Were You "Refreshed" After Going To Meetings & Assemblies? (page 2)

minimus

I remember many years ago when meetings were interesting and even fun! But the Society took ALL individuality out of it and whether you went to a meeting or read the material at home---it was no different.

Blueblades

Yes Mini...There was a time when the congregations stuck together, and had a lot of weekend outings, picnics, beaches, football, baseball, chess,games etc. New Order was right around the corner, it was refreshing news at the time. Also,the refreshment came with the activities after the meetings.

The Governing Body put a stop to all of that, no this ,no that. They put a damper on us and the refreshment came to a halt for many of us. That's when the researching and questioning into all of this Governing Body clamp down began and has exploded upon them.

For many getting out of that publishing company was the best kind of refreshment yet.

Blueblades

logic

I think a lot of people that say they are refreshed are just confused. It is like having a bad tooth that needs to be pulled . You go to the dentist and you are unconfortable, miserable, in pain etc. But when it is all over you feel a heck of lot better. I know that is how I always felt

Hermano

I kept trying to live up to the impossible standards and the Do more! motto, and I alway ended up Tired as hell, Guilty, Disappointed in myself, Depressed, Beaten.

I felt like I was being asked to defy gravity. Yeah, I could be what they wanted me to be for a few months, but then you realize the minute you stop fighting gravity it pulls you under, cause you're only freaking human. Then you get one of those guilt trip talks: "Brothers, we know there are some amongst us who are not following the bible based counsel of the faithful and discreet slave blah blah blab blah....." Oh yeah, real soothing.

And why make the assamblies so freakin long? It's like the make them tiring on purpose. Who the hell wants to sit for 8 hours a day in uncomfortable chairs, listening to boring talks? Heck, even if it was entertaining I wouldn't want to spend the entire day there.

minimus

Yeah....."The Truth" is as refreshing as a tooth ache.

troubled mind

I remember over the years looking forward to the assemblies . Feeling spiritually low and getting the boost I needed to keep plugging away for another year .

As Drew said about three yrs. ago my last summer convention I went away thinking how full of themselves ! There was no refreshment ....except maybe the lunch I packed . Then I started coming here .

There was one assembly several years back when I was suffering from a major depressive episode . A sister came over to sit by me and she said "Hasn't the program been so encouraing so far ! ? " I looked at her in disbeilf and said " Actually NO all the talk about doing more in feild service makes me want to throw myself off the balcony ! " ( okay came across a bit strong maybe .....as she slowly backed away )

Here's freakin refreshment for you ...Remember the assembly in 1987 , the talk was "Responsible Chidbearing in the Time of the End ". It remains in my mind because I was seven months pregnant with my youngest . The gist of the talk was 'why in the world are you having children now so close to the end .Some are setting such a wise example for putting off having children so they can do more in the ministry . I felt like crawling under a rock during that talk ....it was hard ,but I proudly held my head high as I waddled off to the bathroom half way through the refreshing spiritual feast. I clearly recall wanting to give the speaker the 'finger' as I went down the aisle .

minimus

Troubled Mind, I woulda LOVED seeing a 7 mth. pregnant woman giving "the finger" to the DC speaker while he spoke ill of pregnant women!

Awakened07

Usually, I would feel exhausted, and the best part of it was to come home and change into comfortable clothes and turn the TV on... But I'm not going to be an a-hole here for no good reason; there were times I felt happy, especially during assemblies, and especially in the more distant past.

But that went sour over the years. Eventually I only felt uncomfortable. I had no-one to talk to during the break, not even my so-called friends (I wasn't good enough - so you could say I was "shunned" even when I was still semi-active), and that hour and a half or what it was seemed like forever. Sure, I could put on a fake smile like anyone else, and if I was lucky I could actually bump into someone I knew from a couple of years earlier and we'd talk and I'd feel a little better, but most of the time not.

-I clearly remember the turning point for me though. The district overseer, someone everyone liked and had a great deal of respect for, told (from the podium) a fictional story that a pioneer sister had written. It went something like this:

"There were two pioneer sisters who were very good friends. They used to go out in the ministry together quite often, and they were both very active. One day when they had finished up, they were about to leave for home. One of them decided to walk home, the other chose to take the bus. As the bus pulled up, one of the sisters went over to get on board. But tragically, she was hit by a car, and died. Now we fast forward a few years. This sister who died in the car accident suddenly wakes up, and she finds herself in beautiful surroundings. She looks around, and sees a house not too far away. She walks over there, and sees someone sitting on the porch. She can't really recognize the person, but there is something very familiar about her anyway. As she comes closer, this person notices her, and comes running toward her. She suddenly sees that it's her mother, who had past away many years before this pioneer sister died, and they throw themselves into each other's arms and have a happy reunion. After a while, as they sit on the porch and relax, something dawns on the former pioneer sister: Her girl friend! Where is she! She asks her mother, and her mother looks a little sad, but then says, 'Well - you see, after you died, they say she became less and less interested in the Truth, and eventually she found and married a worldly man. When Armageddon came, she died with the others'. 'Oh, that's horrible! If only she had been faithful, then she could have experienced this with me!' "

The story pretty much ended there. The point of the story was to show how important it is that we stay 'on the path' - just think how horrible this went just 'cause this one sister couldn't stay faithful all the way. And everyone in the hall seemed to love it. I however hated the story. What the heck kinda moral is that!? Granted, it was written by a pioneer sister and not by the FDS or an elder etc., but since it was told from the podium by the district overseer, it must have been OKed by the 'higher ups'.

So basically, because the sister who didn't die in this system of things got depressed when her 'sister' died, and slowly faded and eventually got DF'ed, she was killed in Armageddon. Well - how can that be fair? What if the other one hadn't died in the accident? Then most likely (although you never know) they would have supported each other through a lifetime until Armageddon came and they both would've been saved. What if the roles had been reversed? Well, then the other one would have been saved instead (most likely). The one who didn't die, after all would have to live in this system of things for many years, with all the temptations and tribulations that entails. While the one who died in the accident (no matter which one of them) had no more chance to sin, and therefore obviously got resurrected (lucky break).

I remember really reacting negatively to that story. I think I met a couple out in the parking lot after, where the woman seemed to be reacting the same way to it, but I couldn't be sure.

Anyway - I was far from refreshed after that. In fact, I think perhaps that was the last, or perhaps the second to last assembly I ever attended.

OUTLAW

Look around you,after a few hours at an assembly..How many people are sleeping?..ALOT!..Fast asleep!..Knocked out cold..Dead to the world..Sawing logs!!..LOL!!...OUTLAW

minimus

Awakened, and the kiss of death was for her to marry a "worldly man". A sure recipe for DESTRUCTION!!!

Were You "Refreshed" After Going To Meetings & Assemblies?

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