time wasting
The longest prayer you had ever endured.
by african GB Member 35 Replies latest jw experiences
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blondie
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows houses, even while for a pretence ye make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation.
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sir82
Is there a benchmark/guideline on the length of the prayer, and does the length reflect on the spirituality and maturity of the person giving the prayer?
When our COBE returned from his week-long "special school" at Patterson a couple of years ago, he said something to this effect:
"Brothers, I can't go into much detail about what I learned at the school, but I can share this one point that really struck me. Do you know the primary way you can tell how spiritual a man is?"
Blank stares, maye somebody said something about personal study or field service activity.
"No brothers, the instructor told us, the primary way you can tell is...by the length of his prayers!"
Yep, that's what elders are being told by the GB....content? Irrelevant. Feeling, emotion? Unneeded. Concern for others by name? Fuhgeddaboutit.
Length? Oh mais oui! Yes! Long prayer = high spirituality, end of discussion.
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watson
LMAO. Great stories, really strike a chord. I was fortunate to be there for a few of Frederick's prayers. Probably sitting near Blondie at the Rosebowl.
I am wondering if Sir 82's COBE has a learning disability.
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White Dove
Every prayer given by anyone before a meal is always torture. We are HUNGRY! Quit talking already! Be thankful and end it, already!
Last day of assembly prayers are the worst of all of them.
The shortest prayers I noticed tended to be the last prayer on Sunday because the WT study always went over time.
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highdose
Never mind the assembly prayers, the prayers in my cong by the PO used to be about 15mins long, not so much a recap but a whole other meeting. I would look about and see people had long since given up standing up or pretending to pray.
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snowbird
Brother Lyman Swingle at New Orleans, International Assembly, after 1975 and before 1980, I forgot what year. I was pre teen back then. I asked my Mom when will he finish his prayer? She said it will be over soon.
July 1978, I was there.
He began, "Ahhhhh, Jehoooovah! ... went on and on ...
I'd picked up a nasty sinus infection, and felt like dying!
Sylvia
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LongHairGal
I lived through many a long prayer, usually at the end of the district convention. Even though I suppose the speaker meant well, it is really very inconsiderate and maybe a little arrogant.
This is typical though of people who aren't in the workforce and don't have to take care of a home and family. Even if I were active in the religion, I would never stand for that nowadays. I would just get up and leave in the middle of somebody's long-winded holy speech and not concern myself with what anybody thought.
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snowbird
LOL at LHG!
I hear you, girl!
Sylvia
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Darth plaugeis
The brother with the 3 X5 cards???? I thought that was a big NO NO? Prayers are supposed to be heartfelt. One "brother" from my hall who was a child molester and all knew it but that was a long time ago he has changed. Funny he was always out in service with a van load of kids enticing them with his bag of candy... but anyhow.. he would give the ending prayer for some meetings and we had this game. How many times will he say Jehovah in his prayer? 35 times in 1 prayer......ps I never said Amen to any of his prayers.