Waiting Worship

One hour of waiting worship or absolute attention on reality or meditation / accompanied by a low frequency sound bath + light therapy…
Presented by jim strong and friends
Sunday, December 11, 2022 | Doors at 6 pm | FREE |At Vox

Sitting next to someone without words is an oddly intimate act. There is something indescribable about doing this with a large group of people. You are invited to find a comfortable place in the room and see how little you can possibly do. We won’t be doing anything. It is an experiment in seeing where we our taken, individually and as a group, when we are able to get out of our own way even just a little bit. We can call it meditation, or silent prayer.. it can be a religious feeling or one of deep relaxation depending on what language or interpretation feels right for you. I’ve often described it like the group is connecting a circuit, allowing a current of energy to pass between us – there is something significant about the group act of sharing presence which is unique from waiting alone.

In this deep place of receptivity sometimes words ideas, images or feelings may bubble up. This may be meant for you alone or for the group – If this happens and you feel moved to share – you are invited to speak into the silence and share your experience. This is a heavy burden however, because to break the silence one must carry the weight that though no words are being outwardly spoken it doesn’t mean that communication is not occurring. The practice of waiting worship is borrowed from the society of friends, or Quakers. Although I believe it has many precedents throughout time and history. Early Friends (as they are called) sought to remove the barriers of pageantry and hierarchy which had grown up in their time separating the individual seeker and the experience of holy communion or mystery . In our time and in our lives these barriers may look different . Then as Now, within the scope of this event all we can say its let’s get together, Wait and See…

P.S. Jim Strong will be arranging the space, lighting and providing subtle low-frequency audio accompaniment to aid in the process of immersion. + Bring a comfy blanket, dress comfy— Bring a snack to share if u like ! simple potluck style

“Settle into your place as an anonymous member of an anonymous group. If you have come to have a reputation among people, forget this and become anonymous. If you have not made a name for yourself, forget this. The opportunity to practice anonymity is a precious one. The meeting for worship would be of great value if it did no more than make this practice possible. If you are accustomed to feel yourself important in the eyes of men, lay it down and feel only that you and others may have some importance in the eyes of God. If you feel unimportant, lay this down. If articulate or inarticulate, forget this. Lay aside all your worldly relationships and your everyday interior states. In fine, forget yourself. Surrender yourself. Immerse yourself in the life of the group. This is our chance to lose ourselves in a unified and greater life. It is our opportunity to die as separated individuals and be born anew in the life and power of the spirit.” – Jean N Toomer “An interpretation of friends worship”