First Time in Worship?
Newcomers to Quaker worship may find it a different experience from a traditional church service. We have no priest or pastor, nor is there a formal program of events. We are an 'unprogrammed' meeting.
Instead of a program, we sit, mostly in silence, in rows of chairs formed in a rough semi-circle. Attenders enter, find a seat of their liking, and begin worship. For the first 15 minutes, children join their parents. At the quarter hour (11:15), the children leave and join age-specific religious education classes for the remainder of the hour. After worship ends with handshakes at 12:00, we have about 1/2 hour of social time with refreshments.
Unprogrammed Worship
Midlothian Friends worship in what is called an 'unprogrammed' meeting for worship. We have no priest or pastor, nor is there a formal program of events. We worship in expectant silence, broken only by messages from those who feel themselves called to share an experience, thought, or belief that they believe is divinely inspired and will deepen and enrich the worship.
No priest/minister/rabbi?
Midlothian Meeting has no paid staff, nor do we have a paid, formal position occupied by a member of the clergy. However, we have ministers; each one of us is a minister. We minister to each other.