Quakers and Ministry

With thanks to my friend Amy Kietzman and the description of ministry at the Quaker Information Center site.

During our meeting for worship, we hope that ministers will only speak if their speaking will deepen the worship. We hope there will be a sense of power and energy in what they have to say, and that when that power isn't there inside them, they'll be silent.

We hope for ministry that has enough depth to cross the distance between us, to touch not just the person speaking but everyone who's there.

We hope for ministry that has a depth to it that'll stand the test of time - that next week, or next month, or next year, it will still have relevance, power, importance in our lives and our hearts.

We hope for ministry, and worship, to be present not only during one hour of scheduled worship, but also in our meetings for worship for business, in our committee meetings, and in our other times together. We hope that what we say and what we do not just on Sundays, but for the rest of the week too, will be touched by a sense of the depth that we look for in our worship together, that our words and actions will be meaningful for more than a tiny moment, and will have have meaning that goes beyond ourselves, alone, alone.