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Open Worship
In "open worship" (sometimes called "waiting worship") we are being open to God moving in us and among us. There is no pre-planned message or other program. Rather, we remain open to what God may bring us in the silence or in the spoken words that anyone among us may be moved to offer.This worship is rooted in silence - a living silence. Be still . . . and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) The key is to quiet ourselves, let all the cares of the world drop away and listen in our hearts. You may do this in personal meditation. When a group is doing this listening together, Christ moves within the group in a special way.
So sit back, relax and let the living silence envelop you. Seek to put aside your cares, your plans, everything but God. Do this gently; if you try to force things out of your mind, you get wrapped up in doing that rather than in God. There are different methods to help us center in the silence. Centering prayer, the Jesus Prayer, holding each person present in prayer may work for you - or not. Feel free to try these, but not too hard - just let them go if they don't seem right for you in the situation.
As you quiet yourself and listen, Christ can speak to you in the stillness. Often, these will be personal messages intended just for you. But sometimes God will give you something to share with the gathered group. If so, respond out of the silence. The message may take different forms - a brief message, a prayer, a passage of scripture, a song, even a dance. Whatever it is, if it is from God, it will not break the silence so much as enrich it.
Worship is normally ended by a pre-designated person shaking hands with someone near to them. All present then shake hands with those nearby.
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Friends in Christ, Inc.
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Rockville, MD 20850-6168
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Weekly Message Bible Study groups Site MapValues
Who We Are What People Say About UsOpen Worship
Using the Bible SilenceJesus Prayer
St. Patrick's BreastplateContact Us
Support Us
Document last modified on Tuesday, 06-Aug-2013 19:38:41 EDT