Meeting for Worship, Sundays at 10 AM
2680 Sugan Road, New Hope, PA 18938
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Solebury Friends Meeting
Pancake Community Breakfast Fundraiser - Sunday, March 17th
Solebury Friends Meeting welcomes our community for a pancake breakfast with syrup made from Bucks County Maple trees. Meeting for Worship is at 10 am in our historic Meetinghouse, followed by our community pancake breakfast at 11 am. A donation is kindly appreciated which will benefit Mercer Street Friends and Camp Onas. All are welcome, and we look forward to meeting you!!
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Solebury Friends Meeting is located at 2680 Sugan Road.
THE QUAKER WAY
The Light Within
The essential experience of Friends is that of a direct, unmediated relationship with the Divine. Friends have used many terms or phrases to refer to the inner certainty of our faith: the Light Within, the Inner Light, the Christ Within, the Inward Teacher, the Divine Presence, Spirit, the Great Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, that of God in every person, and the Seed. In his journal, George Fox referred to “that Inward Light, Spirit, and Grace by which all might know their salvation” and to “that Divine Spirit which would lead them into all truth.” Today Friends continue to use these terms and have added others out of a sense of ongoing revelation. For some Friends, “spiritual energy” best describes their personal experience of that which enlivens and empowers them in seeking truth for themselves and in community. In contrast with early Friends, not all Friends today consider themselves to be Christians or even theists. Friends come from very diverse religious backgrounds and experiences and apply their different perspectives as they encounter the Light Within. Regardless of the journey that brings individuals to explore the Quaker way, the invitation to enter into an unmediated, inward relationship with the Divine continues to be at the heart of Quaker experience.
Through this relationship, each person encounters the Spirit, active in the world, and providing guidance for everyday living. The reality of this spiritual relationship within each worshipper brings the Friends meeting together as a community of faith. Friends understand that faithfulness to Spirit can produce a spiritual energy within their faith community that encourages them to support each other within that community, and most of all, to live in harmony with the Divine.
Friends also understand that the experience of God continues to unfold and that the record of God’s presence in human lives continues to be written.
-PYM Faith and Practice
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MEETING FOR WORSHIP
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Meeting for Worship is the primary setting for the fundamental experience of the Divine Presence. Early Friends took literally the recorded words of Jesus: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). They understood that the Light Within could be experienced without the help of trained clergy and liturgy by all who seek it. God spoke to them and through them in the silence. Any— and all— of them were ministers of the Word of God, spoken and unspoken. They chose a form of worship that nurtures the direct encounter with the Divine. Such worship centered in stillness has endured for over 350 years. At Solebury Friends Meeting silent worship is held at 10:00 am every Sunday in the Meeting House.
Each experience of worship is unique, and each worshipper approaches worship in a personal way. Friends understand that worship is continuous and each person who enters the meeting room joins in quietly, settling into the silence. In the deepening stillness, worshippers let go of thoughts and distractions, open their hearts to the Light Within and listen for what truth God might give them. Sitting together in silence has been called “expectant waiting” by Friends. Even in times of spiritual emptiness when unity and fulfillment seem distant, Friends find it necessary to be present with others in worship. Vital worship depends on a deeply felt longing for God.
Friends find that Meeting for Worship:
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Draws the community together out of our shared hunger to know the Christ Within and to care for one another;
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Clears a space in our lives for God to enter, speak, heal, teach and lead;
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Enfolds us in God’s infinite love and everlasting peace;
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Gives us grateful awareness of our profound connectedness to one another and the natural world;
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Opens us to repentance, forgiveness and guidance;
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Renews us and prepares us for service;
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Sends us forth with inspired vision and commitment.
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To Learn about our Moveable Meetings For Worship (Meeting For Worship at home) CLICK HERE
FAITH & PRACTICE
Faith & Practice is a book that includes advices on procedures within the faith, membership, current practice for conducting Meeting business and numerous quotations from Friends on belief, worship, concerns, leadings, and testimonies. For more information regarding Faith & Practice, CLICK HERE
SOLEBURY FRIENDS MEETING
2680 SUGAN ROAD, NEW HOPE, PA 18938
About Us
Solebury Meeting was founded in 1806 by members of Buckingham Meeting who wanted a place to worship nearer their homes. The Meetinghouse was built during the summer and fall of 1806 by members who were skilled in the use of local stone and timber. Solebury Friends have an active First Day (Sunday) School for children. Both First Day School and Meeting for Worship are held on Sunday at 10:00 am. Solebury Friends have a strong belief in community involvement.