By Melissa
Vocal ministry didn’t come easily to me when I first came to Memphis Friends Meeting. Even though I often heard messages from other Friends that “spoke to my condition”, whenever spirit stirred in me, I’d push the message down. What helped me become more comfortable with listening to spirit, and in turn offering vocal ministry, was the practice of Worship Sharing, which I’ve done many times at both at Memphis Friends Meeting as well as at Quaker retreats.
Worship Sharing is a style of communication where Friends reflect on a set of queries selected by a convener. Rather than a conversation, Worship Sharing is a space where a deeper discussion emerges out of silence.
The subject matter is specific to each Worship Share, but the method is always the same. At the beginning we read aloud a set of agreements, such as using “I” messages only, refraining from crosstalk, being comfortable just listening when we aren’t ready to
share, and allowing some silence in between each message.
This type of communication is what Quakers call “speak and release”, which is like throwing a rock into water, allowing what we say to slowly resonate so it can be received with love and without judgment. This practice teaches us the art of listening as much as creating a safe place to share. Here we tend to hearts and nurture community.
Before 2020, Memphis Friends held Meetings for Learning in the library where we regularly delved into a wide variety of topics – from social justice to spiritual leadings utilizing Worship Sharing. Once we moved Meetings for Learning into our meeting room and became hybrid, we haven’t practiced this beautiful way of sharing as much.
Quaker thinker and writer Parker Palmer says, “The soul loves silence because it is shy, and silence helps it feel safe.” Worship Sharing helps us connect spirit to voice so we are better able to discern when spirit moves us to share during Meeting for Worship.