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What is a Quaker Meeting? | Why do we meet outdoors?
Who are the Friends? | Who are the Downtown Manhattan Friends?
Nine Questions about Friends
What is a Quaker Meeting?
A Friends Meeting for Worship is an hour-long silent gathering where people sometimes stand to speak when strongly moved.
A Friends Meeting is also an organized community of people who seek the Truth together.
Quakers are known for their tolerance and respect for others’ beliefs. Quakers feel that what one believes or calls God is not as important as the practice of seeking God.
The unifying aspect of the Quaker Meeting is that Friends believe there is ‘that of God’ in each of us, sometimes called ‘the Seed of God’.
With the hectic pace of everyday life, Quakers feel that sitting in silence to seek the Spirit, sometimes known as the ‘Light of Christ’, persons open themselves to that ’Light’.
Still not sure? Go to a Friends Meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend!
Why do we meet outdoors?
Quakerism has its roots in freeing worship from the constraint of the church as defined by an edifice or specific place. We seek instead the 'gathered meeting', which can be the same as seeking the church within a group of people. In the first period of Quakerism (around 1650) it was common for Friends to meet in the common lands, public places, as well as in Friends' homes.
Some Friends today enjoy the spiritual peace that is found meeting together out of doors. We find that contact with our environment helps us come closer to God and other persons, center-down, and reflect on our lives.
Who are the Friends?
The Friends in the Truth were originally gathered as part of the religious upheaval during the English Civil War. Quakers are sometimes known by the wider world for their Testimonies: Equality, Simplicity, Community, Peace and Integrity. The nickname "Quaker" was originally a disparaging term but we still use it interspersed with our more formal name: "The Friends" .
The lack of religious creed and religious hierarchy are also important aspects of the Quaker faith. We are all potentially ministers and endeavor to serve God and others with loving kindness. The Friends are known to be a present part of outward world even though the inward experience is of paramount importance.
Who are the Downtown Manhattan Friends?
We are mainly members of several Meetings (established groups) of Quakers within New York City. The total group of New York City Friends created this smaller group in 2003. Some people who attend these meetings without being members of any established Meeting, have found this experience to be fulfilling also. Here are a few of the comments from our guest book:
- "A lovely green oasis in the built-up city. The first NYC parkland set aside for the delight of the inhabitants" in 1733. And here we are sitting in the Light, in the shade of the Sycamore trees 270 years later."
- "Who knew we would find The Light amid the traffic of the financial district?"
- "The Spirit is present tonight in a stiff breeze."
- "Thanks for the quiet time."
Quakers have traditionally met during the middle of the week, in addition to the main day of worship: Sunday (sometimes called 'First Day'). Our group carries on this mid-week tradition for our own spiritual growth as well as to provide newcomers the opportunity to experience our unique faith.
Nine Questions about Friends
From the Baltimore Yearly Meeting:
http://www.qis.net/~daruma/homewood/nine.html
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