Would you like to refresh or deepen your experience of shared worship by studying a short modern Quaker classic in company with others?
William Taber’s Pendle Hill Pamphlet ‘Four Doors to Meeting for worship’ offers deeply spiritual yet practical guidance on how we worship collectively and our attempts to pay attention to the Divine. His advice encompasses not only the time of shared worship itself, but also the vital role that preparation and mindful departure play in the quality and depth of our worship.
This course will have something to offer those who are just discovering the Quaker way of worship, as well as those who have been worshipping as Friends for years – there is always room to deepen our relationship with the Divine through worship.
William Taber believed that there were 4 doors to Meeting for Worship
1) The Door Before (preparation during the week and before meeting for worship)
2) The Door Inward (settling into worship)
3) The Door Within (what is a gathered meeting for worship?)
4) The Door Beyond (at the end of meeting for worship).
Over the four weeks of this course, we will discuss each of the four ‘doors’ recommended by Taber, accompanied by a few pages of preparatory reading and reflection to complete before each live session. You’ll also be encouraged to put some of his advice into practice and reflect on the experience with other participants. The final session, in January, will be an opportunity to review together what we have learnt and whether we have experienced a difference in the quality of our worship as a result.
We will post a paper copy of the pamphlet to each participant before the beginning of the course. This is included in the course fee of $75. Please note that we offer educational grants to those who experience financial hardship with the fee.
The course is taught synchronously using Moodle, but will be recorded for people who need to be elsewhere. Recordings are posted several days after the synchronous session. Discussion happens on Moodle between sessions.
This course is taught by Simmone Wood from the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre.
Dates: Wednesdays in November: 4, 11, 18, 25 & a possible follow-up session in January 2027.
Start time: 9 am Pacific, 10 am Mountain, 11 am Central, 12 pm Eastern, 1 pm Atlantic.