Christ’s Visit to Meeting for Worship

One Wednesday evening I went to Mid-week Meeting for Worship as was usual at that time. In all 3 of us were present and we began, sitting in silence for some while. The worship felt very deep, as it often was when we came together to worship Christ at Mid-week Meeting.

After a short while of worship I became aware of a presence which seemed outwardly powerful, rather than the usual inward only experience. I dare not look up in case I disturbed the sense of the meeting and was the cause of the presence leaving us. I instinctively knew that the presence was Christ and He took a seat some 4 to 5 seats to my left and about 2 or 3 rows behind me. The worship continued in silence and I felt very blessed and at peace. After some considerable time I felt the presence of Christ rise and disappear as silently as He had entered.

After a short while we stood to conclude the Meeting for Worship in the usual manner of shaking hands. As I stood to approach one of the other Friends who was sat about 5 metres away diagonally to the front and right of where I had sat our gazes locked. We stood a few paces apart and just nodded to each other in a knowing, but unspoken manner. When we had shaken hands I quietly said to the Friend “did you feel the presence amongst us tonight?” He replied “yes” and I asked him to say where the presence was in the room. He pointed to the exact area beyond me and to the rear of where I had been sat, some 8 or so metres from him.

Our quiet conversation made the third Friend with us that evening ask if we were alright. We answered “yes” and asked if he too had felt the presence amongst us, to which he answered “no”. We explained that the 2 of us had both felt that Christ had joined us for some time during the Meeting for Worship and indicated where we both believed that Christ had sat. We also confirmed that neither of us had broken our deep worship, or looked up for the same reasons; trust, the feeling of utter peace and not wanting to disturb the beauty of the occasion, nor to be the cause of Christ leaving us until He was ready.

We both felt very blessed but also sorry that the 3rd Friend had not had the same experience. I remember the occasion some 15 years ago and the experience still gives me a warm glow inside as I recall it – and His promise in Matthew 18:20 “for wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Although I have experienced Christ deep inside of me many times during Meeting for Worship with other Friends, this one was very, very special and one that I shall never forget.

Shajom