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From deep Christian seeking, George Fox (1624-1691) had the leading that there was that of God in every human being. The services, called Meetings for Worship, were gatherings held in silence, broken only by individuals making contributions from a deep sense of concern to do so.
In 1652 Fox established the first regular Meeting for Worship in Swarthmore Hall in the English Midlands. It is recorded that he spoke of 'Christ, the Light of the World yesterday, today and forever. Follow the divine guidance in your heart which surely leads you to God.' In 1952, as part of the marking of 300 years of Quakerism, the British Broadcasting Corporation made the first radio broadcast of a Quaker Meeting for Worship from a London studio. The tick of a clock during the silence reassured listeners that the radio or the station had not broken down! My family and I were worshipping in Swarthmore Hall for this very special occasion. In 2002 at the Australian Yearly Meeting in Hobart, we reviewed the activities of our Regional Meetings in non-violent reactions to September 11. We continue to fulfil the Peace Testimony and other Social Testimonies such as Social Justice developed from the teachings of George Fox and in the Meetings for Worship held for guidance in the on-going world-wide Quaker connection. |