Memorial Question? (page 2)

little_Socrates

If you can't eat it.... why would you want to touch it?

mynameislame

I was always afraid that I would be the guy that dropped it :)

Pete Zahut

I was always afraid that I would be the guy that dropped it

Except for the little kids who can't wait to get their hands on the emblems, I think dropping them is a more common fear than some might realize. I remember there was a shakey little elderly brother who was sitting alone at the end of one of the aisles up front. When he was handed the glass of wine he got up and walked across the mostly empty row to hand it to someone sitting 4 or 5 chairs away from him. His hands were shaking and the wine was sloshing out of the glass. Because he was nearly deaf he handed the dripping glass over to the next person and said in an overly loud voice "Here ya go....if there's anything left of it har-har !" Everyone snickered nervously.

FayeDunaway

It was avoiding another ludicrous memorial that got me to take action to change my religion. I swore to myself I would never pass the emblems without partaking again. I was a believer in what Christ did for people, including myself, and felt that it was rejection of him to not partake.

To your original question, I'm pretty sure they just wanted to save the usher some time. It took so long to pass those things around to everyone with usually nobody partaking. What was the point?? Just skip a few rows at a time. On the other hand, getting to touch the plate and glass when I was young was one of the few thrills of being at the KH. Pathetic :/.

cleanideas

I used to be the brother who would help pass the emblems around to everyone in the hall. After the meeting was over some other brothers and I would eat a bit of the bread and drink the wine. I was told it was alright because the memorial was officially over. Not sure of the official Watchtower rule on it, but I think it's OK. Oh well, maybe I'm one of the Anointed and this is Yahweh working mysteriously???

prologos

In one of the hot countries with upen buildings, a rooster is said to have come from the window sill and snatched , partaken of the bread. The attention paid to the emblems during the ceremony must hark back to the catholic times, when the wine and bread actually turned into flesh and blood, without changing its appearance , taste. it is sacred, sacre bleu, le bon dieu.

OneFingerSalute

I thought it actually looked kind of odd for the speaker to be handed the utensils only to immediately hand them back. Why would he have to touch them if he was not partaking? He could just be given the opportunity, but refuse.

Where I am they always do that. After the handlers get through with the passive crowd they all go back to the front row and sit down while one hands off the plate or glass to the others and sits down as they pass it from one to the other. The last one of the handlers then goes onstage and hands the plate or glass to the speaker who then immediately hands it back.

The best time I had in many years was when some of the towns "shining examples" wandered in and sat in the front. When the wine came by the first in line took almost the whole glass full in one big gulp, then choked and hacked and spit what he hadn't swallowed back into the glass and loudly proclaimed, "THAT is some lousy wine!"

sir82

Where I am they always do that. After the handlers get through with the passive crowd they all go back to the front row and sit down while one hands off the plate or glass to the others and sits down as they pass it from one to the other. The last one of the handlers then goes onstage and hands the plate or glass to the speaker who then immediately hands it back.

Out of the bizarre ritual that the JW Memorial has become, this is one of the most surreal.

Like, somehow, the fact that the servers have touched the plate or cup a couple dozen times while "serving" somehow "doesn't really count". They have to be seated and someone has to hand the plate/cup to them.

Also, they can't just leave the plate / cups on the table for the speaker. The speaker has to physically touch them. Like, if he really wanted to partake, he couldn't just reach over to the table himself - no, he has to be "served" in order for it to "count".

respectful_observer

Like, somehow, the fact that the servers have touched the plate or cup a couple dozen times while "serving" somehow "doesn't really count". They have to be seated and someone has to hand the plate/cup to them.

I'm pretty sure they're also supposed to wash up to their elbows beforehand. At least that's what the Pharisees tell me...

TheListener

I also find that passing the plate among the plate handlers is so weird. I've commented on it before but my wife just thinks I'm looking to make trouble. How can she not see that it's a weird tradition.

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