This, the last presentation, deals with Quaker worship and Quaker
business procedure. In the previous talks some relation of the local scene
to the past has been shown, and this is again possible. However,
Plainfield Meeting has some relation to Robert Barclay who is frequently
quoted when referring to worship in the manner of Friends, particularly
when discussing this with people who are experiencing the traditional
Friends worship far the first few times. To some of us materialists the
name Barclay rings familiarly in our ears - this being one of the world's
largest banks with a branch office in New York City, of course. You
guessed it all right: Robert Barclay was an outstanding banker 300 years
ago; he was a relative and close friend of James II, and as such originally a
Roman Catholic. He became one of the three most eminent of Fox'
followers; about another you have heard previously, namely, William Penn,
son of Admiral Penn; the third one was Isaac Penington, son of a one-time
Lord Mayor of London.
As a banker, Robert Barclay, a Scotsman, was one of the Quakers who
bought from Lord Carteret the Province of East Jersey in 1682, and though
its first Governor for life, he was an absentee governor. You will
remember from the first talk that his deputy governor, also a Quaker,
came to Amboy and there set up in his home a Meeting far Worship which
is considered the forerunner of the present Plainfield Meeting where we
are gathered. Robert Barclay, a man of outstanding education, upon
becoming a Quaker in 1667, wrote during 1674 and 1675 in Latin, what is
now known as his "Apology" and what was originally entitled "Theses
Theologicae" addressed "To the Clergy of what sort soever, unto whose
hands these may come; but more particularly to the Doctors, Professors,
and Students of Divinity". With all this explanation about this co-proprietor and governor of East Jersey where we are living. I come finally
to the quotation about one of his first experiences among the Quakers.
He wrote: "When I came into the silent assemblies of God's people, I felt a
secret power among them, which touched my heart; and as I gave way
unto it I found the evil weakening in me and the good raised up." I wonder
whether any of the present generation have the same feeling upon
attending their first Quaker Meeting for Worship. During the past 300
years the forms and content of worship in the manner of Friends have
changed considerably, a change which seems to have accelerated in the
last 20 to 30 years.
The stranger, likely to be shy, should be advised to "came right into the
Meeting - don't stay at the fringes unless you must"; this is meant
physically as well as spiritually, for it is helpful to leave seats near the
back and at the ends of rows to late-comers, thus at so assuring a physical
proximity of all attenders. And to be right in the Meeting would avoid
being an onlooker rather than a participant. All of us have experienced
that nobody specially chosen will start the Meeting or conduct it. It is in
our hands, everyone present shares the responsibility for worship and
shares its blessing. Ordinarily it will take some time to get settled
comfortably, to be relaxed, and to begin gradually the transition from the
bustle of the outside world to the quiet of the Meeting - not to be mindful
of trains roaring on the tracks alongside, nor of the boom of motorcycles
or sports cars on the street, little by little we become less aware of noise
and more aware of silence. Yet it is natural that the silence may use us,
turn us away from worship, bringing our mind to the foreground, as to what we have to do or what we forgot to
do, household chores, business problems, etc. To avoid such intrusion
of worldly thoughts, right preparation for worship is justified. If we have
our radio or television blaring at us Sunday morning during dressing or
breakfast, and if we read the newspaper before going to Meeting, our
minds may be subjected to influences that do not create a worshipful
mood within us. In an exaggerated way, one could say that preparation
for Meeting begins at the close of the last Meeting! Quakerism is a daily
religion, not just a Sunday morning experience.
There are some Friends who think that any previous preparation for
Meeting indicates a lack of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. The
barren coldness of some gatherings may be due to the fact that Friends
have come to worship from habit, but are unprepared for our particular
spiritual exercise. The traditional Quaker form of worship seems to be
one of the most spiritually difficult within Christianity. Therefore,
Meetings for Worship after the manner of Friends vary considerably in
content, cultural level and religious quality and experience. Often they are
attended by quite small numbers; large gatherings have been found
difficult at times. The complete freedom of utterance for all, old and
young, men and women, knowledgeable and uninstructed in Quaker ways,
leads some people to think that a Quaker Meeting is an open platform to
give forth their philosophy or political ideals. It is said that the first
edition of a well-known book on forming personality and developing
speaking techniques suggested that the student may go to a Quaker
Meeting House where open forums are held!
One hour in Quaker Meeting can be a long time if one has no resources
within - one should not come with an empty mind. There is a Query
asking: "Do you faithfully come to our Meetings for Worship, with heart
and mind prepared?" But that does not mean that one prepares a message
which one plans to give that morning, or brings a news clipping along to
be read, whether or not it fits the particular exercise before the Meeting.
In other words, the sermon must not be prepared, but the person who
ministers must be prepared and that will differ greatly according to the
temperament and activities of the individual. It is just as well to be ready
for silent or vocal ministry. But one thing is certain: one should never go
to Meeting for Worship determined either to speak or not to speak. One
may carry a particular message in one's mind until such time as one feels
the right prompting has come. For the scientifically-minded or those of us
who seek psychological reasons for the peculiar worship in the manner of
Friends, let me quote from a chapter of an English book headed
"Exaltation of Intellectual Powers":
"The process of thinking consists in
holding the mind still and allowing thoughts to arise into it from the
depths. ... If the mind is not kept in the correct state, it will wander to all
kinds of irrelevant matters. Inspiration does not come from effort; on the
contrary, it comes often when least expected, and especially when the
mind is at ease. Inspiration is nothing more than the sudden awareness
... of the silent voice within "
Thus speaks the scientist, Thomas Kelly,
the Quaker mystic of this century, called it "from the depths of the soul",
and the Psalmist centuries ago phrased the well-known words: "Be still,
and know that I am God."
Originally the ministry in a Friends Meeting was prophetic in nature.
Nowadays it is more a teaching or an informative ministry; it seems that
almost any subject can be mentioned at Meeting for Worship. How far ministry in
Meeting for Worship should include reference to daily affairs and events is
a question that cannot be easily decided. It is perhaps a matter of
proportion. A good guide may be: "Is mention of this political or social
issue worshipful or just an expression of my personal opinions and
principles?" We may speak of world problems, if these are seen in the
light of religion. Anything that comes from the heart seems proper and
acceptable, as Friends draw no fixed line between the secular and the
sacred. But let us not be so detailed and lengthy that nothing seems left
to be said - a brief message giving direction for corporate search is
preferable to one exhausting the theme and - perhaps turning off the
listeners! It is also better not to be pessimistic and negative, but rather
optimistic and positive. The affirmative is so much stronger and more
desirable. The controlling factor in ministry is not the substance, but the
spirit of the message. And in these times we must apply our religious
convictions and testimonies also toward a ministry that is devoted to
possible solutions of social and world problems; a kind of ministry that
strives to bring men into union with God and one another.
The Meeting for Worship is a venture of faith. The successful use of
Friends traditional way of worship depends first on the practice of
communion in silence, an expectant silence in which the worshipers wait
on God or listen to the Spirit Within, and on the emergence from this
silent communion, of a responsible ministry. The non-Friend who attends
the first few times may gain the impression that a Friends Meeting offers
nothing but empty silence, and the whole idea may at first be repellent.
Nevertheless, it is certain that many a stranger has found rest and comfort
and healing of soul in the quiet of a Friends Meeting for Worship. It is
equally certain that many who have turned away unsatisfied from
liturgical forms of worship and official ministries have found in the
Meeting of Friends freedom of spiritual exercise.
Rufus Jones in his book entitled "The Spiritual Message of the Religious
Society of Friends" wrote: "A Meeting ought to be like the rising waters in
a lock which enables the ship to go out for its journey on a higher level."
This Quaker ideal of worship is at times achieved; and when it is, there
develops a deep sense of unity among the worshipers. If the first person to
give a message does so in responsiveness to the Spirit Within, then the
torch is often passed around so that the original theme is developed,
perhaps reviewed from different angles, and thus brought into the heart of
the Meeting. But this does not mean that messages come one after the
other in rapid succession. There should be a due interval between them,
a living silence in which the worshipers can reflect upon the thought
presented. And if a certain theme has developed, it is wise to hold back a
message if it seems unconnected with what has gone before. Likewise,
when the desire arises to speak at the end of the worship hour, one
should consider whether this additional ministry is going to edify the
Meeting.
Sometimes a Meeting for Worship has been beautifully drawn
together near the end of the time, and in such a case we should be very
chary of adding to what has been said. Another time when a message
should be held back is if it is contentious and in argument with a previous
message. Meeting for Worship is not the place for argument nor for
correcting mistakes. On the other hand, ministry can go astray, and a
wise and loving message can sometimes guide the Meeting back to a path
from which worshipers have been led astray by thoughtless and verbose
ministry. Meeting for Worship is not the place for airing one's grievances
or chastising for omissions, although this mistake sometimes occurs. A common Quaker phrase is "to speak to one's
condition". There may be a message that one Friend considers as not
profitable, while another may feel that what has been said is just what
was needed; we may have to learn to pass over the words that do not speak
to our condition, and should not follow the temptation to give an answer
which may lead the worship period to become a discussion or a debate. In
many Meetings the ministry is too intellectual in tone, lacking simple and
direct expressions. The phrasing of a message is of least importance; if
one is really moved to share something, let it be said, however imperfect
the sentences turn out to be. Rufus Jones, known for his learned yet
often humorous ministry, upon delivering a rather highbrow message,
heard a woman Friend exclaim: "Lord, thou hast said to feed thy sheep,
but not thy giraffes! "
In order to cherish the blessings of traditional Friends worship, one has
to attend many Meetings. Do we fully realize the beauty and preciousness
of silence? Do we take too much for granted the freedom of the Quaker
way of worship? John Greenleaf Whittier, the Quaker poet, left us these
moving lines:
And so, I find it well to come
For deeper rest to this still room,
For here the habit of the soul
Feels less the outer world's control;
The strength of mutual purpose pleads
More earnestly our common needs;
And fran the silence multiplied
By these still forms on either side,
The world that time and sense have known
Falls off and leaves us God alone.
A Friends Meeting for Worship can be exciting - it is an adventure; one
never knows what will happen! Let me end with a little anecdote: A
stranger attended his first Friends Meeting; there was a long silence which
puzzled him. He turned to the person next to him, inquiring, "When does
the service begin?" The answer was: "When the Meeting ends." Perhaps
the stranger remained puzzled, but it should be explained what was
implied in the previous talk, that service is the outward form of worship.
Jesus put before people the idea of the Kingdom of God and challenged
them to carry out what he said. Merely to believe in Christ will not
transform the world; each one of us must help to bring the Kingdom
nearer to earth.
Let us now turn to the Meeting for Business. In the first talk mention
was made that very early in the history of the Religious Society of Friends,
so-called General Meetings were set up in addition to Meetings for
Worship. These meetings, quasi-church government and later known as
Meetings for Business, were not made up of men only, but women
participated in the responsibilities, a bold step in the 17th century! The
training which Quaker women received in these meetings as well as in the
Meetings for Worship qualified them to become leaders. As referred to in
the previous talk, it is not surprising that the two leaders in the women's
emancipation movement, Lucretia Coffin Mott and Susan B, Anthony, had
been Quakers.
Although quite some changes have occurred in carrying on the Business
Meetings during the past 300 years, Friends methods remain unique.
Ideally the Meetings for Business should be conducted in the spirit of
worship, as the affairs of the Religious Society of Friends are considered
an integral part of Friends religious profession. In place of decisions by a
divisive majority vote, there is a friendly interchange of views and arrival at
decision by common agreement. When a subject is before the Meeting, all
who desire to express a judgment may do so; some times when there is a
decided difference of opinion which is not readily reconciled, no action is
taken, or the matter is held over. This method seems to permit a minority
to control the decision, but we must remember that in all history we find
that minorities have quite as often been right as majorities. What is called
the "weight" of the Meeting is of greater measure than the number of
Friends who speak to a certain subject. At times certain members have
greater knowledge and experience in back of them which are not possessed
by all. Their views are, therefore, of greater value to a Meeting than the
opinions of the uninformed or less concerned members. An attempt is
made to base decisions upon the most reasonable and helpful views
expressed, rather than to resort to the common method of counting pros
and cons. Things are talked over and agreed upon. The formality of
parliamentary procedure would fit poorly into a general plan to move in
unity of spirit - and this despite personal preferences which may be at
variance with the final decision. Often a Friend will take issue with a
proposal, but upon learning the opinions of others, will withdraw the
objection raised. Part of the 16th Advice of the New York Yearly Meeting
Discipline reads: "Those who speak in meetings for business are advised
not ta be unduly persistent in advocacy or opposition, but, after having
fully expressed their views, to recognize the generally expressed sense of
the meeting."
Friends business method vests peculiar responsibility in the Clerk. He is
not a presiding officer, but he is foremost a planner of business and a
recording officer. The Clerk presents most of the business from his desk,
yet there is always opportunity for the introduction of concerns from the
body of the Meeting. The Business Meeting looks to a Clerk for leadership
but not for direction; he must be neutral as he may have to record a
decision of the Meeting whether it is in accord with his own judgment or
not. In this respect he is a servant of the Meeting.
These procedures are the same whether the business is before a local
Meeting, usually known as a Monthly Meeting because it meets every
month, a regional Meeting known either as Quarterly or Half-Yearly
Meeting depending on a three- or six-month interval, or the Yearly Meeting
which meets annually and consists of Friends Meetings within a country,
a state or any other geographical area within which local Meetings have
voluntarily joined. One should not assume that the Yearly Meeting
dictates to Quarterly or Monthly Meetings; it can give only guide lines
approved by the attenders at large who are the members of the constituent
Meetings. The organization of the Religious Society of Friends is opposite
to the structure of a hierarchy in that the local Meeting and with it the
individual member, gives authority of action to the superior Meetings, if
one can call them that. Likewise, the Clerks of Regional or Annual
Meetings are just members of the Society appointed for a limited time with
the consent of the membership at large. In the opinion of some people,
the practices and organization of the Religious Society of Friends are the
most democratic in existence.but it must always be remembered that
along with freedom must go responsibility.
The Religious Society of Friends, brought into being by people with love
for freedom of religious thought, is now in the fourth century of its
existence, because some people continue to believe that Christian
qualities matter much more than Christian dogmas or hierarchical
structures. As long as there are human beings willing to try to attain
such qualities and willing to assume the burden and responsibility of a
"do-it-yourself" religion. Quakerism will continue to be a beacon light to
those seeking spiritual growth.
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Quakers in the World
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