Watchtower October 1, 1998, p. 14, par. 2
The coldhearted attitude of the Pharisees constituted a crime against humanity and a sin against God. (John 9:39-41) With good reason, Jesus warned his disciples, "Watch out for the leaven" of this elitist group and other religionists, such as the Sadducees. (Matthew 16:6) Leaven is used in the Bible to represent sin or corruption. So Jesus was saying that the teaching of the "scribes and Pharisees" could corrupt pure worship. How? In that it taught people to view God’s Law solely in terms of their arbitrary rules and rituals, while ignoring "the weightier matters," including mercy. (Matthew 23:23) This ritualistic form of religion made worship of God an intolerable burden.
Matthew 23:23-24
"Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because YOU give the tenth of the mint and the dill and the cumin, but YOU have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law, namely, justice and mercy and faithfulness. These things it was binding to do, yet not to disregard the other things. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat but gulp down the camel!"
Main Entry: ritual
Function: noun
1: the established form for a ceremony; specifically: the order of words prescribed for a religious ceremony
2 a: ritual observance; specifically:a system of ritesb: a ceremonial act or action c:an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set precise manner
Main Entry: rite
Function: noun
1 a: a prescribed form or manner governing the words or actions for a ceremony
Is your form of worship ritualistic? Think carefully about the meetings. Do you get to ask questions? Do you feel free to get up and leave whenever you like? Is it appropriate to disagree with something said by the speaker, or to ask for clarification in front of everyone else?
What about the material to be considered at the Theocratic Ministry School or Service Meeting? How do you know what will be discussed? It isn't prescribed, is it?
Theocratic Ministry School
Week Starting
Song ### and prayer
Talk #1
Bible Highlights
(separate into multiple schools, if needed)
"Talk" #2 (Reading Assignment)
Talk #3
Talk #4
Service Meeting
Week Starting
Song ###
10 min: Announcements
15 min: Doing More to Increase Activity (<--- you know some of the titles are just that bad)
20 min: Local Needs or talk by Congregation Secretary from Watchtower 10/1 1998 article entitled . . .
Song ### and concluding prayer
I haven't been to a meeting in over a year. How close did I get?
What about the content of the talks? Surely it isn't so ritualized that even the content is prescribed, is it? You know better. How many times did you WISH there was not that restriction to stick with the Scriptures provided when we used to do the "Topics for Bible Discussion" parts on #3 and #4, or the parts taken from Reasoning From the Scriptures? The counsel was always the same, cover the material "scheduled" (i.e. prescribed) and bring in additional Scriptures or points as time allows. (chuckle up the sleeve, there is no extra time)
But surely, the public speakers, men qualified to teach, surely their public speaking parts are not prescribed! Have you ever seen a Public Talk outline, or an outline for a Circuit Assembly or District Convention part? Ever notice that your PO or some other "qualified" brother is reading a sheet along with the person giving the talk (not all congregations actually do this, but all are instructed to)? Ever notice the fellow sitting to the side at Assemblies and Conventions following along with the outline in hand?
Remember the instructions for talk #3 and #4 to cover the material provided and only bring in additional points and Scriptures as time allows? The same rule applies to these "qualified" teachers. But if they are following the outline, there is rarely ever any additional time. In fact, many brothers pride themselves on how closely they can adhere to the timing for the various points to consider that run along the lefthand side of the outline. Formulaic, prescribed, lifeless.
What other rituals can you think of that create a system of rites and a prescribed series of acts in a set precise manner?
Offered as food for thought.