by RubaDub 47 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Jam - you prob. tried this already, but what works for me is after I get the error message, is to again click on the envelope on the upper right, then the page reloads with the PM title no longer bolded, then it will open. The important thing is to have the title not bold I think.
As for the thread topic; where I live most every speaker gets hospitality, usually it's a restuarant.
In the last few years before I left in 2007 we had hospitality at our NYC congregation. Bethelites from the MidWest had started this in our Hall. It was divided up among book study groups. Needless to say with busy schedules and folks not having much money, small lunches at local spots paid for by the few in the congo who could afford it was the most hospitalty speakers usually ever saw. Most declined it anyway. In some cases a lunch was brought to the Hall before or after the meeting.
Isaac
I have too been in a group that was disbanded from socializing regularly (and this probably played a small part in my leaving the org.). However, a social gathering in the church/hall after the meeting would mean that it was in a controlled environment-no subversions happening, no spiritual discussions without a control figure being there.
From what I read here, the elders have enough on their collective plates without having to babysit another gathering (such as a coffee hour after the meeting). Plus, most meetings are in the evenings and let's face it, no one wants to linger then. . .
I remember once when I gave a talk, the group took us to a rib place. Afterwards, one of the attendees took my son and I on his small plane. That was a very nice and a little scary experience.
Rub a Dub - I'm in rural Southern Illinois.
finally awake ...
Thanks. I just had no idea that the hospitality thing was so widespread. I guess it just comes down to the particular congregation, or in many cases, the area.
In some convoluted way, I feel like we missed some nice experiences.
Rub a Dub
It was nice sometimes. In our hall, hospitality was usually at a restaurant. Many times, there would be 15 to 25 people at the table, which made it take forever to get served and hard to actually converse with the speaker. If the speaker was a personal friend of one of the local elders, they would often spirit the speaker away and no one else would get a chance to get to know them. There were a few who would cook a meal at home for the visiting speakers. Just Ron was never an MS or elder, so we were never on the receiving end of hospitality.
We had them here in the midwest. It seemed always a strain on the elders because no one would sign up. We were in the rurals, and people didn't have a lot of money. A bit closer to the suburbs now, and the Spanish cong. held their weekly bookstudy in one room while we had our Thursday meeting. Once a month they'd have a pot luck, and I mean it was a feast. There were at least six crock pots going, a table absolutely covered in food. Must be a cultural thing. I tried all of their foods, but just couldn't stomach Mexican food. The best I can do is Taco bell, which I know isnt' REAL Mexican. Our old cong. in the rural area stopped the food night for the study held at the hall because someone said they left a mess behind. Of course the complainers weren't the ones who attended that book study. ANd I know we clean up. Loving people there.
