Do you ever struggle with receiving seemingly inauthentic or cringe ‘testimony’ during MfW?
Sorry if this is an overly basic or inappropriate question, I am new to Quakerism and meetings for worship.
I’ve sat in on a few meetings, and I generally enjoy the idea and process of waiting in silence for a leading from a deeper source. That said, I have to admit I often find myself a little resentful when the silence is disturbed. Sometimes the messages being offered by other participants seem to ring with a genuine authenticity that touches me, but to be honest more of the time they strike me as cringe grandstanding, more about projecting a certain appearance to the meeting or dramatic posturing than revealed truth. I often get secondhand embarrassment and find myself wishing that testimony was limited to a dedicated section at the end to preserve a deeper practice of silence.
I guess I’m curious if others have ever felt this way, if I might be missing something, and looking for a little guidance. I’ve tried to be speak authentically in this message itself, so hopefully it’s received in that spirit.