One of my most vivid experiences of worship

Reader Responses

When have you experienced awe?

When I was an exchange student at Leningrad State University in the then Soviet Union, I walked into St. Isaac's Cathedral. Behind the open doors of the iconostasis is a very very large stained glass window of Jesus in the Western art style. I was standing there amazed at the window when the sun broke through the winter cloudy sky and shone through the window, bathing me in rainbow beams of light. I was struck still as a statue and absorbed the moment as long as the sun was briefly shining on that extremely cold day.

David T., Elgin, TX, USA

My brother died when I was around 11. My Meeting held a traditional unprogrammed Funerary worship, with many outside of our Meeting attending. I recall distinctly being in awe at the presence of the Living Christ, there really is no other word for me. In our collective grief, I think I felt the Spirit's tenderness imprinted on my soul.

Milo S., Milwaukee, WI, USA

When I was a boy, I had the opportunity, once or twice, to attend the concert of a major city symphony. This was a wonderful thing, stirring up awe in the musical sensibility of every attender... Music, like life, whether written down or performed, or lived to a certain state, is never entirely finished.

Years later, as my involvement in music grew, I was to sing in choir on the same stage that I had gazed at in wonder as a boy. As I stepped onto the stage I was overwhelmed by awe and gratitude, looking out to where I sat as a boy. Life is filled with moments where what comes and is to come, is colored and enriched by what came before. I believe these moments are here for us daily, if we but look and listen deeply enough, if we see and remember. Meeting for worship is a practice for this. Awe is not just for the Grand Canyon; it’s for every day. “This is my father’s world…”

Bill M., Houston, TX, USA

I found myself at Dallas/Ft. Worth airport awaiting a late evening flight home to Portland. Due to the government shutdown, there were a lot of delayed flights coming in where people had to make connections. As departure time approached, the first officer walked up the jetway and stood in the door to the terminal so it couldn't be closed, for more than half an hour, while various weary travelers made their final connection. Despite my desire to get home before midnight, I felt joy and awe that, in this dysfunctional society, there are still people moved to behave so kindly and generously.

Joe S., Portland, OR, USA