thoughts on this week's meeting

prologos

first thing I noticed, a would-be elder with a suitcase-sized 'service' bag. pretender. but I thought:

How do we know that these people are NOT in the new Covenant* mediated by Jesus?

The law of God is not in their hearts, but in their bags, The less in the heart, the bigger the bag has to be, obviously. and

The SM Part on hospitality: was all about hosting pioneers, the ueber class, not the "--Least of my Brothers--" that Jesus mentioned in the script or "--invite the lame--". so

one brother mentioned that he freely rented a basement suite to a future "Zone Overseer" wow!, I bettered him,-- after the meeting: one of my longstanding guests become a GB member, one of the former least ones of the partakers.

your experiences, expressions?

*Jeremiah 31.

Blackfalcon98

The first part of that was used to guilt trip parents with slacking, apathetic kids. Overall same reactions. The only people who deserve the time of day, not to mention an invitation to your home are Elders and pioneers!

Definitely a Cult.

WTWizard

It is dangerous to have too big a field circus bag. The bigger your field circus bag, the more they are going to expect you to do. If you have a modest sized bag, they will expect you to have only a limited supply of rags and littera-trash. Meaning, you are not equipped to stay out all day. And there are people that should not stay out all day for spiritual reasons--I feel myself in that class. I never did like spending most of the day out, though I could tolerate wasting half the morning or half the afternoon.

But, let them see you with a bag that will hold half a case of rags, and they will expect you to stuff it and stay out all day. Whether you are spiritually equipped to do this or not is besides the point, since they value what they can get out of you and not your spiritual health. When they view your spiritual health as how much you can stay out and not that staying out all day is bad for some people's spiritual health, and you have a bag that can let you stay out all damn month, you are going to suffer.

prologos

wtwizard, It was the ueber-reaching-outer's MEETING bag, that was new, outlandish; It would not be allowed as carry-on in flight.

Another item on the program (oral school review) that was conspicuous by it's absence was the discussion of

the false prophet in Deuteronomy chapter 18. we dare them.

sowhatnow

prologos, you tortured soul, still being present for mind altering guilt sessions.

ok so someone comments that they once let someone stay at their house, , I always wondered, why are these comments ever spoken?

is it to brag? to make others feel useless? its obvious that someone has extra room for a visitor, so is it necessary to mention it? give gifts in secret.

wtwiz, id be the one immediately recognized to have no desire to be out in service, i carried a bible and a few mags in my purse. no book bag. i used to get very angry that so many pit stops were done, but then i figured later that there was no point in not stopping for coffee every hour. after all we only went out for the morning.

once in service i came across a man who knew what he believed, was good with it, and knew more than me about the bible, so what did I do?

did i get into a debate? try to make him believe hes wrong and Im right? offer him a magazine?, nope.

I complimented him on is faith, wished him a nice day and left, why do i need to convince him that jesus is lord? he already knew. I always wondered what the sister with me thought.

im not in the business of making people feel worthless and foolish, and crushing their hopes and dreams.

piztjw

I noticed too that the SM part said the eldurrs took the lead by ASSIGNING hospitality for the Sunday speaker. MW dictionary defines hospitable this way: given to generous and cordial reception of guests. That is 180 degrees from having to be assigned.

As far as those arrogant "spirit appointed" men who still drag their suitcase to the hall and park it in the walkway as a tripping hazard, that is done purely for show, as they then pull out their new electronic gadget for the entire meeting. They cannot even be bothered to crack open a Bible! So much for the claim to be students of the Bible!

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Oh the memories of the Bulky Bookbag Competitions!

I think the gilead students were the champs at it with their rolling luggage carts. I told my friends that if I was a gilead student, I'd get a motorized wheelchair (a really fast one like sister Glass drove) and get it fitted with shelving and hook a book wagon behind. I would be able to travel everywhere fast with every publication... that way everyone would know that I'm the most spiritual brother in the universe!

prologos

sowhatnow, thanks for the symphacy! I have no problem with the program , I come only with a songbook and notebook, to make the greatest contrast to the big brief case cases. (they are never brief anyway, overtime instead). meditating and doodling in my notebook all the time, and sitting with my family, the envy of most. and

I am smiling at the follies.

prologos

For busy halls, this week's meetings are not over yet, so,

watch out for the elders shuffling around with papers in hand, consulting with each other, as neglected, low -ranking publishers and visitors are ignored,- often blatantly, deliberately, with elder's eyes firmly avoiding eye contact with them, scurrying around and focussing myopically on their short term partnerships.

Of course their are true gems among them too, on the way out as a endangered species in wt land, with all the streamlining happening and coming.

ToesUp

In this weeks meeting regarding hospitality. The kingdom ministry stated the following:

“The elders take the lead in arranging for visiting speakers to receive hospitality and reimbursement for their travel expenses.”

Is this a new thought? Reimbursing speakers for travel expenses? I don't remember this being done in my area before.

so if we pay for their meal. Pay for their travel expenses. Is this not a paid clergy.?

thoughts on this week's meeting

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