. Usually the seating for the meeting on worship is arranged in a circle or square. When I visited, people were seated in circle. This is to help people both to be aware of one another and to be conscious of the fact that they are worshipping together. As soon as people were seated, there was sudden silence for awhile. I did not understand what was going on but I just sat with them, trying to imagine what would happen next. Later I found out that keeping silent is a way of seeking God’s will in order to make people open to one another. While there was silence, I felt a little uncomfortable because of the long silence. People may worship entirely without words, but usually there will be some brief contribution. The silence could be broken quickly, or sometimes last for the entire meeting, which is usually an hour or so. In Quaker teaching, anyone may feel called to speak: man, women, child, friends, or first time visitor like I was are welcome. There was a very wide variety of sources for spoken, material (biblical or otherwise) and acceptance of them is an important part of Quaker worship.Next, The Quaker’s belief also caused me significant curiosity. In Quaker belief, silence is greatly valued by people and amongst friends. By removing the pressure and hurriedness to speak, it helps raise awareness of the inner and deeper meanings of their individual and cooperative lives. It enables people to begin to accept themselves as they are and try to find some release from fear, anxiety, emotional confusion, and selfishness. Friends also believe that first-hand knowledge of God is only possible through individual experience or when inwardly revealed the obligations felt by each individual. In addition, at the center of the Quaker faith lies the concept of the Inner Light. This principle stated that in every human soul there is implanted a certain “ element of God”, “ The need of Christ”, and...
