Did you ever experience "Joy"?

by Pork Chop 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Cicatrix

  There were times that I thought I did-when I first started studying,at my baptism, and at an international convention. But as far as at the regular weekly meetings, I don't recall any such feeling-just anxiety that I wasn't ever doing enough.

  This Sunday, I attended the service at a Unitarian Universalist church. It was an intergenerational service honoring young UUs who were graduating from high school and heading off to college. The whole service was infused with joy, from the sermon to the beautiful cantata that was sung in honor of the graduates. The words for the kids were so nourishing, and the music so touching (real LIVE singing, not a tinny recording), I felt joy so strongly, it moved me to tears.It was so awesome to leave that service and cry because something made me HAPPY, after leaving the Kingdom Hall so many times in tears of frustration and grief .

  One lesson I learned from being JW, was that if I EVER feel like I did in the years before I left the organisation in any religion I am involved with again, I will quit!
• 

  Undaunted Danny

  To:Cicatrix:

  I too go to the UU church,and am a member here in Bangor Maine usa.I figured out on my own that the 'liberal' UU church was the least threatening.

  It's amazing how at ease i am there.Every Kingdum Hell meeting,I would have my radar up for backstabbers.
• 

  xjw_b12

  LOL First thing I thought about was joy2befree/joyzabel.

  "I was at a party once and I leaped for Joy, but she managed to escape in time".

  Experiencing joy as a JW? I guess I expected something "special" when I got baptized, but that never happened. It's not like I was expecting a dove from heaven, but I surely didn't expereince anything but relief that I got the parents and inlaws off of my back.
• 

  Clinton

  I felt Joy a few times while visiting a neighboring congregation but when her dad found out we got in big trouble.

  Clinton
• 

  Evesapple

  I was just thinking about that today, looking back at my old congregation. No one really liked each other all that much, joy seemed to be displayed but it never was really genuine. It's like 'stepford' people we were all programmed to dispaly joy whether we felt it or not. I have to say today I feel true and genuine joy with my kids and my family and new friends....something I was told could never be possible on the outside, so at first I was confused as to this newfound joy if it was real or not, and now I realize it's real now, but it was definitely not back then.
• 

  4JWY

  Never. The PO found joy in telling people their problem was that they had no joy. Don't you know, "it's the first thing to go" was the mantra around here.
• 

  Carmel

  She was pretty loose in highschool. We called her the "community pool". Never had the chance to share though..

  carmel
• 

  fraidycat9

  Yeah, but I like Palmolive and Dawn better.
• 

  Robotnomore

  Yes, it was the day I sent off my da letter. Real joy!

  RBN
• 

  blacksheep

  but a deep daily contentment and a freedom from fear .

  Joy = "freedom from fear"? What kind of fear? I could get a personal bodyguard--that might result in true joy.

  To get that tranlation, Franz must have gone back to the original Hewbrew/Aramaic (sp) word for "joy." Just like the faulty translation of "nurturing your child in the Lord," was REALLY "discpline and mental regulating of Jehovah."