Silence outside of Quaker meeting

“The essence of the value of silence, for Quakers as well as for monastics and others, is to free ourselves from influences other than from God. Silence, then, can open ourselves to God and let us truly listen to the Living Christ.

In the spiritual silence in which we have so opened ourselves, we can see our own condition much more clearly. […] In the stillness, we can also become much more aware of the depth of God’s love for us. We do not empty our minds because we value emptiness, but rather so they can be filled with the things of the Spirit. We allow God to make us a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15).”

— Bill Samuel, 2001
Quaker Blogger

Today’s Invitation

Sit in silence to free yourself from influences other than God.

This Week’s Query

What do you do in the silence of meeting for worship?

How do you prepare yourself?

Share your response!

Read the source of today’s quote
Banner art by Mark Pratt-Russum

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Author

  • Bill Samuel

    Bill Samuel is a Quaker author and blogger. He has written for print publications such as Quaker Religious Thought, Quaker Life and The Friend. Bill long had formal ties with three branches of the Society of Friends. He was a member of Adelphi (MD) Friends Meeting, which is a part of both Friends General Conference (FGC) and Friends United Meeting (FUM). He was an affiliate member of Rockingham Friends Meeting, part of Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative). With a fourth branch, Evangelical Friends International (EFI), he had no formal membership ties but a number of friendly associations. In 2005, Bill resigned from his Friends meeting and joined Cedar Ridge Community Church, a nondenominational faith community frequently identified with the loose “Emerging Church” movement. Since that time, Bill has sought to foster cross-fertilization between Quakerism and the Emerging Church movement.

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