Anybody attended the Memorial last night? What was your experience?

by Cindi_67 36 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Cindi_67

  I did. For the first time in a year I set foot on a KH. The Memorial to me is still somewhat sacred so I decided to attend. I thought I would feel different, in the sense that maybe I would miss meetings, but I was wrong. I remember listening to the Kingdom songs while they were passing the bread and the wine, but not even that happened. I don't know if this is a change, or it was just this congregation, but when they played the songs, at least it gave you a sense of something more spiritual and the opportunity to reflect on the ocassion. Two things got my attention: The speaker said that in order to benefit from the provision of everlasting life, being possible by means of Jesus' sacrifice, those in attendance should have to acquire knowledge of Jehovah and his son and, hear this..., be baptized as a CHRISTIAN. Where did that come from?

  Also at the end of the talk, he said he had an announcement from the FDS. But it was just an invitation for those visiting, to talk to any of the friends present to ask for a Bible study. I thought the announcement was something out of the ordinary. When did they make this a special announcement from the Society?

  Anyway, I felt "dissapointed" because I actually thought I will get encouraged to see the "good" in going back to the meetings. But I didn't feel anything that would give me that desire.

  Anybody out there with more experiences?
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  tnangel73

  I did also. Well for a few minutes anyway. I went with my parents, my son, and my two nieces. As soon as the song started my son started crying and screaming. I took him to the bathroom where he continued to cry and scream. This was very out of the ordinary for him. He's not a whiny type baby. As soon as he had stopped crying in the bathroom, my mother came in and he started screaming, again. I told her, "See, he knows this is a bad place." Anyway my son and I left. They had us park in an odd way in the parking lot because the Spanish congregation had their Memorial right after. I was blocked in. So I backed very slowly up this steep hill of grass, where they had me park and then I had to drive through their yard and out of the parking lot of the Pentecostal church next door. LOL.
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  anewme

  The last Memorial I attended was in 2003. I too was looking for inspiration and renewal. The JW who was encouraging me hyped up the rewards of attending and promised me there would be a special announcement at the end and that this was a significant memorial.
  
  So I braved a memorial as a dfd person. I was seated in the library with the friend I brought. Babies were crying and fussing. There were significant amounts of time that were dead silent as the emblems of Christ's body and blood were passed through the congregation. I sighed with disappointment as I am sighing now while writing it. All hype, all promise, but just a waste of time, energy and life. Nothing learned, nothing inspirational enjoyed, just once again drone ritual obedience to a borg.
  
  How different was the beautiful Sermon on the Mount! That beautiful day when Jesus sat the crowd down on the grass and began to muse on different aspects of Happiness and Spirituality! Now that was inspirational!
  
  
  Anewme
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  JH

  Well, I said that I wouldn't go to the memorial, but I finally did.

  Maybe it has to do with my dad passing away last autumn and I recall him telling me to remain a believer. My dad didn't approve of the JW's though.

  So, I got there 5 minutes before it started. Usually I'd be there half an hour before, but not this time. I didn't want to talk to any elders too much or at all.

  The first thing I noticed when I entered the hall was my next door neighbour. He lives right across the street. He is single no kids and retired. It was a shock to see him there. It was his first meeting and first memorial.

  I recall telling him years ago, that I hated being a JW, and I think that I told him once that I post on the internet, I forgot if I told him that it was a XJW site. I don't know if he will reveal that to the elders. Probably not. But even if he did, it's his word against mine. I'm sure the elders smell a rat.

  Anyways, he was with an elder, and that elder didn't look at me very much, kind of ignored me or didn't feel like shaking my hand.

  Then I saw 2 other elders and they didn't smile and looked at me in a disapproved way. One of these elders knocked on my moms door a few times lately and my mom doesnt want them around, so I told that elder that my mom goes to Baptist meetings and she doesn,t want the witnesses at her door. So the elder mumbled something and went away.

  Then I saw the elder that invited me to go, and he was smiling and happy to see me, but he was my age, not like the other old fart elders.

  The hall wasn't full. There was place for about 30 more. So there was less people than years ago, although there were many people there. I noticed that there was less young kids than years ago.

  I can't get over how the old elders don't smile much. They look tired and depressed.

  Leaving the hall, a lady in her 60,s told me that she would like if I came to the meetings more often, then she said the end is so close....
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  lost_light06

  I went last night to congregation I attended over 3 years ago. I would say about 75% of the people didn't recognize me because of my shaggy hair. When my mom told them who I was the love bombing commenced. They would say how much they missed me and how I should "visit" more often, then they ignored me the rest of the night. One gungho super elder practically cornered me and offered me to study with him, he was waaaayy too pushy. I later told my mom "you can always depend on Bro. Superelder to make you feel uncomfortable (this same bro. would always ask in front of everyone where you were and why you were gone if you missed a few meetings).

  I noticed in the memorial talk, for the first time, how much they jump around in the scriptures to "prove" the 144,000 are the annointed. Listening with a critical ear I could tell how absurd it was.

  While they were passing the wine the bro. giving the talk explained how wine was made and how fermentation took place so at least I learned something.

  All-in-all it was an hour and a half of wasted life I'll never get back.

  ~LL06
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  JH

  Oh, and I forgot to say.....

  The elder talking in the front told everyone before hand, that NO ONE here at the hall is to take the emblems, drink the wine or eat the bread !!!

  This was reserved for a specific category of people, then he explained.

  And I thought that the bible said that our spirit and God's spirit reveals to us if we are one of the annointed.....hmmm
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  RichieRich

  i went. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/132019/1.ashx
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  Justitia Themis

  We had a speaker from Bethel give our memorial. In addition, we were the earliest one scheduled. Despite those two things, our attendance was down; we had many empty seats. The Bethel speaker made an interesting/odd comment. He was talking about how "millions will survive Armageddon, and that some day, the earths population might reach one billion again." ??????

  To me it just emphasized how out of touch New York is with the rank and file and their beliefs...at least in my congregation. The other thing I found interesting is that how the congregation has received him and his wife. It used to be that Bethel speakers were like rockstars; you couldn't even get close to say hello. They have been treated cordially, but I noticed that few people came up to speak with either of them...or their family. Mostly they just sat there. It was clear they lacked to social skills to "mingle."

  Justitia
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  Crumpet

  can't get over how the old elders don't smile much. They look tired and depressed.

  i can't get over that you went at all. I wonder what your neighbour thinks now...
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  JH

  I wonder what your neighbour thinks now...

  When I entered the hall, that neighbour saw me and told me, we were just talking about you and he was smiling...