How did/does your congregation view going out to eat AFTER the Memorial?

by OneDayillBeFree 17 Replies latest jw experiences

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  OneDayillBeFree

  For us it used to be a big NO-NO, but I think it has slowly grown more acceptable since many of our elders would be starving during the whole reject Jesus party...

  I always thought it was a bit funny when I saw brothers and sisters almost celebrating with a big feast and drinks on the night that the good ol' Messiah sacrificed himself for all humankind!

  It seems now more recently that since it IS the only thing witnessess CAN celebrate, they go all out!

  Maybe I'll join in the festivities too.

  So what about you guys? Did you guys go out and have a big feast after? Or did you just go home and sleep with an empty stomach?

  And how did you feel about it all?

  OneDayillBeFree
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  tootired2care

  I've been in several congregations and it's been about 50/50 in my experience. As a teenager we'd usually always go out after the memorial, of course there would always be brother overzealous who would make some lame speech or comment about it. A couple of times my dad tried to make me feel obligated to be in serious mood afterward. We got invited over to someones house tonight for after memorial, where i'm sure plenty of wine will be consumed
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  wha happened?

  we always went out, in fact, I posted on another thread how a few of us, drank the wine afterwards, in the KH
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  Alfred

  Never heard of it being a no-no.... In my area it's a tradition... (for more info, see the following thread)

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/207581/1/Are-JWs-the-worst-restaurant-customers
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  Morbidzbaby

  Yeah it was kind of a tradition in the places I lived as well. You go and "celebrate" the Memorial, and then you do as Jesus and the Apostles did...have a meal, drink, and sing praises. In other words, have fun and make merry. And so we did.
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  NVR2L8

  A few years back an elder, his wife, my wife and I drank the wine used for the celebration...it was a good bottle but one glass had to be discarded because a "weirdo" we had never seen at the KHall decided to partake...I guess he is one of these "emotionally disturbed" partakers of late. I didn't have any feelings regarding this wine, but the other couple was kind of making a big deal out of this. I guess they had bought the bottle and were anticipating tasting it. Cheese and crackers accompanied the wine...
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  finallysomepride

  in all the congregations that i was in when i was in NZ, it was always a no-no, even after a normal meeting it was considered to be a no-no, however not everyone followed the 'Rules'
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  Found Sheep

  small gatherings only and it was never much fun
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  exwhyzee

  It was never a habbit of ours to go out afterward. I always just wanted to get home in time to relax before having to get up for work the next day.

  As a kid I remember walking into the bathroom after the "service" just in time to see one of the Elders standing at the sink gulping down the left over wine. I was shocked.

  It always struck me funny and sort of "christendom like" when sisters used the Memorial as an opportunity to wear long dresses,corsages and hats to the hall. The last one I was at was a fiasco. A very odd Bethelite was flown to our west coast congregation to deliver an unintelligable talk. If I hadn't already known what he was talking about, I'd have been confused.Two teenaged non witness girls sitting in front of me kept shrugging their shoulders and looking from one to another with puzzled looks on their faces as he rambled on.

  Afterward, an older sister, all a twitter, rushed up to her daughter and new baby grandson who was all decked out in a 3 piece suit so she could take a photo of "baby' s first memorial". It was my last memorial...it seemed like such a farce. Two thousand and nine years later and people were still going through this ritual and awaiting deliverance.
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  ShirleyW

  I remember the elite group of the Cong used to gather at somebody's house and polish off the bottle(s) of wine and have their own "theocratic gathering".