Meeting For Worship
Meeting for worship is 25 minutes of quiet reflection and truth seeking that are an essential part of life at the Lower School. Our School is enriched and strengthened by weekly Meeting for Worship - held on Tuesdays for students in grades 3-5 and on Thursdays for Pre-K through grade 2.
Quakers believe that one needs to come to meeting for Worship with“heart and mind prepared” to listen to the “still small voice” of the Spirit within each and every person.
At the Lower School, children get ready for Meeting for Worship during Devotions, a daily classroom activity where the teacher may pose a reflective question, practice a mindfulness technique, or read a story that illustrates the Quaker-focused Theme of the Month.
Some classrooms prepare for Meeting for Worship through activities called Faith and Play stories. These offer students questions and queries and help to further develop the depth of their own journeys, understandings and discoveries.
Here are some thoughts from our students about these questions during Devotions:
“I wonder what would happen if everyone picked up one piece of trash in the whole world one one day.” - Kindergarten student
“Reflecting is thinking about what is meaningful to you.” - Third grade student
“When it’s quiet in Meeting for Worship, I can believe and imagine things that are normally impossible.” - Fourth grade student
We are always emphasizing the skill of listening to the voice within and to one another. Devotions, classroom activities and Meeting for Worship all help children become familiar with the spiritual principles and basic ideas of Quaker practice.
The special silence that distinguishes a Quaker service is evident as students and teachers work to still the body and mind and open themselves to the Spirit and to the community.
“Devotions is a time for being peaceful by listening.” - first grade student
“Devotions helps you know what is important.” - Pre- K student
We are always emphasizing the skill of listening to the voice within and to one another. Devotions, classroom activities and Meeting for Worship all help children become familiar with the spiritual principles and basic ideas of Quaker practice.