As students hit the road for Thanksgiving, they expressed their gratitude for their blessings over the past few years. This year, it is important to take in all the good and bad and reflect regardless. Luckily at Wilmington Friends, students can reflect on everything and anything with meetings for worship. Although, what makes a meeting for worship so “special” for it to happen in the middle of the day? 

During MFW, there is no such thing as a wrong belief. Everyone is accepted for their thoughts. Ryann Smith ‘25, a student at Friends since first grade, has her view set on meeting for worship. “If you are stressed, I think it’s a good thing to look forward to. Because meeting for worship is in the middle of the day, my classes are longer but it’s worth it.” Lulu Cochran ‘25 is in her first year at Friends as a freshman. As a student coming into the Quaker community, how could one feel about or describe such a tradition? “I felt that it was a good thing to calm down in the middle of the day. But, I thought that we couldn’t talk.” 

Rebecca Zug is the upper school division head. Zug has been at Friends for 12 years, and meeting for worship is a special place for her. Zug said, “I try to center myself to listen to messages within.” Rebecca Zug has been a Quaker her whole life, and she shared how as you grow older, you start to understand the true meaning of MFW. Zug said, “I like to look out the window panes to watch the clouds because that helps me slow down.” In meeting for worship, everyone finds peace differently. Some people close their eyes and some people find opening their eyes more traditional.

As everyone knows, queries are presented at the beginning of MFW. But, where do these queries come from? In addition, who decides the queries for each meeting? Most queries come from the “Faith and Practice” text, but at WFS, students or a club or the faculty can also write the queries of the meeting. Zug explained how “The Quaker life committee approves of them when we approve the schedule and structure of each meeting.” 

The answer to “What makes Meeting For Worship so ‘special’?” is more simple than people think. Some would say it is because it helps people find themselves and who they are as a person. Quiet time to reflect can be helpful because as author Mandy Hale said, “Some steps need to be taken alone. It’s the only way to really figure out where you need to be.”