When did JWs stop reciting the Lord’s Prayer together?

by slimboyfat 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Atlantis

  Half of my post got deleted someway! I'll try again.

  Some of the "Prayer Meetings" were stopped in 1923 and then later on in 1949.

  Back in those days it was called the "Prayer, Praise, and-Testimony Meetings".

  
  In 1923 most of this was removed for field service experiences.
  At one time they removed praying at the meetings altogether, because they said that the worldly people did not come to the meetings to hear prayer. The worldly people came to the meetings to hear what the Watchtower advertised.
  In a letter dated November 17, 1949 reasons were given why prayer was absent from the meetings.
  All of the above information comes from the Watchtower Library.
  Rutherford did the same thing when he removed "singing" at the meetings. Rutherford felt singing at the meetings was worldly. But after Rutherford kicked-the-bucket, they brought singing back.
  See page 3 for the letter
  https://www.filemail.com/d/dyevcebnuiawqlj
  
  Atlantis!
  
• 

  ozziepost

  Rutherford felt singing at the meetings was worldly. But after Rutherford kicked-the-bucket, they brought singing back.

  This illustrates that so many of the Dubs “bible-based” beliefs are simply the erratic teachings of men.

  Like why do they ‘allow’ wedding anniversaries and don’t allow birthdays?

  Why do they ‘allow’ wedding rings?

  Oh, and we know why alcohol was never frowned on, don’t we Joe Ratherflawed?
• 

  TonusOH

  Prayers and song are an important part of the ritual of religion. I'm only slightly surprised that the WTS would remove either, let alone both. But Rutherford was something of a maverick, and I get the impression that he badly wanted to leave his mark on the religion. There doesn't seem to be anything he didn't try during his tenure. Knorr seemed like more of a traditionalist and by-the-book type, who perhaps better understood that routine is very important for people.

  Rutherford was probably the biggest grifter in the organization. The whole charade with 'the return of the worthy ones' provided him with a mansion to live in and two luxury cars to drive around be driven around in. He got to loudly wag his finger at governments and religions, and only occasionally had to eat his words (and did so without hesitation- most bullies are also cowards). That a group of people still lionize him as "judge" should be an embarrassment, but here we are.
• 

  slimboyfat

  These are interesting comments on early prayer meetings and their development and/or abandonment.

  But I’m wondering in particular about the practice of “praying the Lord’s prayer in unison” that Knorr mentioned was practiced at the HQs in 1949. Many churches still do this in many different traditions: Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic … even Unitarian. When did JWs stop “praying the Lord’s prayer in unison”?
  

  Diogenesisiter I have never come across this practice among JWs, or ever heard it even mentioned. But it’s there in the 1949 Watchtower, so I was wondering if others have information. It is very interesting to hear you say you encountered it as a JW. I experienced it at school, and a few church settings when young, never at the Kingdom Hall.

  https://youtu.be/HDF67hCcnAk
  
• 

  Atlantis

  2007 Yearbook.

  
  

  A NEW BRANCH OFFICE

  
  In 1933 the branch office moved to larger rented premises in Cape Town and remained there until 1952. By then the Bethel family had grown to 21 members. Those early Bethelites had accommodations in brothers’ homes and traveled to the office and printery every day. Before work each morning, they met in the changing room of the printery to discuss the daily text. After that, they recited the Lord’s Prayer in unison.
  

  
  

  
  

  Atlantis!
• 

  slimboyfat

  Thanks Atlantis, that’s excellent. 👍

  So it was in other countries too, and lasted until at least 1952.

  I wonder when it stopped. Perhaps they just dropped it without any fanfare or mention in the literature.
• 

  dropoffyourkeylee

  Thanks, I was totally unaware of this, though I was attending as a child since the early sixties and I thought I had heard of everything.

  I suggest they dropped the practice about the time the NWT supplanted the KJ and ASV in JW use. The NWT really butchered the poetic cadence, I doubt they would have wanted to recite 'let your name be sanctified' in unison.
• 

  slimboyfat

  Yes dropoffyourkeylee that sounds reasonable about the introduction of the NWT, in 1950. The timing fits, I was thinking that too!
• 

  blondie

  Perhaps, with Rutherford gone, many things changed that were quirks of him alone and others followed blindly either believing or worried they would get the boot. Knorr was a different type evidently and seemed to back off many things from Rutherford's time. It wouldn't be the first time the WTS has flip-flopped on a belief/doctrine even changing it and then changing back to the older teaching.https://jwfacts.com/pdf/flip-flops-watchtower-teachings.pdf
• 

  Smiles

  WT replaced the hallowed-be-thy-name prayer with a confidential directive to publicly pray for the WT study conductor by name.

  Someone here can probably provide a link to that rubbish.