| | by admin | | posted on 14th January 2026 in Seeking Faith & Practice | | views 32 | |
Openings and leadings are the Quaker way of describing how clarity comes, and how faithful action follows, through waiting, listening, and careful discernment.
They are the words Quakers often use to describe how insight, clarity, or direction is discovered over time. They point to a way of paying attention rather than a method of decision-making. For many Friends, faith is experienced not as instruction given once and for all, but as something that unfolds gradually.
An opening is often described as a moment when something becomes clearer. It may arrive quietly, as a sense of rightness or recognition, or slowly, through reflection and waiting. Openings are rarely dramatic. They are more often marked by a gentle widening of understanding — a feeling that something previously unseen has come into view.
“The experiences, insights and ‘openings’ of Friends in the 17th century set out the framework and purpose of the Society … for the openings also set a direction and point into the future.”
A leading is what may follow. Where an opening brings clarity, a leading brings movement. It is a sense that something is being asked of you: a change in direction, a step to be taken, or an action to be lived into. Leadings are not commands, and they are not always comfortable. They are invitations that require discernment, patience, and care.
For many Friends, openings and leadings are tested rather than assumed. They are held quietly, spoken aloud when the time feels right, and weighed in community. A leading that is faithful is expected to settle, deepen, and remain steady over time. If it fades or becomes restless, Friends may return to waiting.
In meeting for worship, openness to openings and leadings is practised through silence. Friends listen inwardly, not straining for answers, but making space for whatever may arise. When someone speaks of an opening or a leading, others listen attentively, not to judge, but to notice whether the words carry a sense of truth and life.
From the earliest days of Quakerism, Friends spoke of being led by The Spirit. Early Quakers rejected the idea that guidance depended only on outward authority, not because guidance was unimportant, but because they believed it was still available in the present. In time, the language of openings and leadings became part of how Friends described this continuing, lived guidance.
Although the language has softened over the centuries, the practice remains recognisably Quaker. Friends today may speak more tentatively, yet the underlying trust is the same — that insight and direction can emerge through waiting, listening, and faithfulness, especially when tested in community.
Living with openness to openings and leadings asks for patience in a culture that values speed, and for humility in a world that prizes certainty. It may mean holding questions longer than feels comfortable, or resisting the urge to act before clarity has time to form.
“Let us be led by The Spirit. Let us walk with a smile into the dark.”
Many Friends find that this way of living brings a quiet sense of alignment. Decisions feel less forced. Action grows more naturally out of conviction. Even when outcomes are uncertain, there can be a sense of faithfulness in having listened well.
For those exploring Quakerism, the language of openings and leadings can offer reassurance. You are not expected to know everything in advance. You are invited to pay attention, to test what arises, and to trust that clarity often comes not all at once, but step by step — as life itself continues to open and lead.
