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Laika

That guy on the front row has his praise hands out! He must be a pentecostal or something!

Zoos

jws, I'm having the same reaction to the entire experience that you just described.

I understand it's going to be a different experience. For crying out loud, it's not a kingdom hall... it's not WATCHTOWER. But it has to not feel fake. Too much of what I observed felt.... showy.

And as far as doctrine goes I am resigned to the fact that there is nowhere I can go where I'll find a message 100% in line with my understanding of things. Ergo, Christian freedom. Unlike at a kingdom hall, I have the right to take what I want and leave the rest. Trinity, hellfire... not a problem. I don't feel obligated to swallow it or face a judicial committee or the threat of destruction at armageddon.

I've decided to give it one more chance to hit me right. I read My Christian Quest - From Jehovah's Witness to Son of God, by Ronald E. Frye (former circuit overseer). He talked about his experience in joining a small church after he left the organization and I decided to give it a try based on his recommendation.

We'll see what happens.

NAVYTOWN

If you are looking for a church for 'thinking' people, without a lot of strict rules and dogma, try a Unutarian-Universalist church. Not showy at all. And every week there is a different topic, not endless repitition like in the JWs. Plus you won't be pressured to believe anything or 'join' like in the Witnesses.

stuckinarut2

Singing is one the most natural ways to "see into someones personality"...to see how they feel.

By that standard, most witnesses dont really "feel" the "truth", they are just going along with the motions...

Their hearts are not really into it....

Xanthippe

Could be arthritis.

kaik

I remember this picture, but I will need to see the pic in whole. In my KH we had opera singer, she was very good and sit right behind us, so the music was not that bad. But in generall, I do not like the gospel or church music where people hip hopping and getting into trans. I went to several medieval monasteries and I enjoyed the organs and chorals song by monks. Totally different experience.

Island Man

If I remember correctly there was an issue with the number of heads in the front row of singers not matching the number of pairs of feet. LOL.

pbrow

hey konceptual... beat me too.... i remember being floored at this "optical illusion"

pbrow

jws

Zoos wrote:

And as far as doctrine goes I am resigned to the fact that there is nowhere I can go where I'll find a message 100% in line with my understanding of things. Ergo, Christian freedom. Unlike at a kingdom hall, I have the right to take what I want and leave the rest. Trinity, hellfire... not a problem. I don't feel obligated to swallow it or face a judicial committee or the threat of destruction at armageddon.

That's exactly where I was at the time. I just wanted to find something that at mostly agreed with what I believed. Even if we disgreed on other issues. Very good point. I didn't feel the need to conform either. I could agree or disagree. There was no feeling of being compelled to goose step. I could take the good and agree to disagree with the rest. Provided there was more good than disagreeing.

That's another thing I found. I had my own beliefs and finding somebody who taught exactly that would be hard and probably impossible. I began to think of "religion" as one's personal beliefs, regardless of what building or denomination they went to or claimed to be part of. In which case, there are millions of religions. Hundreds sitting in any given church on a Sunday morning. But still sharing a commonality that makes the church useful.

I've decided to give it one more chance to hit me right. I read My Christian Quest - From Jehovah's Witness to Son of God, by Ronald E. Frye (former circuit overseer). He talked about his experience in joining a small church after he left the organization and I decided to give it a try based on his recommendation.

At one point, we did try a smaller church. I want to say less than 2 dozen people the morning we went. That felt more right to me. It felt more intimate for one. If we were to continue, I know I would know the entire congregation quite quickly.

It was also very close to the JW format. There were hymnals that everybody sang from at certain times, but the majority of the time was spent on the sermon.

I liked it. My ex didn't, so we wound up crossing it off the list.

At one point, we visited what I think was a baptist church. Once again, bigger church, better "entertainment". This time I didn't mind the "performance". It was more gospel, more soulful. I enjoyed hearing it. But, the.... speaker.... He was so... annoying.... with all of the... long.... pauses. Made William Shatner look like a tape on fast forward. I got so frustrated I was ready to shout out and finish the words for him several times. Seriously. Like 5 second pauses several times in a sentence? Made me wonder whether he had time to write his sermon or not and was just trying to drag out what he did write. So I crossed off that one.

The main reason the ex wanted to search was because of a miscarriage. She thought maybe God was punishing her and if she got closer to God, he'd reward her. When she got pregnant and it stayed viable, she gave up on church, somehow blaming me. The one with the 20 minutes of bland contemporary Christian music dominated by a wanna be musical artist was close. Maybe a little over a quarter mile away. So that sort of became the one we went to most. Me not liking the music and complaining about it gave her the excuse to blame me and quit. Even though I said good things about other parts.

Even today she says she wants to take the kids to church. And I'm an ex. I'm not there to complain. No stopping her, but she doesn't go. So I can't be entirely to blame.

Good luck finding something you can deal with.

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