Truthseeker,, I'm in the same position as you. First time going as an in-active person. Really felt wierd. And I too used to think about who would come out of the wood work and there I was in the same boat.
The Official What happened at the Memorial thread
by truthseeker 91 Replies latest jw friends
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wednesday
This is the second year in a row we got no invite. The first year I felt hurt. This year I had totally forgotten about it all except when I read this board.
I actually saw an elder from a neighboring KH on the road. He road shunned me, ie, he switched lanes and got as far from me as possible. You know what, I could have cared less. As the famous movie quote " Frankly my dear, I dont' give a damn".
yes it's true, I DON'T GIVE A DAMN. Now that felt so good. We did not hide or pretend to not be home or go out to avoid them . We did not interupt our life at all.
"Free at last , free at last, thank God I'm free at last " ( Martin Luther King JR)
sorry about typos- can't spell check in firefox
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Mattieu
My first memorial as an inactive witness, was told by 3 elders how great it was to see me and big handshakes & smiles all round, now I know what is meant by the "love bomb" terminology. Far from genuine they were, it took me back to when I was an MS and we had all the pre-memorial planning meetings. Instructions to smile a lot, shake as many hands as possible and be all over people we do not recognise.
Our speaker was quite nervous and mentioned how the number of the anointed has been declining! My wife couldn’t look across at me as she could see me smiling and she would have done the same, as we have had a few discussions about the claim in the WT about the number declining. She cant make sense of it either.
The passing of the emblems felt really hollow to me for the first time, particularly as they kept reading 1 Cor 11, but not reading verse 26, which I had my wife do, then asked for her opinion of it after the meeting.
I felt the whole talk was dumbed down, I looked around and guestimated that only 3 or 4 were RV’s or bible studies, the rest were pubs and inactive ones. Yet 90% of the talk is spent explaining why we are here and what is going to take place, the other 10% is a genuine spiritual discourse.
Then a letter is read from the society for the benefit of any interested ones present and we are told that we can only exercise faith in Jesus by participating in the preaching work and studying the bible by means of W/T publications.
Overall, hollow, empty and fake. But good to see a lot of my fading buddies back under one roof again! And yes, enjoyed a nice glass of white wine when I got home!
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mrsjones5
I just realized that it's nows 20 years since the last time I attended the memorial. Wow
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observador
Mac n Cheese said:
The Bethel speaker announced the number of partakers last year, "9,900" and then immediately said after that, "see? the number is dwindling." I almost laughed out loud. My spouse was in total shock. No one else seemed to notice.
Yes, they notice. My hardcore sister does; but the human mind has a special way of dealing with cognitive dissonance like these: they rationalize.
Very intersting thread, guys. Keep 'em coming.
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LUKEWARM
They read a verse in Romans chapter 8 during the memorial about how the "anointed" truly know they are such.
However, when this chapter is examined contextually, there was no question about heavenly or earthly life in Paul's discussion but simply whether one was living by Gods spirit and belonged to Christ or was instead living according to sinful flesh. Living by spirit produces fruitage of Gods spirit, one not doing so is at enmity with God. Then in verse 14 he says:
"For all who are led by God's spirit, these are God's sons"
Not some, but "ALL who are lead by God's spirit" are his sons, his children.
I discussed this recently with a friend of mine and it got him thinking...could it be that there are not two groups but that the words from Matthew to Revelation apply to us as Christians, not by extension but directly??
Slowly chipping away at my friends folks, helping them see the WTS deviation from the scriptures... -
isaacaustin
I enjoyed the memorial, good songs on Jesus, interesting scriptures on firstfruits! stuff you never hear at church sacrements which always focus on what Jesus can do for you and not that a covenant is a two way deal.
perhaps you have been to the wrong churches Reniaa...or the WT blinders still had you. I have been to about 30 memorials and they have never been interesting...rather idolatrous to the org...and sickening as they shut up the kingdom of the heaven to most of the JWs. My church focuses heavily on what Jesus has done for us, each and every one of us and the covenant is surely a 2 way deal. The WT does not preach this- with them the new covenant only applies to most members by extension of their following the lead of the GB. Hardly a 2 way road between the members and Jesus.
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JimmyPage
As they passed the bread my little girl yelled, "I want chips! I want chips!"
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still_in74
we had a "visiting" speaker that basically read word for word that watchtower article about the "wealthy benefactor that bought the struggling company and gave everyone their old jobs back". they guy actually said "benfactor"
Oh thanks special visting speaker! I havent heard that illustration 42 times. While your up their why dont you tell us the one about how raising kids is like slowly releasing a spring or shake a can of metal and glass and say you are making a watch????
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kanootcha
I enjoyed the memorial, good songs on Jesus, interesting scriptures on firstfruits! stuff you never hear at church sacrements which always focus on what Jesus can do for you and not that a covenant is a two way deal.
So, almost 2000 years before I was born some guy made a two-way deal with me that if I don't accept will mean my everlasting death?
Take that to court and it'd get thrown out with a laugh from the judge, you can't make a contract with someone who isn't born, nor with the parents, grandparents, etc., of that someone. What's even worse is that the great god (capitalisation intentional) of the Universe condemns everyone to sin and death because of what the first pair of humans supposedly did. Love, compassion, justice, universal sovereignty? My butt!