Family Worship -- a page at the end of 10/15/09 WT (page 2)

choosing life

Four hours? With little kids or moody teenagers? I'd prefer to sit through the book study.

Really, just reading this brings back that uncomfortable feeling of never being free to just relax.

I can tell you are young, cantleave. If you were to read those articles that I just put a snippet of you would find that all those things are suggested over the years to do during a family study. I assume that you have a WT-CD and I invite you to read those articles on family studies and you will find that fs presentations, doing extra research reports, discussing issues that come up at school or at work. Brothers were encouraged to study with their wives (few did).

*** w56 5/1 p. 282 par. 10 Your Personal Study ***

children in the discipline and authoritative advice of Jehovah, may find it advantageous to do this studying as a family group. Ample opportunity is afforded for such study in a family consideration of the daily Bible text, study of The Watchtower and discussion of the Awake! articles, preparation for the congregational meetings and in regular consecutive reading of the Bible itself. The father, who is not only a material breadwinner for the household but also looks after their spiritual growth, should organize such study and then see that the schedule is followed.

*** w68 2/15 p. 111 par. 17 Husbands, Assume Your Responsibilities of Headship ***

Such study can be a preparation for the congregation’s Watchtower study, Theocratic Ministry School, Bible reading or some other congregational activity. It could utilize the publications on the congregation’s current program or the Watchtower main article, secondary articles, articles of special interest or of family application in Awake! or in Kingdom Ministry. In your study mark the publications and have the family do so for congregation participation. T

*** w68 2/15 p. 112 par. 22 Husbands, Assume Your Responsibilities of Headship ***

The husband must detect wrong desires on the part of himself and his family and apply the Scriptures, to show how these wrong desires must be put aside. “Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death.” (Jas. 1:14, 15) So these scriptures and related ones can be used by the family head in the family Bible study to straighten the family out in the matter of wrong desires. All the family can help each individual in this respect and each individual can help all the family as all rely upon the Bible.

*** w71 2/15 p. 105 Family Study a Blessing ***

A most profitable arrangement for family study is taking perhaps ten to fifteen minutes at the end of the day, before going to bed. The family can get together in a comfortable place and read directly from the Bible, each taking turns according to their reading ability. If just two pages of the Bible are read each day, in less than five months the entire Christian Greek Scriptures will be covered! Is there a more upbuilding way to end the day?

*** w71 2/15 p. 106 Family Study a Blessing ***

When children are a little older, many families imitate the pattern at Bethel and missionary homes by studying the Watchtower lesson that will be considered at the Kingdom Hall the following week. Some parents vary this coverage when a particular need arises. They may take the evening study time to concentrate on a portion of one of the books, or articles in The Watchtower or Awake! that deal with the particular problem at hand.

minimus

Cantleave, I understand what you're saying. Being young is sometimes better than the alternative.

We oldsters were "encouraged" to use a "family study" and do everything imaginable including going over a publication to be studied. The difference seems to be that now, they're trying to tell you ''We, the Governing Body" are decreeing that you use this night to do what we say because we took a meeting night off for you.

Mary

Thank you for your summary sd-7----I was just reading this the other night and just rolled my eyes. In reading the article, you can almost hear the desperation in their voices because I can tell you now, that the vast majority of Witnesses I know, most certainly do NOT use this as "Family Worship" night. They're saying "screw that---I need some time to do other things."

This of course, scares Mother because no leader(s) of a cult wants their members to have too much time on their hands to think or even just relax or go to the movies. That's how they keep control: by keeping you too busy to think.

Me thinks that the "Family Study" night is going to have about as much success as the "Donation" basis for literature payment. If the Slobbering Body members actually thought that most Dubs were going to put themselves through the misery of yet another "study" on Tuesday nights, then they truly are living in the Twilight Zone.

snowbird

This reminds me of the time a Sunday meeting was canceled so that some could go to help out "the friends" after Hurricane Ivan, I believe.

A pompous elder chastized the congregation right from the podium that, even though the meeting was canceled, we were still expected to do return visits and Bible studies.

The look on his face and the way he said it was a revelation! I knew it was time to exit, stage left.

Sylvia

restrangled

Family worship was always the most torturous session, for us as children, and for my Father working 60 to 70 hours a week plus being an elder.

It was filled with frustration, for everyone. No one had the spare time. Everyone was behind on school work, house work, house repairs, and of course all the prep for meetings, much less service.

Yet, somehow it was squeezed in, everyone pressured and angry....but we have to do this, attitude. My memories are of anger, many tears, someone reading too slow, not the right answer.....and above all, ugly tension always. Welcome to JW world in the 70's.

It was literally the most unrealistic, judgemental, ugly, ugly, time period. No one measured up.

Accck, it makes me sick writing this.....Family worship......it was called family torture time. As teenagers, we all went absolutely bonkers.

r.

minimus

When I was around, I simply knew it as having a family study, which I admit almost never happened. I never heard "Family Worship" until recently.

blondie

I remember when meetings for field service were called rendezvous. That didn't last long. It's just terminology.

minimus

From a practical point, "Family Worship Night" didn't exist. If you could stand an hour to teach the family, every week, it was monumental. I had a talk at a CA and had to get someone from the circuit who studied "regularly" with his family and interview the family. NO ONE, could I find. Eventually, I asked one kiss ass elder in my Hall if he could start "regularly" having a family study for at least the next couple of months when the part would be "performed". He did and the family gave wonderful experiences of their accomplishments because of the family study. What hypocrites, but we had to get somebody!

DaCheech

how is this lightening the load?

there are still 5 meetings a week for the elders and slave/sheep to labor for?

children that should be going to sleep at 8-9pm are forced to go to sleep at 11?

so on tuesday or whatever this "family worship" is to be done, one has to rush through homework/eating to rush thes big spiritual load?

i forgot, just write a letter to teacher explaining that spiritual things that were done impeded lowly homework!

i remember the latest CO, telling us that this night is very important, mentioning that missing it would similiar to sacrilege!

hate these guys, and they wonder why?

do you wonder filthful slave!???

Family Worship -- a page at the end of 10/15/09 WT

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