The Scriptural Meeting JW's Don't Have

metatron

Do you ever read in your Bible about a "Service Meeting"? How about the "Theocratic Ministry School"?

The Society has to reach back into the OT to justify its assemblies and conventions, as with national holidays in ancient Israel.

Yet, there is no official modern-day version of this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agape_feast

Yes, scheduled, official communal meals - as many churches in Christendom (gasp!) recognize!

Now, far be it from me to suggest anything that would strengthen this fraud-laden Organization. I still would greatly enjoy seeing a torch-lit mob carrying pitchforks surround WTS HQ and use Mussolini as a model of what to do next (Well, I can dream, can't I?)

If they made such a change (uh, the food thing, not the lynchings), it would be a vast improvement over the zoned out zombie-cult programming sessions they have now. Throw out most disfellowshippings (like, only if a crime has been committed) and things would be a lot nicer...

By the way, if the Amish DF' you, you can still eat with everybody but they won't pass you the food. That's where the line is drawn.

metatron

designs

We have dozens of Churches in our small town, I have only seen one that has pot-luck dinners after their Sunday service.

metatron

Depends on how minimalist people wanna be. With no food service at assemblies and no 'goodie-night' at book studies, Witnesses feel a need. Even some CO's know this and HQ has been informed.

metatron

leaving_quietly

Not Biblical, no, but then again, not not Biblical. There's no prohibition against such things.

That said, Hebrews 10 is an interesting chapter. It continues from chapter 9 which talks about the new covenant, which we all know JWs believe that only the 144,000 are part of. In fact chapter 10:19 talks about having "boldness for the way of entry into the holy place by the blood of Jesus" which is most definitely only applied to the 144,000. If this is the case and the audience is really those left of the 144,000, then verses 24 and 25 also only have application to those of the 144,000. There is no change in audience in these verses.

Band on the Run

Agape meals hardly ever happened in Manhattan. They were frequent in PA. I liked it. There was always decent wine. If no else supplied it, I would. Also, running into the wine shop was easier than making a recipe. Perhaps b/c I am single, the family type atmosphere was nice. In fact, for every holiday except Christmas, the church ran a singles meal. B/c so many couples did not want to drive far or family tension was great, married couples were often present. People cited the lack of family drama as the most enjoyable part.

My church in NY had a profit making restaurant. It just seemed colder. I wonder if there aren't health code concerns as the numbers increase. Now that I recall, the Cathedral only served coffee at cofee hour. For small events, we had soup and a cookie which people contributed towards. I have to ask a priest about the difference. I know that a few people did the bulk of the work. My contributions were nice. It is fun to cook or bake something special once in a while.

jamclark

Well if an entire day of rest is not observed, as in that #4 Commandment and the JWorg has opted to continue with Russell and Rutherford to not do anything for the 6 other appointed times . . . . why bother with some NT feast?

cultBgone

All the Baptist churches where we once lived had lovely permanent outdoor picnic areas for summer gatherings and many held potlucks every week, weather permitting. Others went to grandma's house after church every Sunday and shared a meal...

How lovely, really. The only time we jws could do this is when we volunteered to host the speaker's family, and usually they preferred to be taken to a restaurant.

I'll never forget the time we hosted a local elder and his family, and promptly after we ate they said they needed to leave because a group was going to the movies. We weren't invited to the movies, however. Thanks so much...not.

villagegirl

Leaving -Quietly- try re-thinking the 144,000 as a symbolic number,

since ALL numbers in Revelation ( which is the the only place this number

exists) and all Revelation numbers are symbolic. not literal. Try imagining

all believers as one body. Everybody, one hope, one spirit, one body.

Try imagining no "faithful and discreet slave class" since this is a false doctrine

used to create a controlling central authority. Re-read the scripture, there are

two faithful slaves, one with two talents and one with five talents , it not about

one single exclusive group of eight men.

leaving_quietly

villagegirl, in my post, I said JWs believed this, not that I did. Sorry I wasn't clearer with that. When talking with JWs, you have to use their own interpretations against them, which can be done in Hebrews 10:24,25 since they apply the verses prior to just the 144,000.

JustVisting

metatron, do the Amish serve good food? Just Wonderin.

The Scriptural Meeting JW's Don't Have

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