What Should I Expect When I Come To Worship?
Hudson Friends Meeting is an unprogrammed meeting. We gather in expectant silence with no minister to lead us. Worship begins at 10:30. Please enter the meeting house quietly. Sometimes, a member or attender will stand to speak, breaking the silence. Ideally, this “vocal ministry” has been prompted by the Holy Spirit as a gift of ministry to the meeting, and should be accepted in a spirit of peace, even if it does not speak to us personally, in the faith that it may speak meaningfully to someone else. If more than one person is moved to speak, we allow time for silence between offerings of vocal ministry. Often, our silence will be unbroken for a full hour. Worship typically ends around 11:30. We end by shaking hands and greeting eachother. We then gather in a circle for “after thoughts,” and all in attendance are invited to share anything that they feel the need to say that was not shared during worship as well as requests to hold people in the Light. This are followed by introductions and announcements.
For more information on Friends beliefs and worship practices, please visit the NYYM web page About Quakers, and watch What to Expect in Quaker Meeting for Worship and/or What Do Quakers Believe?.
We welcome all ages to meetings for worship. We do not have a first day school, but we encourage families to stay as long as their little ones can handle. Some families choose to come for the first 15-20 minutes of meeting, while others choose to arrive for the last 15-20 minutes. We have children’s corner with comfy floor pillows, books and other quiet activities that children can go to for quiet play while their parents continue to worship. The garden is also a nice place to go when sitting becomes a challenge. We are happy to help you figure out how best to make meeting for worship work for your family.
In good weather, we may move worship to the garden.
A couple of other things to note: Our building predates indoor plumbing. As a result we do not have a bathroom. Those in need of such facilities may make use of the nearby Rock Solid Church or the Hudson Train Station. Additionally, while we recently improved our heating system, on cold days the meetinghouse can still feel a bit chilly, so we recommend you dress accordingly.
Feel free to direct any questions about meeting for worship to info@hudsonquakers.org
*We are thankful for our neighbors at Rock Solid Church who kindly let us use the lavatory in their basement.
