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Herndon Friends Meeting by Lynne Borneman |
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On Sunday November 24, 2002 at 10:15 I attended the Herndon Friends Meeting. The Friend's building was very small and not a church at all. It was more like a home than a place of worship. When I entered the house I was greeted warmly by Catherine and she gave me a brief description of the upcoming service. The meeting room and people were very informal, almost casual. The room reminded me of the historical buildings I had visited in Colonial Williamsburg. It was a simple room with chairs lined up on each side facing each other, a piano, and a fireplace. This was by far the simplest place I had visited for a worship service. The meeting started with about 15 minutes of hymn singing. Again this was very informal. Folks just sort of shouted a hymn number and the pianist played. Everyone sang and it was very enjoyable. I felt very at home. When the singing ended everyone became silent. The children remained for 10-15 minutes and then rose and left. They were going to attend First Day classes, which is religious education. The silence lasted about an hour. At first I found it difficult to sit there and remain quiet. This was not really a worship service, but more like communal meditation. As my thoughts started to wander I was reminded of the way Buddhists meditate to reach Nirvana. The similarity stayed with me for awhile until someone stood up and spoke. I realized then that the silence was only broken when someone had a thought from God to share. At the end a gentleman started shaking hands and the silence was over. They made a few announcements and welcomed me. I was reminded more of a town meeting then a worship service. Mingling in the outer room, which is where the classrooms are, I felt included. I asked if they read and taught their children from the New Testament Bible. They do. I was also curious about who was in charge or if there was a leader. I was told that the Worship Group was similar to a democracy. They have no hierarchy and make group decisions. They have committees and committee heads that take care of the business aspects. The gentleman who ended the meeting was the Clerk of the Meeting and I got the impression that this role rotated. I'm not sure you could call the meeting room a church or the meeting a worship service. The Friend's meeting was the polar opposite from my Catholic Mass. I did however feel peaceful. I could, in the quiet, feel the connection to all those around me sitting in silence. |
| Created by Laura Ellen Shulman |
Last updated: December 2002
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