Even as active JWs, my wife and I always found the Memorial to be anti-climatic, overhyped. It was supposed to be THE most important event of the year, but it just felt like another meeting. I just never felt compelled to have to go. I just went out of protocol. Did you feel the same?
As an active JW, did you find the Memorial to be special?
by Robert7 19 Replies latest jw friends
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blondie
I watched the elders and the MS be friendly and greeting everyone like they never did at other meetings. I had elders and MS talk to me who could barely remember my name at other meetings. I saw them be able to be "caring" and "friendly" for one night a year and knew that they could have been the other times but chose deliberately and knowingly not to be.
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SnakesInTheTower
I knew it was overhyped when I finally became an elder. I knew it was really hyped the year I gave the Memoral™ Talk. It was also the same year that the Society introduced the "SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT" to be read at the end of the event... just another WT Informercial about the Special Talk™.
4 hours and counting... I am headed out to do other things... not going to the Memorial...lol
Snakes ()
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Nowman
Although I have been out for over 16 years, the memorial was special in my family and it seemed that the memorial always brought more people too, it was always more crowded than a regular meeting...besides my mom always bought me a new outfit, bonus!
Nikki
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Robert7
it was always more crowded than a regular meeting
I never understood why people felt like it was so special you had to invite everyone. I would have been somewhat embarrassed because we'd talk about how great it is, but for a newbie attender, it's so lame.
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sir82
It used to be. Now it is just dreadfully insipid.
I don't know how much of that is due to my changed outlook, how much is due to the dumbed-down outline, and how much is due to the general blahness of the congregation doing the same mindless rote for X consecutive years.
It used to be that at least it was the one night a year that the supposed "one true Christian faith on the earth" actually talked a bit about Jesus. In the current outline he only gets a cameo appearance. It's mostly about "Hey YOU! Yes we're talking to YOU! Here are the top 20 reasons why YOU are inadequate to partake."
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villabolo
I found it dull so I decided to attend one time with a member of the anointed that I knew and sat right next to him just to see some action.
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journey-on
It was like going to the prom for most women and girls in the congregation. Weeks in advance, we would start shopping for our "Memorial Dress". It rather repulses me now to think about that, but from the time I was a little girl, it seemed to be all about THE DRESS. Am I right, Ladies? Also, you saw people you hadn't seen since the last Memorial. But, even so, you felt a certain somberness on Memorial night.
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undercover
anti-climatic, overhyped.
and I would add a bit surreal.
I always felt it was supposed to be a solemn occasion, like a funeral almost. It was interesting how lively everyone was before and after the meeting but only during the meeting itself was their any hint of proper decorum for such an event...just a hint.
And the talk itself was short on Jesus, long on the annointed. It is more of a commercial about how special the annointed are and how they alone are allowed to partake. Not only are the Great Crowd short changed, Jesus himself is relegated to second fiddle.
And then, the end...and everyone is laughing, joking, making dinner plans and weekend plans and just having a hoot, having just forgotten that this was to be a remembrance of the (supposedly) greatest man who ever lived and who (supposedly) laid his life down for all of us.
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Nowman
Journey-on, you are right. I was only excited about the new dress, late 80s, I remember I had this beautiful peach dress with lace, white nylons, and white shoes, I wore this same dress for my 8th grade graduation with my "rooster" hair (I should say, my BANGS looked like a rooster).
Secretly, I was also excited to look around and see who was partaking, because you know we were all going to talk about it afterwards...
Nikki