Jehovah’s visitors [dropping in on a Jehovah’s Witnesses church service]

Metro Spirit ^ | 4/22/2009 | ANGEL CLEARY

[Alex Murphy]

AUGUSTA, GA - I grew up thinking the Jehovah’s Witnesses were a cult. In eighth grade, at the Christian school I attended, I took a world religions class. I thought it would open a window and shed light into the unknown. Turns out, the class was just closed-minded and dogmatic indoctrination.

As a result, I spent the next 10 years wary of anyone who knocked on my front door, as though they would lure me with winning smiles only to brainwash me into believing bizarre, unholy practices.

Luckily, life experience changes superstitious prejudices. A couple of Jehovah’s Witness friends in the military and at school completely changed that opinion. So when a nice older couple came to my house last week and invited me to the 12:30 Sunday service, I gladly accepted.

Having never actually attended a Jehovah’s Witness church, I had absolutely no preconceptions as to how the service would unfold. I thought it would be the run of mill, typical service. It wasn’t.

Many churches have a sort of festive social atmosphere. As I walked in, I noticed people didn’t mill about chatting but sat expectantly and quietly. There was an air of sobriety akin to that of more liturgical services, like Catholic or Episcopal.

I noticed the congregation was roughly equal parts black and white, an interesting characteristic given that most local churches are decidedly one ethnicity.

I sat next to a young girl. A man announced we’d sing a song on page 154. I looked for a hymn book but didn’t see one. There were no programs or hand-outs either.

The girl noticed my confusion.

“I’ll sit next to you and share my songbook with you so you won’t feel lonely,” she smiled.

Then a speaker spoke about evolution. He read the creation story in Genesis 1, methodically analyzing each verse against current scientific claims about the Earth’s creation. It felt like a seminar lecture and, afterward, when he sat down, the congregation applauded.

There is no pastor, just a group of elders who share weekly pastorly duties. Each member is expected to make sense of the teaching themselves. It’s a very Quaker meeting.

Then everyone opened their “Watchtower” study guides. “Watchtower” is a publication put out by the Jehovah’s Witnesses that contains guided Biblical readings or daily devotions.

This was my favorite part of the service. For the next hour and a half, we read through four pages of various devotional lessons and Bible verses. The first was on forgiveness, the next on sexual purity and guarding one’s mind from sinning, the third on forgiveness and humbleness, and so on.

An elder on the stage asked prodding questions as two ushers scurried up and down the aisles giving the microphone to whoever answered. It felt more like a Sunday school class than a formal service. And I kept silently humming Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze.” Still, I was impressed by their enthusiasm.

During the visit, I felt I crossed a sort of threshold. There will always be people who have superstitious beliefs about things they don’t truly understand. So to respond to a recent Whine Line asking why Jehovah’s Witnesses buildings don’t have windows: I can at least tell ya it ain’t because they have something to hide. It’s as transparent as glass.

[Tamar1973]

I’m sure the original audience of the Book of Hebrews felt the same way.

[US_MilitaryRules]

Yes he was. But I think near the end of his life he converted to islamb so he could bugger little boys and not be ashamed. lol

[Still Thinking]

The one down the street from my house has windows. Lots of them.

The newer ones don't. I assume it's an energy conservation / vandalism prevention thing. Maybe to save cost and time when they build them as well.