Life with Jehovah's Witnesses... (page 2)

Mrs Smith

Welcome. Your post reminded me of many family visits!! Good luck.

Crumpet

Really interesting post! i hope we get some more in the same vein! So how did you manage to get away with marrying one then?!

lilybird

Hi ..I enjoyed reading your post. It reminds me of when my husband's jw family gets together..

Welcome, whoareyou. I'm the wife of a JW convert, so no large gatherings for me. I get corralled at the meeting by the same biddies who make your life so interesting, "We missed you." Yes, sure, uh-huh. That's why my husband's name is not even on the "association list". That's why you never call.

Beautiful writing, by the way. It's almost as if I'm there.

Who are you?

Thank You for your kind Welcomes! More life with a Jehovah's Witness....

Maybe it was my mate repeating to me, what others had repeated to her, "If there is only one day in the entire year that you go, then THIS is

the day!" I'm not sure what exactly motivated me to go to my one and only Jehovah's Witness "memorial". I had resisted for years and years.

It wasn't a moment of weakness, but rather curiosity at what a collosal event it was made out to be. In the world of JW's this day must have

seemed like the World Cup, Super Bowl and World Series all rolled into one. How bad can it be I figured. I was told in advance what to expect

by a very sober sounding relative. I was told that this service was going to be far different than anything I had ever seen before. He said that I

will no doubt feel Jehovah's presence. I was warned in the most serious of tones that no matter what happens, DON'T "partake". When he

finished explaining about the partakers and annointed and wafers and wine, he asked if I had any questions. I told him no, that I'm familiar with

this sort of ritual, its called communion. "Oh no, its definately not communion, he replied." Then he went into a long explanation about the

Catholic Church and by comparison how Jehovah's Witnesses are the only true religion. I was reviewing this all in my head on the ride over,

the JW's aren't like the clergy, they have what is called elders, and they don't practice communion, they pass the wafers and wine and only the

annointed could partake, but it isn't communion because the annointed aren't clergy or bishops like the Catholics and none of it is a ritual. It is

a memorial.

We had dutifly arrived 30 minutes early since we were warned that seating would be at a premium. There was a definite buzz in the audience. It

felt a little like the lead up to the warm up act at a concert. From the excited looks of the audience members, I was half expecting the lights to

dim and smoke to fill the stage. Maybe a screen would slowly descend from behind the stage and Jesus' voice would resonate like James Earl

Jones to thank his one and only group of true followers for conducting the memorial in the one way he would approve of.

Fifteen minutes into the "memorial", I felt like that person that against his better judgement had gone to see a movie that he knew he wasn't

going to like. At least when you attend communion you get to watch all the people going up to the alter and back. This ceremony consisted of

passing items from row to row and back again. There was complete silence and all eyes were transfixed on the wafers and wine as it was

passed back and forth. Was I the only one hoping that one of the plates would take a tumble just to liven it up a little? I couldn't help but think,

isn't this a ritual.? Isn't this is exactly like communion, only they are calling it "partaking" by the annointed? They don't call them clergy, but

they have elders and annointed and a group called the Governing Body. It seemed very surreal. Eveything that I was told it wouldn't be, it was.

jgnat

Isn't this is exactly like communion, only they are calling it "partaking" by the annointed? They don't call them clergy, but they have elders and annointed and a group called the Governing Body. It seemed very surreal. Eveything that I was told it wouldn't be, it was.

Amen, sister. My feelings exactly. Every year my hubby gets revved up to invite any family and friends he can muster. Every year the list gets shorter and shorter. He's said exactly the same thing, "If there is only one day in the entire year that you go, then THIS is the day!" But now I know why. This is the only day that the Jehovah's Witness record their attendance. Researchers use this base number to compare the "real" membership of the JW's compared to other religions (counting only pioneers is too stringent for comparison).

It's all about the numbers, baby.

Lady Liberty

Dear Who Are You,

WELCOME to the forum!!!!!!!!!! Boy do you have that routine down pat! We look forward to hearing more from you!! Thank you for sharing.

Sincerely,

Lady Liberty

Life with Jehovah's Witnesses...

Mrs Smith

Crumpet

lilybird

jgnat

Who are you?

jgnat

Lady Liberty

JamesThomas

Cellist

Abandoned

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