by Wasanelder Once 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
When we had our BOE meetings we would say an opening and closing prayer, very ritualistic and general. During the meetings when there were difficult matters to decide, caring for widows or sick people or financial matters, I would suggest a prayer. NO ONE WOULD AGREE TO SAY ONE. I think they thought I was nuts. We had a part in the Shepherd book to pray when at loggerheads. These jerks wouldn't do it.
How about you? Do, did your body say prayers beyond the standard open and close?
W.Once
Never!!! It is not Jehovahs arrangement!
Why waste words on that omni-scient sock puppet anyway? Any decision made will be just to further their WT wh-organization anyway.
How about you? Do, did your body say prayers beyond the standard open and close?
W.Once
Of course not.
Jesus said that His house will be called a house of prayer .
The Kingdom Hall has never been His house.
Nope. It never happened. Prayer was just a ritual rubber-stamping, where the general hope was that it wouldn't be too long so everyone could get home.
How about you? Do, did your body say prayers beyond the standard open and close?
Yes, but not often. Most often when facing a particularly difficult decision or judicial matter. I knew we were an unusual BOE then and realize it even more now. I've often said that if our congregation existed apart from Brooklyn that I would probably still be there. Thank God for Brooklyn's intervention.
I was with one elder when we audited the accounts. He said a prayer before the audit and made me say a prayer after we completed the audit. We always opend and closed the BOE meetings with prayer. No prayers were ever suggested during.
That's one of those things that show how the JW religion is very distant from the way they picture themselves to the world - a people who supposedly have "an intimate relationship with God". Elders and prayers are things that don't go naturally together. Prayers in meetings with Elders and MS are usually bureaucractic and sterile, a perfunctory act that is done only for protocol. And they are supposed to be the examples to the flock!
I once got a little late for an elders and ministerial servants meeting. One elder was saying the opening prayer, but two of them were not even following the prayer. They were reviewing their notes for the meeting!
During the meetings when there were difficult matters to decide, caring for widows or sick people or financial matters, I would suggest a prayer. NO ONE WOULD AGREE TO SAY ONE. I think they thought I was nuts.
You hit the nail on the head. Your comment sums up the reason why the JWs are such a disfunctional religion. Praying sounds silly to those "glorious ones". It should be the other way around - they say Christians should "rely on Jehovah" on everything they do, but when it's time to act accordingly, like when someone suggests a prayer outside of the regular schedule, it sounds weird and out of place. The Society, with its emphasis on "organization" and "efficiency", suffocates elders' spontainity on spiritual matters.
This organization created a distorted concept of spirituality.
Neo
In this area the custom is to open with prayer but not close with prayer...everyone just jumps up and leaves.
One new elder asked about praying for those who were ill or needed encouragement and they practically laughed him out of the room.
Blondie
Yes - when we were about to seriously discuss a brother for MS/Elder - and also when we were arguing badly
