You may find it easy to relax in the silence and enter into the spirit of the meeting, or you may be disturbed by the strangeness of the silence, by distractions outside or by your own thoughts. Don’t worry about this. We all find it difficult to settle at times. When we return again and again to the still centre of our being, we can sense divine presence. Try, if only for brief periods, to be quiet in mind, body and spirit. Offer whatever may be pressing on your mind to the silence in the hope that the stillness will resolve the pressure and lead you to calmness.
It can be a time of insight, revelation, healing or calm.
The silence may be broken if someone present feels called to say something which will deepen and enrich the meeting. Anyone is free to speak, pray or read aloud, as long as it is done in response to a prompting of the spirit which comes in the course of the meeting. This breaks the silence for the moment, but does not interrupt it. Listen with an open mind to what is said. Each contribution may help somebody, but our needs are different and can be met in different ways. If something does not speak to your condition or need, try to reach the spirit behind the words. The speaker wants to help the meeting, so take care not to reject the offering by negative criticism.