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all you ex-"brothers": was this just in my area (north alabama), or do any of you remember there being an unstated, but real nonetheless, pecking order amongst the brothers that correlated the size of your meeting briefcase/bookbag to your level of spirituality?.
don't know why i was thinking about this today.... brandon
I still have a briefcase fetish, but only real leather, please.
My $500 eldub case is now resting peacfully in a closet, used to carry things to classes when I go for continuing ed. type things. I still have some nice cases, one that is completely unused now ... haven't been in the "service" in several years and another that has meeting materials should we be so moved to go.
what the hell is the big deal about the circuit overseer's visit?
why does everyone have to drag their bible students and in active friends and family members to the meeting during that week?.
it is so lame and hypocritical.
Spare me please from the drivel that goes on during the CO visit. As an elder I was almost always the first or second one at the hall before a meeting, but come the week of the CO every lazy elder was there before me just to get that special nose browning award. A friend of ours calls it the "dog and phony show" week. It is indeed that and for what reason, I sure don't. The last few years even as an elder I just ignored them.
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taken from the feb 4 2004 almost awake mag.
so it's ok for nominal christians but not ones who want to keep free from practises with pagan origins.
or they could... at some future point quote that article as a point of authority. They have a habit of doing this, they'll quote a past WT article and use it as the point of authority for a postion taken or a change in thinking. Then they can't say it's a change because we've always said ... whatever...
What about fireworks in the bedroom?
i was raised a witness, so from an early age i got into the habit of bowing my head to pray.
the idea was that to look up would be disrespectful.
of course, it soon struck me that when praying in bed, you're brazenly staring straight up at god, so i started rolling onto my side to pray.
don't you remember the Watchtower told you that back sleepers are wankers, so you must sleep on your side.
you want to hear a funny one??
?
...excuse me? I think someone's a fibbing in the writing department. Over the years we've entertained in our homes members of the governing body, other "heavies" as they're called, CO's, DO's, regular Bethelites, etc., we did some temporary work in the clinics. Yet I can't ever remember a rousing discussion in those social settings where the "Kingdom" played a principal role. Sometimes there were spiritual discussions but not the "common theme" for sure.
I don't imagine the apostles spent every waking minute talk about Jesus, and I don't think that's what's expected.
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just wondering who this guy is - can anyone help?!
growedup.
Ted is "fondly????" called 'the Boss' by other GB members for a reason. As head of the Bethel CIA AKA Service Department he is responsible for setting the tone of things that filter down to the congregations via the Circuit Overseers. That he has an attitude would be an understatement. Ted was responsible for axing any type of musical program at Branch dedications,and at Gilead graduations, guess he thinks that it's wordly or something. I don't know of anyone who speaks highly of him. His churls in the service department seem to have adopted his bossiness and general careless about the sheep attitude.
a lot of comparisons have been made between the wts and political dictatorial governments.
some hope that while the political dictatorial governments tend to develop fatal flaws that eventually bring about their demise, the same may be happening in the wts.
while there may be outward similarities between wts and dictatorial regimes, but the inherent political and social power structure is different.
How interesting that you should use that expression. About a year or so ago a Bethelite friend mentioned that some in a particular group or committee were using that expression to describe the workings of thier department, they called it the benevolent dictatorship. Interesting that some supposed keepers of the faith forget that Christ is head. Sad. To quote an old line from a convention drama --- too bad for them.
on christmas, jehovah's witnesses prefer to minister.
in delaware, members of faith have grown to more than 3,000
by gary soulsman
The 'ol Bethel boys will be trodding up and down Brooklyn Heights today because it's still a Bethel workday. J.R. Brown will be tooling around in his Infinity Q45 watching all those suckers walk. What fun, huh?
i have heard that the co's and do's are being systematically called back to ny for extended training.
now normally this is no big deal as they do go back from time to time for training but this time it is for a 8-9 week training course (without their wives).
from what i have heard they are going to be emphasizing more oversite or control over the congregations from a circuit level (i am sure they are discussing other issues as well).
We've been asking around about this 'school'. Even friends at Bethel haven't heard much. Have talked to a number of brothers across the country and the feeling is the same - not much flying around about it. So either it bored the hell out of them and they have nothing to say OR they were sworn to keep their mouths closed.
We'll be interested to see what turns up. Keep us posted please.
the society has really been pushing hard lately (i know, like always) to do more and reach out.
there is at least one reason for do this that i can think of.
i have many friends around the country and they went to the elder school last year.
As a former 'eldub' I can attest to the declining interest in "reaching out". In fact more and more seem to be "stepping down??" than ever before. In the cong. that I attend occasionally, they have seen 4 elders drop out in the last three years (including me). The "new boys" that get appointed just seem to lack the maturity and interest in people that was the hallmark of a good elder in times past. The PO in our cong. comes in the door goes down front holds court with other elders and rarely interacts with the "sheep".
Times they are a changin.
