“Many religions include short moments of silence in their services, but for Quakers, silence is the heart of worship. The room goes still as we let go of everyday busyness. Individuals may rise occasionally to share a message out of the silence, but for the most part quiet reigns. (dailyquaker.com)
This sitting in silence together, in the presence of Christ Jesus who “is come to teach the people himself” (an early statement from George Fox about the real presence of Christ in their worship gatherings), was for Friends their practice of communion. (Quaker.org)
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Inner silence, calming the agitations of our hearts and minds,
letting go of all that is stubborn and grasping,
is essentially an expression of the love of truth.
To be dispassionate,
not to let one’s own needs or prejudices or emotions color one’s actions,
is essentially to put truth before everything else.
To love truth in this way is to love God, who is Truth.
Thus the practice of inner silence is the same as the love of God.
Dan Seeger, 1934-
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Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Psalm 37:7 NIV
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“Listen in the silence for the voice of God to guide you.”
Caroline Stephen, 1834-1909