Our Quaker meeting for worship generally lasts about an hour (see Our Meetings for more information) and begins when the first person enters quietly, sits down and turns attention to the Light that resides within each of us. This is an opportunity to settle thoughts, center, empty minds of day-to-day busyness and distractions, and open hearts to spirit.
Responsibility for the spiritual depth of our meeting rests with each person present. Our Quaker meeting practices open worship where spoken ministry may arise out of the shared silence from anyone attending in "expectant waiting." There is no prepared sermon and meetings are sometimes completely silent.
When speaking out of the silence, people are encouraged to consider the following questions: Will the message deepen worship? Am I speaking from my personal experience of the Light? If someone else has spoken, have I given sufficient time for that message to be absorbed?
Friends also use the worshipful process of collectively listening for the Truth in our meetings for worship for business, waiting for a sense of the meeting to develop before reaching decisions.