by DT 72 Replies latest jw friends
BFD, a lace doily? That probably would have seen normal to me back then. Now, I could NEVER keep a straight face with a woman sitting up front with a doily on her head. OMG, I'm dying here. Just got the mental picture.
Funny stuff, right. Get this, she had a bunch of these doily things. She made them herself. We would use them for coasters after the meeting! lol
BFD
Doubting Bro,
But the people who stayed away from the book study already were at the fringes, already had low morale. They were likely the ones that were "low hour publishers", certainly they were not pioneers, elders, or MS.
That was usually a minority of the congregation though. CBS attendance, while low, is still generally at least 70-80% of publishers.
The ones who did attend, now have their "social hour" removed. The one meeting per week that was more relaxed, is gone forever. No more goody nights, no more CBS groups hosting the visiting Sunday speaker, no more hanging around after the CBS just talking...now all meetings are in the stuffy, formal atmosphere of the Kingdom Hall. Those are the ones who are going to feel deflated.
For those few fortunate sisters, the book study that had no eligible/qualified brothers, this was their only hope of having any Authority or semblance of responsibility in the borg. My mother waaaay back in the 50's conducted the BS in our home, complete with DOILY. She really enjoyed that time in her career as a jw.
I told my son about this change yesterday, he hadn't heard of it, duh, JWD , We heard!! I didn't tell him I got it here as he is still very much IN. He said how he read the Wt at the hall sunday, yahoo. Anyways, I don't think the ramifications had started to sink in at the time. More later I guess.
NMG
No, the truth is, it is a loss.
But it might seem like a needed break to some.
But back in the early 70s, when we were awaiting the Great Tribulation, the Book Study was held as
THE NUMBER ONE MOST IMPORTANT MEETING!
We were told that it was through the book study arrangement our lives would be saved!
Honestly, we were educated to believe that the elder in charge of our book study would become the
representative of the Society for our group and through angelic direction he would look out for us and guide us through the dark night of Jehovah's anger against mankind.
Following his spirit guided direction we would survive into the New World.
Whatever he said it was Jehovah's word to us. If he told us to go right, we should go right. If he told us to go left, we should go left. If he told us to hide, we should hide.
The book study conductor believed he was in charge or rather the spiritual caretaker of his book study members.
That is why some of us wives were so supportive of the arrangement in our homes and why we worked very hard to get the house clean and the supper dishes done and put away before the brethren arrived. It was told to us that it was a privilege for our husbands to be book study conductors. And it was hinted at that there would be a New System reward for all our hard work and sacrifice.
Wow! I hope somebody is keeping a record on file of all the years the sisters cleaned toilets and vacuumed and dusted before the book studies in their homes. I hope the records dont get lost or forgotten. Somebody has got to tell Jehovah in the New System so those sisters get their rewards! And what about the brothers being made princes or something? Well Im sure the angels will tell Jehovah. They have good memories, dont they?
it was an opportunity for friendship and a family feeling than is offered at the other meetings.
The smaller group was a better arrangement for keeping track of people whether they were sick or M.I.A.
Personally, even though I was sick of having it in my home, I mourn the loss of the intimate Book Study arrangement.
It was an opportunity to talk about the New System or to talk about current events in light of the Bible without the time constraints like the Watchtower Study (where you got a stern look from the podium if you dared say anything outside of the paragraph in your comments)
Honest to God, if I was introduced to the JWs today without the informal Book Study arrangement, where you got to meet real JWs and talk to them heart to heart, I would not join the JWs and disown my own worldly family like I did and take the heat I did.
Back in the 70s the JWs were on fire and exciting! Believe me, the world in the early 70s was acting like it was going mad! The JWs were an oasis of hope for many back then.
But back in the early 70s, when we were awaiting the Great Tribulation, the Book Study was held as
THE NUMBER ONE MOST IMPORTANT MEETING!
We were told that it was through the book study arrangement our lives would be saved!
Honestly, we were educated to believe that the elder in charge of our book study would become the
representative of the Society for our group and through angelic direction he would look out for us and guide us through the dark night of Jehovah's anger against mankind.
Following his spirit guided direction we would survive into the New World.
Whatever he said it was Jehovah's word to us. If he told us to go right, we should go right. If he told us to go left, we should go left. If he told us to hide, we should hide.
The book study conductor believed he was in charge or rather the spiritual caretaker of his book study members.
I think a lot of dubs will wonder why they bothered with the book study for so many years. It never served its purpose in helping them through the great tribulation. Hopefully, some will think about this and the new understanding of the generation and realise the WTS has no basis for claiming that Armageddon is coming soon.
Oh yeah, we will miss Sis. Wilbersons basement painted Pepto-Pink, and the wonderful scent of moth balls wafting through the air....the drone of the window air unit and the distant tinkle of the run-on terlit................goodby good times..............oompa
Boy, does that bring back memories! Not exactly Pepto-Pink, but the run-on terlit! for sure....LOL But, there must be horror stories of stuff trashed and things stolen, like a previous poster pointed out that I didn't think of. I can remember when the assembly halls had all the coats at the entrance, no cloak room for years with never anything missing....then, all of a sudden cloak rooms had to be installed where each person got their chit so theft must have been a problem - I can see liability issues here and probably more than a few cases of finger-pointing in congregations where no one would fess up to having filched items of value....even the brothers can't be trusted anymore - so much for Jehovah's spiritual paradise.....because after all most of the attendees would be the so-called brothers.....
the happiest people will be the homeowners who don't have to worry about having their house spotless and setting up chairs, cleaning up after people's bratty kids, hiding the good china.
I had the BS in my house for one year before I threw them out.
W
Boo Hoo Hooo......
Quirky1
Doubting Bro,
But the people who stayed away from the book study already were at the fringes, already had low morale. They were likely the ones that were "low hour publishers", certainly they were not pioneers, elders, or MS.
That was usually a minority of the congregation though. CBS attendance, while low, is still generally at least 70-80% of publishers.
The ones who did attend, now have their "social hour" removed. The one meeting per week that was more relaxed, is gone forever. No more goody nights, no more CBS groups hosting the visiting Sunday speaker, no more hanging around after the CBS just talking...now all meetings are in the stuffy, formal atmosphere of the Kingdom Hall. Those are the ones who are going to feel deflated.
Sir82 - I hear what you're saying. But, I am willing to bet that attendence even among the "strong" is not what it used to be. I know of several instances where neither the BSO nor his assistant showed up for a CBS and the group just left. While that's an unusual occurrence, it would have never happened 20 years ago (when I was a wee lad!). 70%-80% of the publishers is pretty poor attendence. For example: 100 - publishers 5 - inactive yet may come to an occasional meeting (not included in publisher count) 15 - young children who are not yet publishers Total potential meeting attenders - 120 80% of publishers - 80 CBS attenders Number of missing - 40 Now you're talking about a 66% of potential attendees actually coming. I do agree with you that many will missing the informal atmosphere of the smaller groups. As someone who still trudges to these things, I would much rather have seen the TMS/SM done away with. Maybe I'm just thrilled to have one weeknight back that I can't possibly understand why anyone would be upset!!
Does it not warm your heart?
