Clean, Clean the Kingdom Hall

by Euphemism 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  Euphemism

  Three pages of this month's insert are dedicated to the article "Let Us Keep Our Place of Worship in Good Repair." Yes, that's 38 minutes of Service Meeting time devoted to instructions on cleaning and maintaining the Kingdom Hall.

  Aside from just the utter ridiculousness and infantilization of this, what really struck me was: "When was the last time that there was a three-page insert on visiting the sick?" If the WTS devoted half as much organization and attention to such a basic Christian duty as it does to the cleaning of the Kingdom Hall, the organization would be a better place.

  I know, nothing new. But it just struck me as one of those moments that makes it blindingly obvious that they think like a business, and not like a religion.
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  Gopher

  Good points. 3 pages for something so basic? All they really need is a checklist (of things to clean) on the announcement board or inside the laundry closet.

  Cleaning the Kingdom hall is considered part of their "sacred service". You get credit in the Borg for doing this.

  Helping the sick, visiting the lonely, including a 'fatherless boy' in your family outing -- none of these are sacred service. They're considered "extra credit" by the organization.

  Forget about love. Remember -- keeping the organization going, that's what counts!!
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  berylblue

  The JWs need more than a three page insert to instruct them on caring for the elderly, the sick, the poor....they need a book. A BIG one. Which they should be required to dutifully highlight and comment on at the book study.
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  Maverick

  Berylblue, the sad thing is, they have a book about those things. And it is a very big book...the Bible. They just listen to the J-dud Masters over their own hearts, and Gods wishes. Maverick
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  Jimmer

  I once drove by the KH I used to attend I saw my Dad vacuuming the parking lot. Unreal!
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  blondie

  Euph, I think it is just a sign of the times. Having just exited recently, I can remember how hard it was to get the elders to agree on anything regarding maintenance, and that doubled and tripled when 2 or more congregations shared the building. In the last 3 congregations I was in, the elders would meet, talk a lot, and then do nothing. In one hall, an elder finally independently called a plumber to have the toilets replaced because they were no longer up to code and were a disgrace when anyone visited. A CO came through at the next congregation and actually advised the brothers on maintenance just to go ahead and have things done to avoid the roadblock on the elder body.

  I know of 2 congregations that shared a hall and one congregation routinely did not clean the KH when it was their turn so that when the other congregation assembled someone had to quick clean the restrooms and dump the trash and run a vacuum in the lobby. Lots of fights about that and bad feelings.

  So while it is infantile to have to tell people the obvious, it is unfortunately necessary in many cases. It is not that people don't want the hall maintained but the ones with the power and authority to okay expenditures don't want to do it.

  I would like to see an insert on helping the elderly, the sick, the orphans, the hungry. In the last 30 years, the words "sick" and "elderly" have only occurred 6 times together in the KM while hall cleaning has occurred almost 100 times.

  Blondie
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  Shutterbug

  I know, nothing new. But it just struck me as one of those moments that makes it blindingly obvious that they think like a business, and not like a religion.

  Right on the money. They are a business and their meetings and actions reflect that fact. In another thread someone to a salesman to the service meeting and the salesman told the brother it was a sales meeting. How true. Bug
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  UpAndAtom

  Is 3 pages really enough? ha ha.
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  garybuss

  All Watch Tower Society (Corporation) activities have to do with the books the leaders published.

  Personal study is reading the books the leaders published. Meetings are studying the books the leaders published. Service is distributing the books the leaders published. Bible studies are sessions indoctrinating new workers by using the books the leaders published.

  Kingdom Halls are distribution centers where inventory is stocked and a special literature counter is provided and staffed with volunteer workers for the sales people to pick up the books the leaders published. Contribution boxes are conveniently placed for "publishers" to pay by donation for the literature the leaders published.

  The worldwide ministry is to increase the distribution of the books the leaders published. The Corporation's school for missionaries is called Gilead, and it's purpose is to teach members how to start new congregations using the books the leaders published.

  Member's weekly schedules revolve around the study and distribution of literature the leaders wrote and published. That schedule is set up by the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation.

  Saturday morning is devoted to distributing magazines the leaders wrote and published.

  Sunday public talk meeting is given from an outline the leaders wrote and published on a topic selected by the leaders and referenced by books the leaders wrote and published.

  Sunday Watchtower Study meeting is reading from and studying a magazine the leaders wrote and published.

  Tuesday book study meeting is reading from and studying a book the leaders wrote and published.

  Wednesday is preparing for Thursday night meetings by reading books the leaders wrote and published.

  Thursday Theocratic Ministry School is speaking from and reading from books the leaders wrote and published.

  Thursday Service Meeting is a sales meeting training for presentations to distribute books and magazines the leaders wrote and published. The Service Meeting is also used to announce staff additions, changes, or deletions as approved by the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation.
  
  Daily texts are read daily from a book the leaders wrote and published.

  Yearly conventions are sponsored by the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation. The highlight is the release of new publications the leaders wrote and published and the water baptism of new "Publishers" who agree to be identified with the Publishing Corporation, calling themselves the "Spirit Directed Organization".

  Members are called "publisher" and only qualify to be recognized as members if they engage in the distribution of books and magazines the leaders wrote and published and then report that engagement on Field Service Report forms that the leaders published.

  ("Publisher" is dictionary defined as One that is engaged in publishing printed material.)
  
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  UpAndAtom

  "Publishers" who agree to be identified with the Publishing Corporation

  It's kind of funny when you put it like that! Good stuff Gary.