Guidelines for Worship Sharing
- Whereas in worship we come purposing, neither to speak or not to speak, in worship sharing, we come aware that we will probably speak.
- However, no one should feel compelled to speak. A person may defer his/her turn until the end of the round or pass altogether if that feels right.
- Those who speak will speak only once, distilling the promptings of the Spirit on the subject into a single statement.
- Those who speak will speak from their own experience, avoiding ideas about the subject... especially the ideas of others, even if they have embraced them.
- When we speak, we will not answer another person, discuss, dispute, disagree, correct or straighten one another out. We will speak from and for ourselves.
- While others are speaking, we will not be preparing what we will say when it is our turn.
- While others are speaking... we will lay aside our critical listening skills, which serve to separate us from one another and from what is said.
- While others are speaking, we will try to listen to each person as a unique child of God, a unique gift of God to us. We will try to hear how God is speaking to us personally in the other's words, in their situation, in their very being, even... and especially... when we find ourselves resistant to them.
- When someone has finished speaking, we will take a time in silence so that we may really take in what has been said, be sure we have heard it, begin to identify our resonances and resistances before the next person speaks.
- As we listen, we may also be mindful whether any pattern seems to be emerging in what is shared, whether it reflects any movement of the Spirit among us.
- We must do this as though we had all the time in the world and yet be mindful of how much time we do have. If we divide the allotted time by the number of group members, we will know roughly how much time each person has for silence and for speaking. Each person can be responsible for disciplining him/herself to keep to the allotted time... mindful that to run over is not only to deprive another of an opportunity to speak, but to deprive the group of hearing what might have been said.
Patricia Loring
An Image for Worship Sharing
My favorite image of worship sharing centers on a quiet pool of water in the sunlight. The water is clear and transparent. At the bottom is fine, clean, light-colored sand. Around the pool is a group of quiet, comfortable people. Each has a collection of stones before her.
The worship sharing can be likened to a time in which each person, in turn, carefully selects from his collection, a single stone to throw into the water. The stone may be selected because it is similar to the one that was thrown in previously... or because it is very different... or because it compliments another... or because it is the most beautiful one in the collection... or because it is the one that is easiest to part with... or for some other reason.
It is important however, that one not choose for the occasion a large rock, which will make too big a splash or take too much space. It is important also that one choose just a single stone and not a group or the entire collection.
The occasion has a great sense of peace and leisure about it. We watch as each person slowly selects her stone and tosses it. As if in slow motion, we watch the stone leave the -hand, arc through the sunlight and enter the water. We see the water slash up around it. The stone slowly sinks through the clear water, coming to rest on the sandy bottom. We watch the ripples spread out in concentric rings, lapping against the sides of the pool. Gradually they diminish in size and smooth away.
Then the next person selects his stone.
When the last ripple has died away, we may have a unique collection of individual stones in the pool. Or we may find that a pattern has emerged, independent of our plans or volition, which would not have risen had we not come together in this way, or had someone been missing. We may find ourselves as deeply spoken to by this pattern as by individual contributors.
Patricia Loring
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