I totally agree with the comments here. I never realized how hypnotized I was during these grueling sessions. Then with the closing prayer your eyes are either closed or focused on one object, like the back of a chair, or your shoes, while listening to a quiet voice droning on reinforcing all the rules you learned that day. After each assembly day I was anxious, over tired, with a blistering headache, it was impossible to sleep that night, then up at dawn for another day of torture.
Closing prayers at JW conventions
by TD 20 Replies latest jw friends
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FreedomFrog
The first thought that came to my mind when I read your topic was "oh, the one that took so d*** long???"
Hmmm, I never thought of it being like a talk but you're right. It could have been about as long as a talk too!!!
~~Froggy~~ (<------shudders at the thought of going through that again)
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Doubting Bro
HUGE pet peeve for me. I've been chairman before and was given specific instructions to make my prayer no longer than 2 min. And, the shorter the better was what I was told. If you want to pray for an hour in private, that's fine. But a 10 minute public prayer is downright rude. And, my DC ended with one that long because I timed it! The kids have it right. When they start fussing, its time to wrap it up.
Minimus said:
-It's just like the Pharisees---just like them!
I'll give you an amen on that one my brother!!
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Thinking of Leaving
I often wondered if I were the only one who felt like this. While standing for those prayers I would often sway back and forth because my high heels would be killing me lol, so boring, so glad it's over and I Don't have to endure them.
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Paksen
When I was little, my family and I would go over and have dinner, with the people who studied with my parents and brainwashed them into being JW. Every dinner prayer was freaking 10 min long. I don't know about you, but when your a kid and smelling all that food in front of you and then a 10 min prayer, that was torture. The people that brainwashed my parents were ancient ,and every prayer they ever said for anything was 10 minutes long.
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exwitless
Running a close second in level of annoyance was the last talk of the DC. Otherwise known as "The Clapper".
I used to keep a tally of how many forced errrr. spontaneous rounds of applause were extracted from the already worn out audience during this talk.
Open Mind
I never heard of it being called "the clapper", but that's the most appropriate name.
Open mind - maybe you could take your previous clapping idea to a new level. Toward the end of a long, drawn-out prayer at the end of a DC or circuit assembly, while everyone is quiet, you should just start clapping. Loudly! Then proceed to walk out (taking the longest route to the door as possible) and clap yourself all the way out of the building.
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bigdreaux
not only the long prayer, but then, when it was over, people would clap like seals for no reason. wtf?
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exwitless
That's called the "Thank god it's over and we can finally go home" clap.
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bigdreaux
exwitless, looking back, that's probably what it was.
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WTWizard
As I see it, a closing prayer doesn't need to be more than two minutes long. The outline is similar to regular meetings: Thanks for the whole program and the association (as if there was anything there to be thankful for). Asking for blessings in applying the material that was just learned in the program (actually, not worth applying). Asking for blessings in a safe return from the program (actually, having a more interesting program instead of a wastefest would be better, as well as having it closer to the home city). Asking for forgiveness for sins (which are not actually harmful to self or society). Then wrap it all up.
If I was doing the closing prayer, they would see how much it could be cut short. When I had to lead the group in the field misery, I would have a prayer that would often be less than 30 seconds long. And I would keep it down to the 30 seconds to a minute, not a year or two years long. Having people standing still to listen to a lengthy prayer is more than just a waste of time. Children are expecting the damn thing to end soon, and it keeps getting added to every time they think this is it. People are eager to get out of there so they can drive home and get to bed at a decent hour (after all, they do expect everyone out in street work the next morning at 5:30). And you cannot just skip a part to get to the essence: with a long prayer, you are forced to listen to the whole thing.
Long prayers do have their place. Jesus himself prayed all night once. But, forcing children to stand through prayers that last a billion years or keeping the family waiting all day for a meal prayer to end is stupid. These things should be timed--I wish I could time the prayer and ding them when two minutes has elapsed. After another 30 seconds and no "Amen", the microphone would suddenly go dead and the apostates would have the chance to give one final talk. That ought to make the prayers a lot shorter next year.