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Open Worship

In "open 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.

Quakers normally end the worship with a pre-designated person shaking hands with someone near to them. All present then shake hands with those nearby.

Friends in Christ has often done it somewhat differently. When the time seems right, someone will invite those present to share the concerns of their heart with God in prayer. You may do this silently, or may share them vocally with the group so that all may join in the prayer. After this time seems to have run its course, we will all stand and join hands in a closing prayer circle.

©2002 Friends in Christ, Inc.

Friends in Christ, Inc.
P.O. Box 9295
Silver Spring, MD 20916-9295
Voice mail (641) 715-3800 Access code 10949913#
E-mail fic@friendsinchrist.net

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Document last modified on Saturday, 28-Aug-2004 15:48:53 EDT