The founder of the New Evangelicals, Tim Whitaker, once described that he had the same feeling when playing drums for a secular band as he did when he was at church, playing in a worship band. So, he asked the question: “Is it the drums or is it the Holy Spirit?”

Another podcaster, Dan Koch, took up the question on his podcast (now called Religion on the Mind). He invited Sarah Lane Ritchie, an author and theologian, and Tim, to talk about this issue.  Sarah has developed the idea of spiritual technologies, technologies that are used to put people into the mind of spirituality.  She talks about music as one of them, but also other things like praying the rosary, or walking a labyrinth and psychedelics. The rituals of the established church are also spiritual technologies, such as communion and baptism.

I think about the history of religions, and how people have used these various techniques to feel spiritual, and then others have copied them.

But Quakers felt that the symbols and rituals of the church were substituting for the real spiritual experience and getting in the way of the real thing. Communion was substituting for real community with God and baptism substituting for the Holy Spirit taking over a person’s life. The best example I can come up with is the furor when a Catholic priest in Arizona changed one word in the baptism ceremony and people were afraid that their child would go to hell because the format wasn’t followed exactly.

Quakers stripped down worship to the bare minimum, sitting in silence, waiting for God to speak through the participants. Quaker worship isn’t for everyone. Sitting in silence (if no one speaks) can be tough. But sitting in a meeting that is “Gathered”, where everyone feels as one has no substitute. We Quakers say, that’s the only true worship, that substituting symbols and rituals for communion with God is fake. 

So, what happens during Quaker worship?  It isn’t just silence, it’s a process. The process was described in the Quaker opera, the Fire and the Hammer, with Lyrics by Alec Davison which follow:

CHOIR:

Wait. Wait. Wait in the stillness.

Wait. Wait. Let the gathering unite.

Wait. Wait. Wait in the silence.

Wait with the children of the Light.

SOLOISTS:

Come gently to worlds that are new Surrender yourself and be still:

Abandon your wisdom and will To die in the silence in you.

At first let your thoughts overflow

When doubts and distractions persist: Don’t struggle and hy to resist But tenderly learn to let go.

CHOIR:

Wait. Wait. Wait in the stillness.

Wait Wait. Let the gathering unite.

Wait. Wait. Wait in the silence.

Wait with the children of the Light.

Temptations and troubles appear:

Then sink into that which is pure.

Submit to the things which are sure

And all will be hushed and be clear.

Then that which is evil will melt

And that which is good be up-raised; And shaken you ‘Il stand so amazed The Kingdom of heaven is felt.

CHOIR:

Wait. Wait. Wait in the stillness.

Wait. Wait. Let the gathering unite.

Wait. Wait. Wait in the silence.

Wait with the children of the Light.

SOLOISTS:

The Light is the love that will free; It lies as the ground of us all.

It shows what can tempt us to fall. It heals and allows us to be.

CHOIR:

Wait in the Light for the power Now wait upon God for his peace; Deep in the heart it will flower Seed ever seeking release.