Vocal Ministry—Speaking in Meeting for Worship
About Vocal Ministry
When people rise to speak in the meeting for worship, we call this vocal ministry.
We don't have a pastor who gives a sermon. Rather, any one of us may find ourselves inspired by the Holy Spirit to bring a Spirit-led message to the gathered body.
The goal of these messages is to open us to the Truth, turn us toward the Light within us, and lead us deeper into worship. Naturally, some ministries feel more Spirit-led than others. Nonetheless, we assume that any message could be speaking to someone in the meeting and so we receive each message accordingly. Messages may include song and even movement.
Some guidelines for speaking
We ask worshippers to
- stand when they speak and to speak loudly enough for all to hear; some of us are hearing impaired; if you are hearing impaired yourself, ask the greeter at the door to set you up with one of our electronic aids;
- wait an appropriate time at the beginning of the hour, typically twenty minutes or so, before speaking in order to allow the meeting to deepen, for the silence to reach some depths and for the worshippers to find their center;
- leave some time after someone has spoken before speaking yourself, to give us time to follow the message to its center;
- avoid directly responding to a previous message or entering into a discussion about subjects raised in previous messages;
- speak only once; and,
- most importantly, to wait upon the leadings of the Spirit (and not prepare a message beforehand), asking ourselves: is this of the Spirit, and is it for me alone or for those who are gathered?
Is My Message Led by the Spirit?
We offer these questions to decide whether your message is Spirit-led:
- Have I come to worship free of any determination to speak or not to speak?
- Have I become centered in the silence?
- Does my message come from a deep spiritual center or source?
- Is my message intended for everyone, not just for me or the last speaker?
- Is it unlikely that my message will be perceived as a lecture or announcement?
- Do my words point the way to something higher than myself, turning listeners inward to the Light or Spirit within them?
- Do I feel compelled to speak?
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