prevent war and  

to secure an ordered and peaceful world4
  ,,when ,,will ,,the ,,people ,,learn8 
,,when ,,will ,,the ,,leaders ,,learn8  
,i do not know1 but for the sake of     
mankind ,i hope we learn soon4 ,the     
people of all nations would do well to  
suspend their ordinary affairs for an   
hour each day1 and1 in concert1 turn    
their minds and hearts steadfastly      
towards ,god4 ,the purpose of           
regeneration would be better served in  
this one hour than in all the other     
hours of the day4  ,,is ,,the ,,meeting 
,,for ,,worship ,,based ,,on ,,silence8 
,no4 ,friends know that it is not1 yet  
some ,friends have fallen into the habit
 of saying that it is4 ,jane ,rushmore  
brought out this point in one of our    
meetings of ,ministry and ,counsel4 ,she
 reminded us that the meeting for       
worship is based on the conviction that 
we can directly communicate with ,god1  
and ,he with us4 ,silence1 we believe1  
is a necessary means to such communion4 
,for if we are busy with our own talk1  

,god will not speak to us4 ,stillness is
 a necessary condition for practicing   
the presence of ,god4 ,for if we stir   
about in our own wills1 ,god will not   
move us4 ,in the meeting for worship we 
try to obey the command1 ,be still1 and 
know that ,i am ,god4 ,god is the goal4 
,a living silence is a means thereto4   
,recently ,i was visited by three young 
,friends1 thirteen years of age4 ,they  
had some problems to talk over4 ,i asked
 if they felt they knew what to do in   
the meeting for worship4 ,their happy   
confidence that they did know was a     
pleasant surprise1 as ,i have found many
 ,friends1 young and old1 who are in    
need of suggestions and guides4 ,i asked
 these three what they did in the       
silence4 ,after some hesitancy1 one     
brightened and replied1 ,i talk over my 
problems with ,god4 ,i told her that was
 a splendid thing to do4 ,for young     
people of thirteen or thereabouts1 it is
 enough that they talk over their       
problems with ,god1 or engage in some   

other simple and sincere exercise4 ,for 
some older people one or two simple     
practices are enough4 ,i am in sympathy 
with those who would worship in         
simplicity of mind and heart4 ,but      
others are in need of more1 and the     
preceding chapter tries to speak to this
 need4 ,whatever the means used1 the    
important thing is that we spiritually  
awake and come alive during the meeting 
for worship even more than at other     
times4  ,,who ,,should ,,speak ,,in     
,,the ,,meeting ,,for ,,worship8 ,anyone
 who is genuinely moved to4 ,age has    
nothing to do with it1 though older     
people may be more able because of      
longer practice4 ,education has nothing 
to do with it1 though education may     
facilitate verbal expression4 ,the      
essential matter is the inward          
prompting1 under ,god's guidance4 ,the  
,book of ,discipline says1 ,our         
conviction is that the ,spirit of ,god  
is in all1 and that vocal utterance     
comes when this ,spirit works within us4

 ,the varying needs of a meeting can be 
best supplied by different              
personalities1 and a meeting is enriched
 by the sharing of any living experience
 of ,god4  ,,what ,,are ,,we ,,to ,,do  
,,if ,,we ,,feel ,,genuinely ,,moved    
,,to ,,speak ,,but ,,are ,,inhibited    
,,by ,,the ,,fear ,,of ,,not            
,,expressing ,,ourselves ,,well8 ,attend
 to what you have to say4 ,put your mind
 on that1 and take it off yourself4 ,do 
not be concerned that your speech may be
 halting and imperfect4 ,do not compare 
yourself with others1 thinking that they
 speak fluently1 you poorly4 ,be        
concerned to communicate4 ,summon up    
your courage and break the ice4 ,try4   
,if you can once overcome an inhibition1
 you have broken its hold4 ,it will     
still be there1 but you can overcome it 
more readily the next time4 ,keep       
trying4  ,it is true that some people   
seem born with the facility to speak1   
but it is also true that the ability1   
like other abilities1 is developed by   

practice4 ,most of those who speak well 
now1 began with embarrassment1          
self-consciousness1 and an imperfect    
command of words4 ,friends can be       
counted on to understand if at first    
your thoughts and feelings are not      
expressed as well as they might be4     
,they will attend more to what you are  
trying to say than to how you say it4   
,here again the ,book of ,discipline    
gives wise counsel4 ,one who is timid or
 unaccustomed to speak should have faith
 that ,god will strengthen him to give  
his message4  ,,when ,,should ,,we      
,,speak ,,in ,,the ,,meeting ,,for      
,,worship8 ,whenever we are moved to4   
,we may be moved to speak near the      
beginning1 midway1 or towards the end4  
,the important thing is not the time but
 the moving4 ,however1 as ,rufus ,jones 
once pointed out1 it sometimes helps if1
 once we are really settled1 something  
is said that lifts the spirit1 that     
raises us above our worldly problems and
 gives impetus to our search for the    

indwelling divinity4  ,,what ,,should   
,,be ,,spoken ,,of ,,in ,,the ,,meeting 
,,for ,,worship8 ,this question will be 
answered for us1 inwardly1 if we are in 
the spirit of the meeting1 if the       
meeting is in ,god's spirit4 ,we may    
speak of spiritual things4 ,we may speak
 of daily affairs and events1 if these  
are given a spiritual interpretation4   
,we may speak of world problems1 if     
these are seen in the light of religion4
 ,anything that comes from the heart is 
proper and acceptable4 ,we will not go  
wrong if we keep in mind the central    
purpose of the meeting for worship1 and 
are striving to fulfill this purpose4   
,let your heart respond to the need of  
our meetings for a vital ministry4 ,open
 yourself and accept1 should it come to 
you1 the call to an inspired ministry4  
,,should ,,messages ,,come ,,one ,,after
 ,,the ,,other ,,in ,,rapid             
,,succession8 ,no4 ,there should be a   
due interval between them1 a living     
silence in which the spirit works deep  

below the level of words4 ,messages     
should arise from the silence and return
 to it4 ,of course there are times when 
one message arises from another4 ,even  
so1 there should be pauses between them 
during which the creative forces may    
operate in unexpected ways4 ,restraint  
of speech improves both the speech and  
the silence4 ,read what ,thomas ,kelly  
has to say of spoken words in his       
pamphlet1 ,the ,gathered ,meeting4      
,but more frequently some words are     
spoken4 ,i have in mind those           
meeting hours which are not dominated by
 a single sermon1 a single              
twenty-minute address1 well-rounded out1
 with all the edges tucked     in so    
there is nothing more to say4 ,in some  
of our meetings we may     have too many
 polished examples of homiletic         
perfection which lead     the rest to   
sit back and admire but which close the 
question     considered1 rather than    
open it4 ,participants are converted    
into     spectators2 active worship on  

the part of all drifts into passive     
reception of external instruction4 ,to  
be sure1 there are gathered             
meetings1 which arise about a single    
towering mountain peak of a     sermon4 
,one kindled soul may be the agent      
whereby the slumbering     embers within
 are quickened into a living flame4     
,but ,i have more particularly in mind  
those hours of worship in which     no  
one person1 no one speech stands out as 
the one that made the     meeting1 those
 hours wherein the personalities that   
take part     verbally are not enhanced 
as individuals in the eyes of others1   
but     are subdued and softened and    
lost sight of because in the language   
of ,fox1 ,the ,lord's power was over    
all4 ,brevity1 earnestness1             
sincerity--and frequently a lack of     
polish--characterizes the best          
,quaker speaking4 ,the words should rise
 like a shaggy crag upthrust     from   
the surface of silence1 under the       
pressure of river power and             

yearning1 contrition and wonder4 ,but on
 the other hand the words     should not
 rise up like a shaggy crag4 ,they      
should not break the     silence1 but   
continue it4 ,for the ,divine ,life who 
was ministering     through the medium  
of silence is the same ,life as is now  
ministering     through words4 ,and when
 such words are truly spoken in the     
,life1     then when such words cease   
the uninterrupted silence and worship   
continue1 for silence and words have    
been of one texture1 one piece4         
,second and third speakers only continue
 the enhancement of the     moving      
,presence1 until a climax is reached1   
and the discerning head     of the      
meeting knows when to break it4  ,,what 
,,are ,,we ,,to ,,do ,,if ,,some        
,,friends ,,are ,,sometimes             
,,over-,,vocal ,,about ,,matters ,,that 
,,are ,,hardly ,,the ,,proper ,,concern 
,,for ,a ,,meeting ,,for ,,worship8 ,how
 are we to regard those who do not      
always speak acceptably to us1 or are   

overlong in their words1 or who get up  
and repeat what we have heard them say  
again and again8 ,instead of viewing    
them as objects of criticism1 separated 
from you1 try to feel them as being     
together with you in a common life1 and 
pray that the ,creator of this life may 
make all expressions living expressions4
 ,do not let your resentment build up1  
but increase your humility by           
recognizing that the faults that others 
display may well be your own4  ,,how    
,,are ,,we ,,to ,,manage ,,the          
,,occasional ,,rustlings ,,and ,,noises1
 ,,within ,,and ,,without ,,the         
,,meeting1 ,,that ,,threatens ,,to      
,,distract ,,us ,,and ,,draw ,,us ,,away
 ,,from ,,worship8 ,here ,douglas       
,steere has a helpful practice4 ,try to 
include these distractions in one's     
worship4 ,instead of attempting to      
exclude them1 weave them into your      
efforts to practice the presence of     
,god4 ,read what ,douglas ,steere has to
 say of this in ,a ,quaker ,meeting for 

,worship4      ,but again and again     
before ,i get through this far in prayer
 my mind     has been drawn away by some
 distraction4 ,someone has come in late4
     ,two adorable little girls who are 
sitting on opposite sides of their      
mother are almost overcome by delight in
 something which is much too     subtle 
to be comprehended by the adult mind1   
the drafts in the coal     stove need   
readjusting1 how noisy the cars are out 
on the highway     today1 the wind howls
 around the corner and rattles the old  
pre-revolutionary glass in the window   
sashes4 ,do these rude     interruptions
 destroy the silent prayer8 ,well1 there
 was a time when     they did1 and there
 are times still when they interfere    
somewhat1     but for the most part1 ,i 
think they help4 ,the late-comers stir  
me to     a resolve to be more punctual 
myself--a fault ,i am all too well      
aware of--and ,i pass directly on to    
prayer1 glad that they have come        
today4 ,the little girls remind me of   

the undiscovered gaiety in     every    
cell of life that these little          
bon-vivants know ever so     well1 and  
they remind me too that a meeting for   
worship must be made     to reach these 
fierce-eyed nine- and ten-year-olds1 and
 ,i pass on4 ,i     get up and open the 
draft in the coal stove4 ,sometimes ,i  
pray the     distractions directly into 
the prayer--swift1 hurrying life of     
which these humming motors are the      
symbol--pass by at your will--,i        
seek the still water that lies beneath  
these surface waves1 or the     wind of 
,god is always blowing but ,i must hoist
 my sail1 and proceed     with my       
prayer4  ,,what ,,are ,,we ,,to ,,do    
,,when ,a ,,meeting ,,is ,,unliving8    
,suffer it4 ,continue to do your part to
 contribute to the life4 ,continue to   
pray that ,god will quicken the meeting1
 shake it awake4 ,suppose you yourself  
are heavy with inertia and feel more    
dead than alive4 ,the only way to       
overcome inertia is to become active4   

,since1 in a meeting for worship1 our   
bodies are still1 the only positive     
action is inner-action4 ,we have already
 considered several inward practices    
that facilitate inner-action4 ,engage in
 one or more of these with renewed      
determination4 ,see your deadness as a  
challenge and resolve not to be overcome
 by it but to overcome it4 ,struggle    
against it4 ,persist in the act of      
turning your mind and heart ,godwards4  
,kindle your expectancy4 ,wait before   
the ,lord4 ,think of ,him4 ,pray ,him to
 send ,his life into you1 and into the  
meeting1 and into the people of the     
world4 ,should these inward practices   
prove of no avail1 ,i sometimes fall    
back on this device4 ,there is always in
 us some theme that the mind wants to   
think of1 some fear1 some desire1 some  
problems1 some situation1 some prospect4
 ,though the theme is not a fit one for 
a meeting for worship1 ,i let my mind   
run on about it4 ,once the mind is well 
started on this topic1 ,i switch it and 

transfer its momentum to one of the     
practices that prepare for worship4     
,,how ,,should ,,we ,,come ,,to         
,,meeting8 ,reluctantly8 ,no4 ,burdened 
by a feeling of obligation to attend8   
,no4 ,expecting something dull and      
tedious8 ,no6 ,if a meeting evokes only 
dullness in its members it is a dead    
meeting and ought to be laid down4 ,a   
live meeting evokes life4 ,just the     
prospect of attending such a meeting    
should quicken us4 ,it were better to   
come alive doing housework than to      
become deadened in a meeting house4     
,come with the expectancy that1 as you  
make effort to turn yourself ,godwards1 
the life deep within you will arise1 and
 meet you half-way1 and call you1 and   
draw you1 gather you into ,god's        
presence4 ,come with the hope that the  
,teacher within will teach you of       
spiritual things4 ,come with the        
expectancy that as you meet with other  
,friends1 in this very gathering you and
 they will be shaken awake by the impact

 of ,god's power1 and made to tremble1  
and become actual ,quakers4 ,come with  
the prayer that one and all may be      
brought through the very ocean of       
darkness and death1 by the eternal1     
glorious power of ,christ1 into the     
ocean of light and love4  ,,what        
,,should ,,we ,,do1 ,,in ,,and ,,out    
,,of ,,meeting1 ,,in ,,our ,,periods    
,,of ,,worship ,,and ,,in ,,our ,,daily 
,,lives8 ,practice the presence of ,god4
 ,practice1 as far as we are able1 the  
love of ,god and the love of man and all
 creation4 ,but let ,george ,fox declare
 it to us1 as he declared it to the     
early ,friends and to people of all     
ranks and conditions in two continents4 
,all people must first come to the      
,spirit of ,god in themselves1 by which 
they might know ,god and ,christ1 of    
whom the prophets and apostles learnt2  
by which ,spirit they might have        
fellowship with the ,son1 and with the  
,father1 and with the ,scriptures1 and  
with one another2 and without this      

,spirit they can know neither ,god nor  
,christ1 nor the ,scriptures1 nor have  
right fellowship one with another4      
,,for ,,further ,,reading   ,books  ,,an
 ,,apology ,,for ,,the ,,true           
,,christian ,,divinity by ,robert       
,barclay  ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,discipline
 ,,of ,,the ,,religious ,,society ,,of  
,,friends  ,,creative ,,worship by      
,howard ,h4 ,brinton  ,,the ,,faith     
,,and ,,practice ,,of ,,the ,,quakers by
 ,rufus ,m4 ,jones  ,,the ,,journal ,,of
 ,,george ,,fox  ,,the ,,letters ,,of   
,,isaac ,,penington  ,,prayer ,,and     
,,worship by ,douglas ,v4 ,steere  ,,the
 ,,quaker ,,ministry by ,john ,william  
,graham  ,,the ,,quaker ,,way ,,of      
,,life by ,william ,wistar ,comfort     
,,the ,,rise ,,and ,,progress ,,of ,,the
 ,,people ,,called ,,quakers by ,william
 ,penn  ,,silent ,,worship1 ,,the ,,way 
,,of ,,wonder by ,l4 ,violet ,hodgkin   
,a ,,testament ,,of ,,devotion by       
,thomas ,r4 ,kelly  ,,testimonies ,,and 
,,practice ,,of ,,the ,,society ,,of    

,,friends by ,jane ,p4 ,rushmore        
,,worship ,,and ,,the ,,common ,,life by
 ,eric ,hayman   ,pamphlets  ,,penn',s  
,,advice ,,to ,,his ,,children  ,,the   
,,practice ,,of ,,the ,,presence ,,of   
,,god by ,brother ,lawrence  ,,the      
,,quaker ,,meeting by ,howard ,e4       
,collier   ,leaflets  ,,the ,,gathered  
,,meeting by ,thomas ,r4 ,kelly  ,,going
 ,,to ,,meeting by ,leonard ,s4         
,kenworthy  ,a ,,quaker ,,meeting ,,for 
,,worship by ,douglas ,v4 ,steere