Emblem stupidity, and the bizarre dance of the confused memorial-taker

by cedars 89 Replies latest jw friends

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  cedars

  Thanks to everyone who has commented on this. It's good to know that I'm by no means alone in thinking that the way the speaker deals with the emblems is obscenely ritualistic. It appears the extent to which the Society's counsel to speakers is implemented depends on the existing level of OCD in the individual speaker. Apparently, the more elaborate the ritual, the more Obsessive Compulsive Disorder the speaker (or his CoBOE) has. I would, however, be interested to see a copy or transcript of the instructions to elders concerning the memorial if anyone has a copy? Please PM me about that.

  I think we've all pretty much agreed that touching the glass alone would be sufficient if the memorial, as observed by JWs, was a scripturally relevant ceremony - which it clearly isn't. As it is, the whole thing is just an elaborate marketing tool, designed to get "bums on seats" from amongst the local community, and establish a level of familiarity with attending the KH among interested ones and relatives. It is also, as some have suggested, a twisted way in which the Governing Body subliminally reminds the rank and file of the reasons why they are superior, and have a privileged relationship with Christ. Did I miss anything? Are there any other reasons for the memorial?

  I hadn't realised that this year's celebration didn't even coincide with the Jewish passover. That is very interesting indeed.

  Finally, in answer to Smiddy, no I don't think anyone partook - although as I told undercover, I might as well have been somewhere else entirely since I was paying minimal attention to what was going on. Only the memorial speaker's "dance of the emblems" captured my interest. Everything else was just a blur. I did flirt with the idea of partaking myself just for the hell of it, but I was under strict instructions from Mrs Cedars not to make a scene, so I behaved myself...

  Cedars
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  dozy

  This is the instruction:

  km3/89pp.1-4par.4MemorialCelebrationfor1989

  Congregation elders will want to be sure that all arrangements for the Memorial have been carefully made well in advance. Be sure to select well-qualified brothers to pass the emblems. These brothers should be elders or ministerial servants, if available. Have a sufficient number of brothers prepared to do this so that the passing of the emblems will not be prolonged unnecessarily. After the servers have served those in the audience, the servers will sit down in the front row and the speaker will serve them. Finally, one of them will serve the speaker.

  There was , if I recall , a letter sent out as many congregations weren't following this example. I asked my wife about last night & she said that the speaker just picked the wine up & gave it to the servers but wasn't specifically served ( but that doesn't surprise me - my old congregation were never very good at following WTBTS procedures.) I always used to smile when I saw this "bizarre dance" - to me , it looked like a confused variant of "pass the parcel".

  She did relate that a study in front of her was going to eat the bread & a wrestling match almost ensued with the sister that had brought her along but clearly hadn't told her that the food wasn't to be eaten ("you aren't supposed to eat it!"). Ditto the wine. There was the usual guilt trip telling people to come to the meetings regularly & share the message with others (aka distribute WTBTS literature) otherwise they weren't showing appreciation for Jesus' sacrifice. Otherwise pretty dull , apparently , punctured constantly by crying babies. (Whatever happened to the old days of taking them to the back of the hall & giving them a good spanking!)
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  wha happened?

  I don't know this just came to mind:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUH1XmFb05Y
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  Broken Promises

  LOL!!
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  JRK

  One year, I was one of the dorks assigned to pass the emblems. That year some jackass filed the glasses to the rim with wine. That made things interesting and messy.

  JK
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  still thinking

  almost sounds like some heathen was having fun with everyone JRK....bet that slowed things down...was there any peanut butter on the bread?
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  St George of England

  was there any peanut butter on the bread?

  Of course not, 'ealf & safety mate! Even the crackers 'No nuts' and 'Factory - No Nuts'

  Being serious for a moment, a 14 yr old girl near here died recently at school following a reaction to nuts.

  Our KH buys Matzos from Tesco's and cheap red plonk. There have been recipes in the WT in years gone by for making the crackers and in C T Russells day the WT said for the wine 'raisins soaked in water' though this instruction has been superceded.

  George
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  soft+gentle

  I missed the memorial but remember thinking, whilst planting my pansies and palm trees (special offer at local supermarket), that I only had half an hour left to shower and get dressed. then I though how meaningless the memorial celebration is compared to what I was doing (as I still had to water my plants) so I decided not to go. My daugther is ill so I do have an excuse but mind you we were expected to attend anyway.

  the palm trees are magnificent and I was wondering if the supermarket chain had come out in support of palm sunday. If so then the offer was too good to miss

  disappointingly the same number attended as last year
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  OnTheWayOut

  We never made a big deal out of it, but the "servers" quickly decided who would offer the emblems to the speaker and then who would offer them to the "servers." Typically, the speaker would offer the emblems to the servers last after they all sat back down in the front row. So it did look silly and seemed to elevate the importance of being "served" despite the fact you've handled the emblems already.

  I remember one year that we forgot to discuss it and different ones went to "serve" the speaker and nobody at first "served" the "servers" so one of the "servers" returned to the stage and "served" the "servers" and ran to the other end so that he could "pass" the emblem after rejecting it.
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  Nambo

  I agree with Bobcat and John Chapter 6 that just as all in the wilderness with Moses ate the Manna, (else they died of starvation, Hebrews and Egyptians, not just thePriests), the "bread from Heaven" and his blood, have to be eaten by all Christians.

  Now even if the JWs where correct that the emblems are only for a select few, why this ritual of passing it around and the embarassment of an "annointed" who then has to partake in front of everybody, " hey everybody, look at me!, Iam allmost a god!"

  Why cannot they have the memorial for those its intended for, to be taken in a faithfull and discreet way?

  Now having read that the passing around and refusal of Christs sacrifice is a Satanic ritual, and I can certainly see why, this must be the most insulkting thing anybody could do to God and Jesus, refuse his sacrificed flesh, so I wonder who is behind this ritual?, and not just the JWs, but getting as many non-interested folk off the street to also insult Jesus this way.