Luray Friends Meeting

Luray Friends Meeting welcomes all who wish to join us in silent worship and the shared seeking of Truth. We are a universalist Quaker meeting committed to contemplation, peace, compassion, and the inward discovery of the Divine. People of all backgrounds, beliefs, and walks of life are welcome among us. We gather in the stillness of unprogrammed worship, waiting upon the Inward Light and remaining open to the guidance of the Spirit. We come together to listen, learn, grow, and live more faithfully in response to the Truth that we encounter.

We meet every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at St. George's Episcopal Church, 3392 Pine Grove Road, Stanley, Virginia 22851. Our meeting is held in the church education hall. No prior experience of Quaker worship is necessary. You are welcome to come as you are, rest in the silence, and discover the practice for yourself.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about the Religious Society of Friends, the spiritual vision of Luray Friends Meeting, and the inward journey that has inspired seekers throughout history. You are also welcome to visit our friends at St. George's Episcopal Church and Valley Friends Meeting, with whom we share fellowship and spiritual connections.

The Light Within

Friends have long spoken of the Inward Light, the Seed of God, and the living presence of Christ within. At Luray Friends, we explore these expressions of the Divine in a universalist spirit, recognizing that the Light is not confined to those who identify as Christian or who have encountered the historical person of Jesus. We understand the Light of Christ as a universal spiritual reality, present and at work throughout creation and within every person. Jesus of Nazareth holds a unique and central place in our understanding as the incarnation of the eternal Word, yet the work of the Spirit is not limited to the boundaries of Christianity.

We seek to follow the Light wherever it leads, allowing our understanding to deepen through worship, discernment, study, and the practice of unconditional Love.

Why Quakerism?

Direct spiritual experience - Friends seek to know the Divine inwardly, through the Light of God that speaks to the heart. In silent worship, we make space to listen, to become still, and to discern what the Spirit may reveal.

A shared journey - We support one another in our spiritual seeking, recognizing that each person has a unique life, experience, and understanding. We gather in humility, knowing that none of us possesses the fullness of Truth alone.

Universally welcoming - Luray Friends welcomes people of diverse religious traditions, philosophies, and convictions. We believe that the Light is not confined by the boundaries of any one culture or religion, and we remain open to the wisdom that may be encountered in many places, always seeking to discern its truth and its fruits.

A life shaped by Love - Quaker worship is not an end in itself. We seek to carry what we encounter in the stillness into our daily lives through compassion, integrity, peace, equality, simplicity, and care for the world around us.

"The Lord showed me, so that I did see clearly, that he did not dwell in these temples which men had commanded and set up, but in people's hearts … his people were his temple, and he dwelt in them." 

- George Fox (1624-1691), principal founder of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

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