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There are generally two forms of worship that Friends participate in termed Programmed Worship and Unprogrammed Worship. Unprogrammed worship is the more traditional style of worship among Friends. During meeting for worship Friends gather together in expectant waiting for messages from God. They wait in silence. When a member feels led to share a message with the gathered meeting, they will generally raise and share. These messages often take the form of a statement, a reading, or a song. Generally meeting for worship lasts about an hour (although it can be shorter or longer depending on the group gathered).
Programmed worship grow out of the movement in 19th century toward paid pastors (see above). Worship at a Friends Church resembles more closly a typical protestant worship service in the United States. Typically there are readings from scripture, hymns, and a sermon from the pastor. Most Friends outside of the United Kingdom and the North Eastern region of the United States worship is this way.
Some Friends also hold what is termed Semi-Programmed Worship which brings programmed elements like hymns and scripture readings into an otherwise unprogrammed worship service.
While the different styles of worship generally reflect the theological splits within Quakerism, with unprogrammed meetings generally being more liberal then the Friends Churches, this is not a strict rule.
Friends try to treat all functions of the church as worship, including business, marriage and memorial services.
Traditionally in a Friends Meeting when a couple decides to get married they declare their intentions to marry to the meeting. The meeting then appoints a “Clearness Committee” to talk with the couple and make sure that they have properly prepared themselves for marriage. If the committee is clear that this couple is ready, they recommend that the monthly meeting should take this wedding “under their care” and appoint a committee of overseers to make sure the couple makes all the needed arrangements for the wedding ceremony (these duties may include helping schedule the date, getting a certificate drawn up, making sure the couple knows how to acquire and file any legal documents required by the government).
A traditional wedding ceremony in a Friends meeting is similar to any other Meeting for Worship, and therefore often very different from the experience expected by non-Friends. The meeting gathers for silent worship, often with the couple sitting in front of the meeting (this depends on the layout of that particular meeting house). Out of the silence the couple with exchange vows with each other, since traditionally Friends have no clergy, there is no one person to “marry” them. Instead they declare themselves married before the meeting and God. They then sign the wedding certificate which for the purposes of the meeting means they are now married. All those present of invited to share messages with the gathered meeting as they feel lead (as in any other Meeting for Worship, see above). At the close of worship all of those present at the meeting are asked to sign the wedding certificate acknowledging their presences at the service. Often these certificates are hung prominently in the homes of the couple throughout their married lives as a reminder of the vows they took, and the people they shared that moment of their lives with.
Business decisions on a local level are conducted by the individual monthly meeting, in a monthly Meeting for Worship with a concern for business, or simply business meeting. A meeting for business is considered a form of worship, and all decisions must be reached in a manner that satisfies all participants (called "unity" or "sense of the meeting", but sometimes inaccurately called consensusConsensus has two common meanings. One is a general agreement among the members of a given group or community. The other is as a theory and practice of getting such agreements. The process of achieving consensus involves serious treatment of every group m).
Quaker "consensus" does not mean that every person simply gets an equal vote or that all members must "vote" in favour of the decision (ie. unanimity). Using the technique of "expectant waiting", the Meeting for Worship for Business attempts to gain a sense of God's will for the community. Each member of the Meeting is expected to listen to that of God within themselves, and, when led, to contribute it to the group for reflection and consideration.
A decision is reached when the meeting as a whole feels that the "way forward" has been discerned. This may mean that those who are informed on or passionThis article describes the biblical Passion. For other meanings, see passion (disambiguation). Though the word passion is now used to mean a great enthusiasm for some thing or for erotic emotions, in a Christian context, the Passion is the technical termate about a given issue are willingly deferred to. However, in other cases some members of the Meeting will "stand aside" on an issue, meaning that the Meeting has achieved a sense of unity, but that, for their own personal reasons, they are unable to agree with the result. In still other cases a Meeting may reach a sense of unity notwithstanding that some members remain opposed, although the Meeting would probably proceed only after a good deal of discernment to ensure that the concerns of the dissenting members have been heard and the sense of the Meeting is a right one.
The business procedure of Friends often seems impractical to non-Quakers, and even Quakers will report that it does not always work as well as it is supposed to. Nonetheless, it has been a centre-piece of the Religious Society of Friends for over 350 years, at times seeing them through extremely difficult decisions and divisions.
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