Eno Friends have no creed, no sacraments, no pastors, and no predetermined program. We minister to each other in love by sharing our deepest leadings, our prayers, our sorrows, and our hopes. Worship is largely silent. For us, silence is not merely a time to relax or gather one’s thoughts. Rather, Quaker worship is an openness to the leading of God, the Spirit, the Inner Light, the Inner Teacher or whatever term a Friend chooses to use.
We call the practice of sitting together in silence "expectant waiting." It is a time when Friends become inwardly still. We quiet our minds and open our hearts so we can experience the presence of the Spirit. It takes time for a meeting to “settle.” Generally, no one speaks for the first several minutes, and sometimes a meeting is entirely silent. We also observe silent spaces between any spoken messages to allow each message to season within our hearts. Typically, we avoid responding to a previous speaker, although sometimes messages do share a common theme.
To join us in worship:
One or more worshipers may be moved to speak out of the silence of expectant waiting. Such speaking is not an intellectual exercise; it is a movement from the depths of one’s being, a conscientious response to a carefully discerned leading of the Spirit. In this process, Friends are guided by God speaking to us from within. After the period of sustained silence, anyone – child, woman, or man – may feel moved or led to offer a spoken message inspired by this holy encounter. We refer to this message as vocal ministry.
After about an hour and while still in the spirit of worship, we share personal joys and sorrows, or ask for support for ourselves, loved ones, or the world. Then, we close worship by standing and joining hands to acknowledge that we are united and have felt the presence of the Spirit.