Reading some of your comments is really making me feel that the invitations to those gatherings that never happened was a good thing! 😊
a few few years ago my brother, now the elder, got married, they had what he described to me a “pioneer wedding”. The congregation was a large one and they wanted to share their happy day with everyone so they asked that instead of gifts, that they would be given financial help or physical help making the wedding come true.
Well.... by that date I had left a long time ago and I was invited, note that my sister the disfellowed was not.. she is now back in the fold as she went back.
i was really impressed that brothers and sisters were so eager to help, making, baking, hairdressing etc etc... WOW... I thought...so much love.
Forward to the wedding day.... all went well, the reception was filled with everything needed.
I had found really hard to look for something to wear that would not put my brother and new wife to shame as a non JW person... last thing I wanted to do.
I must just done my job just right because.... sisters forgot who I was as they openly made awful jokes and comments about the worldly people to each other in my presence. I felt so appalled.
I didn’t understand that these people filled with love could be so filled with excruciating dismay to others.
To me living in a ‘worldly world’ this is not exactly a big deal... but these were God’s flock...chosen to return to earth hopefully to fulfil the paradise. Outrageous I thought!
my brother’s wedding was low in alcohol... I don’t drink at all but I was curious about this... why I asked? He replied that was better this way than to see brothers falling drunk. AGAIN I thought..... God’s flock can’t abstain from it after two glasses and say that is all I’m allowed before gets too much???
i don’t get it! THIS is the flock!
Can’t witnesses see that the organisation is not real?! If you have to pretend to be happy and be someone else, speak bad about others to make yourself feel better and superior to keep a nit connection within your group... this is not the Truth as they put it.
The world is filled of people that judge, that are not exactly good hearted.... but if these people don’t claim to be part of God’s people.....the true religion.....then it’s expected but when you claim that you are following something special and behave in an appalling way... is not the truth. Better to be in the world and live freely.