Going to Memorial Service for the first time.....what should we expect?

by whyizit 32 Replies latest jw friends

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  whyizit

  We spent 6 months "studying" with a JW couple. They claimed the WTS had all the answers, but they actually couldn't answer ANY of our questions. (We are devoted born-again Bible-believing Christians.)

  We have remained freinds with this couple, even though they were instructed to cancell the study with us. They recently invited us to the Memorial Service, and we are considering going. Mostly just to see them again and show them the courtesy of accepting their invitation. Partly out of curiosity. Also, a Pastor friend who knows us very well and is familiar with witnessing to JWs feels that we would benefit by going to the KH and seeing what it is like.

  Having never been to a KH, let alone a memorial Service at one, I wondered if you could give us an idea of what to expect? What are some of the things we might observe and that we could ask questions about? I'm sure I'll find a lot on my own, but I would like to be prepared. It might be a one-time deal.

  Since we are visitors, how dressed up do we have to get? Our church is not a very "dressy" one, so we typically wear every-day clothes. (For instance: If a lady shows up to KH wearing dress pants, rather than a dress, how would she be treated? Keeping in mind that she is a visitor? Or if a man does not wear a suit?)

  Any advice you have would be very helpful!

  Thanks.

  WHYIZIT
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  Dr Jekyll

  You are just studies so no one will expect you to make to much of an effort or expect you to conform. However you will stick out like sore thumbs just based on how you dress. The men will be in suits and ties the women smartly dressed but not in trousers or anything to revealing or worldly
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  Finally-Free

  If you want to minimize the number of people falling all over you in their false love bombing attempt, a man should wear a suit and tie and a woman should wear a modest dress. That way, some may think you are already JWs and they just might leave you alone. If you dress any other way they'll be all over you, thinking you're fresh meat. If they talk to you they can count their time™, and they will.

  Much of the memorial™ talk will be to tell you not to partake™ of the emblems™, but just to pass them on. This is because you are not what the JWs call "annointed™", and you cannot possibly have a heavenly hope.

  Personally, I consider the entire proceeding a rejection of Jesus.

  W
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  jeeprube

  First of all be prepared for intense love-bombing. The moment you walk through the front door you will be targeted as a potential recruit. All rank and file JW's will be dressed to the hilt, many having purchased new outfits just for the occasion.

  The strangest thing to you will be the act of passing the bread and wine.........watch how nobody partakes of it. The rank and file JW is not part of the covenant Christ set up between himself and man, therefore they will not partake of the "emblems." This actually means that Jesus is not their mediator, however, many of them do not realize that. If you want to raise a thought provoking question, ask your friends why Jesus is not their mediator.
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  TresHappy

  You will see the children all dressed in their Sunday best; you will think you're at an Easter Sunday service. You will see many dressed in sharp outfits; because the Memorial is a great time to go out and buy a "memorial/Easter" outfit. You'll see the young men directing you in the parking lot because this is the only time of year they get to do anything other than handle the microphones during the WT study. Everyone will be seated after sundown and listen to the same drab ol' outline we've heard a hundred times. It will last about an hour; afterwards many of the JW's will go out to eat together. As others have said; you just get to pass the wine and the bread; Jesus is not their mediator but no one ever told me that until I heard it from a pioneer during a book study. You will be lovebombed; because tons of people go to the Memorial; it's the first thing most potential JW's go to so they get to see what they're really like.

  BTW, I got my invitation from my parents tonight to go to the Memorial - which I turned down.
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  Double Edge

  
  A few years ago, my JW friend invited me too. My impression:

  No one paid attention to me until my friend showed up and they learned I was not a JW.... "love bombing at its' best".

  Melody and lyrics to their unknown songs were rather bland and unemotional.

  Talks were like the music, except more-so. (boring)

  Passing the emblems only to be ignored was puzzling and kind of silly if you think about it.

  At the end, and invitation was given to learn more at a "special meeting".

  Good thing: only one-hour

  Best thing: Going out to dinner afterwords --- no one even discussed the meeting.
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  Highlander

  Yeah, my bro called me to 'remind' me of the memorial date. Then today he calls to tell me(brag) that he is fixing the kingdom hall lawnmower.

  I thank god I live 2000 miles from some of my idiot, I mean 'loving' family members.
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  yaddayadda

  You can expect to hear a very dry, rushed, impersonal talk that will twist and turn on various abstruse points about sheep and classes and anointed and great crowd etc etc, and not much at all about Jesus as a person and what happened on the day he died.

  The whole thing is simply a glorified Sunday public talk, punctuated by strange silent pauses as the wine and bread are passed around.

  The only good points are it is a short meeting, the anticipation of the wine and bread coming your way and the enticing smell of the wine, and the opportunity to perhaps spot some old faces from the past that make the token effort to go along once a year and to check out the new faces of visiting bible students or others that have been persuaded to attend that normally don't.
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  gaybeat

  Also expect an overcrowded Kingdom Hall, that greatly surpasses the maximum occupancy. Expect having to stand up because no seats are left since you came late. Expect lots of bumping into each other, Expect lots of traffic trying to escape the KH,
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  sass_my_frass

  It's an insult, that they pass these emblems around and nobody takes them. If you're used to eating and drinking the emblems, you should go ahead and do so, and cause the biggest scandal of the year!! They will tell you many times that you're not allowed to, but afterwards you can explain that Jesus gave us specific instructions that we must all partake, and to not do so would have been, well, just wrong and silly.