Welcome to Quaker Worship

Quaker Meeting for Worship is a vibrant silence of waiting in expectancy.

Our practice is to wait in silence, listening attentively for the "still, small voice" of Spirit. The silence is not an emptiness crying out to be filled, but a disciplined and contemplative openness to Spirit.

We believe that if we gather together in love with full attention we will receive Divine Guidance that will lead us to live our lives in congruence with our highest values, with compassion for ourselves and others and to work towards a better world. 

Our Meeting accepts that not everyone has the same journey of faith, and that each of us may express our spiritual beliefs in different ways. You will find no written dogma, nor will you be asked to recite a prayer or sing a hymn that expresses someone else's belief. We strive to listen to the "still, small voice within" for guidance in all our meetings. 

What to Expect in a Meeting for Worship

Meeting begins as we quietly take our seats and ‘center down’ in silence, letting go of the busy thoughts that usually fill our attention. In the stillness, we seek deeper awareness of the life of spirit within. Some thoughts that arise will be distractions that can be set aside. Other thoughts, questions, or feelings come from a deeper source and can lead us in listening for clarity, guidance and peace.

Sometimes someone may feel led to stand and share a message with the group. These short, spoken phrases or stories are not an intellectual exercise, but are meant to arise from leadings of the Spirit. We listen with open minds, then return to the silence without responding.

During the silence, anyone--adult or child--may feel inspired to speak. A person should speak only once (but sharing messages is completely voluntary; many people never share messages). There may be several messages or, as is more likely in Calgary, the whole period of worship may be a living silence.

Whether the meeting has spoken messages or is completely silent, in the stillness and depth we experience connection with the group and with the Spirit, Light, Source, God…Though each of us may use different language or names for the experience of the sacred, we are united in finding spiritual renewal, guidance, and support in our worship together as a community.

The Meeting ends when the clerk greets their neighbor and shakes hands. Introductions and announcements follow the service.

Online Meeting

During the pandemic, we began gathering for worship on Zoom on and have continued the tradition for those not able to meet in person. If you are joining us on Zoom for the first time, here’s what to expect: we’re a small group, usually between ten and fifteen participants, and we begin our silent worship around 10:30AM on Sundays.  Most members keep their video on, with their mics muted; you are welcome to keep your video on or off, whichever feels most comfortable to you.  (Our tech host might mute you if your mic is disruptive).  It might seem like an unfamiliar thing, to worship in silence on Zoom; here’s a lovely New York Times article about Quaker worship in the Zoom context.  Our worship meeting lasts for an hour, followed by sharing and introductions; you’re welcome to leave early if you’d like.

We are generally a quiet Meeting, so it's not uncommon for a full hour of silence to go by in our worship. We do welcome sharing, which is what Quakers call “ministry,” into our silence, so it's also not uncommon for people to unmute their mics and speak into the silence of the space.  This means that someone from the Meeting has felt called to briefly say something which might deepen and enrich the worship. When someone speaks during worship, a period of silence follows. As another way to practice expectant listening, try to listen to what is said with an open mind and heart. If something is said that does not speak to your condition or need, try nevertheless to reach the spirit behind the words. Our needs are different and can be met in differing ways, and so we welcome and encourage you to find your own way into the silence.  (This time of worship is not a time for dialogue, discussion or summary but rather a time for a sharing of truth in its silent or vocal form).

At the end of the hour, at 11:30 AM, someone will break the silence and open up space for people to bring up things on their mind that they may not have wanted to insert into the silence. This is the time when introductions are made, and joys and sorrows are shared. If you are willing to share, we would love to hear who you are, where you live, and what led you to attend our Meeting for Worship. It’s always wonderful to meet visitors and newcomers.