Our Quaker experience began nearly 40 years ago in Bloomington, Ind. We were introduced to Quaker Meeting through a woman that my wife had met as both were pushing strollers during an anti-war demonstration (this was the mid-’60s). We became friends with the couple and they invited us to attend the unprogrammed meeting for worship near Bloomington. Meetings began with people centering into silent worship. From the silence some felt called to speak, sometimes on things spiritual, sometimes on personal experiences, and often on issues of peace and justice. Yet even if no one rose to speak, there was a sense of shared prayer. After several meetings, we knew this was the right place for us. And so began the process of learning what it means to be a Quaker.

For the next 30 years or so my work as a geologist took me and my family to many different places both here in the United States and abroad. Wherever we landed we sought the Quaker community, and in most places some form of meeting existed. Occasionally we found nothing, so we placed notices in the local English-speaking paper. In Bangkok, Thailand, only one couple responded. They were on a journey throughout Southeast Asia visiting countries affected by the Vietnam War to determine how Quakers could help those in need. We learned much from them not only about the tragedy of war but also the spirit-led Quaker peace testimony. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, we were able to develop a small silent meeting for worship where none had existed.

In Mexico City, we found a long-established meeting held at the "Casa de Los Amigos." Meetings brought together a mix of English- and Spanish-speaking Quakers in a silent meeting for worship. Although some were bilingual, some were not. Someone always rose in meeting to offer a translation. Casa de Los Amigos had a strong international flavor with individuals presenting a wide variety of views on religion, politics and society. These discussions gave me a greater understanding of Mexican culture and society that I would not have otherwise gained.

After eight years of living and working overseas we came back to the United States, where we lived in Houston, Texas. Here we attended and later joined the local Quaker Meeting. When we began our association with Live Oak Friends Meeting, it was a small, but lively group with lots of children. The Meeting rapidly outgrew the meeting house facilities. After much deliberation, the Meeting decided to build a new meeting house. James Turrell, a practicing Quaker, heard of the project and provided his vision of a meeting house and the design for the "skyspace" for the meeting room. Today the meeting house is complete, and many non-Quakers come to bask in its quiet and peace.

Taken together, these adventures have given me a deepening insight into the spiritual dimension of the Quaker faith and practice. For me the unprogrammed or silent meeting for worship is elegant in its simplicity. During the early moments, those attending focus on becoming centered into an inward stillness. For me, centering seems to create a space where I can begin to connect my inner thoughts and experiences with those of others.

Listening and hearing clearly what is spoken as individuals rise during meeting for worship is also a vital part of the centering process. Reflecting on this mix of ideas and experiences may lead to a fresh idea, or a new approach to an issue or concern.

This process of becoming centered into a gathered meeting is also used during a meeting for worship with a concern for business or during committee meetings. Allowing each person to share ideas and experiences within the safety of a centered space, created out of mutual trust and respect, and with each member of the group willing to listen with an open mind seems to me to be the core of the Quaker process for decision making. The outcome is on occasion strikingly different from anything previously considered.

The belief that there is God in every person is an important part in Quaker faith and practice. For many Quakers, waiting and listening in the silence of a centered meeting is a way of being reached by the presence of God. Prayer and meditation help us to see who we are and our relation with God and others in the world around us.

We now live in the Catskills and attend the Butternuts Monthly Meeting for Worship in Oneonta where we continue our growth through the Meeting’s many and varied activities. Although we are now settled Quakers, the world’s slow and difficult journey toward peace continues. We are glad to take part in that journey.

Bill Webb is a member of the Butternuts Monthy Meeting for Worship in Oneonta.