Seeking and Finding Meaning in Life
Do you feel that modern life is too materialistic, and that people overlook the things that could give real meaning to their lives?
If you are looking for a sense of wonder in life, a purpose for living, or simply seeking peace and quiet – then come to one of our Meetings.
We won’t ask you to speak or sing, or say what you do or do not believe. We offer friendship in a quiet way, and a chance to share the inner peace of prolonged silence.
It may feel strange at first if you’ve not experienced more than a few minutes of silence before, but you’ll soon adjust and find that it has a healing power of its own. As the weeks go by you may begin to find what you are seeking, but not know why. That doesn’t matter. What matters is what it does to you, what kind of person you become.
When the silent hour ends we generally chat over a cup of tea or coffee – nothing special, just what comes to mind.
About a third of those who attend Quaker Meetings are non-Quakers, what we call Attenders. We never ask people to join our Society, we leave it up to them to ask if and when they feel ready. It takes time to understand our ways, so most newcomers attend for a year or so before seeking membership, and some just prefer to remain Attenders.
Quaker Worship – Unity in Diversity (leaflet)
Ask Quakers what they value most in their experience of the Society of Friends, and they will invariably reply the Quaker Meeting for Worship. Ask them why, and they will probably say that in the quiet of the simple meeting room, as they join with others in a creative silence, they find peace of mind, and a renewed sense of purpose for living. Ask them how this comes about, and they will answer in terms of their own experience, which will vary from person to person, but will fall broadly within the range of the points outlined in the following paragraphs. For the Quaker approach to religion is both individual and communal.
Staffordshire Quakers 