The Watchtower—Study Edition February 2021

[Thesauron]

We will study about headship.

 

https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=jwlshare&wtlocale=E&prefer=lang&docid=2021284&par=0

[Dages]

Nice articles.

 

 

And an interesting last article about trials.

[New World Explorer]

10 hours ago, Dages said:

And an interesting last article about trials.

Was there a thread, or comment here on the forum in relation to doubts?

 

I like this point: The solution: Face your doubts; strengthen your faith. Do not be indecisive. In the days of the prophet Elijah, Jehovah’s people had become indecisive. Elijah told them: “How long will you be limping between two different opinions? If Jehovah is the true God, follow him; but if Baal is, follow him!” (1 Ki. 18:21)

[Dages]

 

PICTURE DESCRIPTION: A brother is arrested in his home. His wife and daughter look on as police officers take him away. While the husband is in prison, fellow worshippers join the sister and her daughter for family worship. The mother and daughter frequently ask Jehovah for strength to endure their trial. Jehovah gives them inner peace and courage. As a result, their faith grows stronger, enabling them to endure with joy.

[Luisabola]

Loved the life story of brother Stephen Hardy. What a faithful brother. When I saw Wellingborough in there, that brought back memories of going to Wellingborough kingdom hall for our circuit pioneer meetings when I was newly pioneering at 18 years old!

 

Lovely articles about headship too. When a woman should wear a head covering was interesting, and the last article on maintaining joy despite trials was excellent too. 

[M.J.]

19 hours ago, Luisabola said:

When a woman should wear a head covering was interesting,

I found it extremely misleading. The first question in the box indicates that a sister who teaches must wear a head covering.  (I thought,  wow, the rules have changed and we're all going to start wearing head coverings in field service!!) But then when you read the references, they actually clarify this is not the case. Hence, I don't understand why that first question/answer was there to begin with, since it's an extreme oversimplification, and basically wrong. I guarantee many will be confused....🙁

[New World Explorer]

1 minute ago, M.J. said:

since it's an extreme oversimplification, and basically wrong. I guarantee many will be confused....🙁

We are all well educated in Jehovah's standards and expectations, therefore I think we already know enough about head covering to arrive at logical conclusion.

Questions in the box clarify the point as well, I don't see anything confusing unless I missed something?  (Wouldn't be for a first time LOL) 

[M.J.]

10 minutes ago, New World Explorer said:

I think we already know enough about head covering to arrive at logical conclusion

No, the topic of head coverings has always been a source of great confusion. Many sisters don't really know when to wear and not wear one. (At all female babyshowers or bridal showers, they always think they need a head covering to pray, when in fact they don't). And it often changes depending on different scenarios. And no matter how many times I personally review this topic, I still get confused myself. For example: It says it would be rare for a sister to pray outloud in front of her husband, unless he's deaf. But all this time I've been praying in Spanish while giving my studies, with head covering of course, because he doesn't speak Spanish, so he can't offer the prayer. How can this be a rare scenario? I know many, many couples with same scenario. So.... have I been doing something wrong all this time? Sigh... back to the drawing board...

Edited November 26, 2020 by M.J.

[New World Explorer]

18 minutes ago, M.J. said:

No, the topic of head coverings has always been a source of great confusion. Many sisters don't really know when to wear and not wear one. (At all female babyshowers or bridal showers, they always think they need a head covering to pray, when in fact they don't). And it often changes depending on different scenarios. And no matter how many times I personally review this topic, I still get confused myself. For example: It says it would be rare for a sister to pray outloud in front of her husband, unless he's deaf. But all this time I've been praying in Spanish while giving my studies, with head covering of course, because he doesn't speak Spanish, so he can't offer the prayer. How can this be a rare scenario? I know many, many couples with same scenario. So.... have I been doing something wrong all this time? Sigh... back to the drawing board...

O..my goodness, thanks heaven I am not a sister I could not face such hard decisions LOL We will pray for you dear sisters... 

Slowly retreating....hoping to disappear unnoticed... leaving others with their "problems" ...LOL 

[jwhess]

It is important to note that it is not "wrong" for a sister to cover her head.  Do we remember the video when the angel Gabriel came to tell Mary that she was going to be the mother of Jesus?  In the video, when she heard the person at the door (before Gabriel spoke), when Mary got up she raised the cloth (scarf?) from off her neck and covered her head.  She was not going to pray, nor was she going to conduct a meeting, nor did she have a husband to consider.  It was simply a sign of humility.

 

The important feature to consider to think about, is this action I am going to do usually done by a brother?  A sister can pray for herself or her little children but she would not normally pray for an organized meeting (field service for example).  But if she is called upon to do so, she should cover her head.

 

Anytime a sister does some spiritual action that is normally done by her husband and head, she should cover her head as an example of humility to the angels watching.

 

So a sister can cover her head anytime she feels it is necessary without criticism or penalty.  There are a few cases where God has made the covering mandatory.  We would hope that our sisters are not put into these situations often.

[Amygdala]

4 hours ago, M.J. said:

The first question in the box indicates that a sister who teaches must wear a head covering.

I think it just referred to the situation "when a baptized brother is present." So the question was in reference to congregational situations, and not during a home bible study. It looks like the picture depicts a sister taking the lead during a field service meeting. Also the type of head covering is good to be featured because some perhaps are confused on what defines proper head covering - whether it's a tissue or wig as proper use. This illustration then gives a good definition of it.

 

I know a sister at Germany Selters Bethel that has translated German talks into German Sign Language. But in the video (I think it was on video, forgot, but she had mentioned it to me), she is wearing a head covering. I guess whoever is watching the translation could also be a baptized brother showing his student. But it's always good to be on the safe side in regards to congregational matters, which in this case is regarding question 1...

[Amygdala]

It makes me think it's good that we analyze and talk about the picture illustrations during the WT study to avoid any confusion.

[Amygdala]

4 hours ago, M.J. said:

No, the topic of head coverings has always been a source of great confusion.

Me too. My husband works in his office which is closed off in the basement, but we are in the same house. So I ask myself when I pray for my daughter's food, do I wear a head covering? Although I pray quietly, and in most cases I will wear one anyway. Also if I am conducting a bible study on video, I will literally go 2 floors up from the basement to make sure my husband doesn't hear my prayer. The question mentioned "public" prayers, so I also take it to mean when a baptized brother can be of earshot, although we are in the same house.

 

I asked an older brother once about it during cart witnessing, and he said it is better to wear one while giving a prayer for meals, which would normally be done by the father, because my husband is at home. I guess when in doubt, go the safe route. Anyway, to me it shows respect for the arrangement, and for the angels.

Edited November 26, 2020 by Lieblingskind

[Amygdala]

3 hours ago, jwhess said:

Do we remember the video when the angel Gabriel came to tell Mary that she was going to be the mother of Jesus?  In the video, when she heard the person at the door (before Gabriel spoke), when Mary got up she raised the cloth (scarf?) from off her neck and covered her head.  She was not going to pray, nor was she going to conduct a meeting, nor did she have a husband to consider.  It was simply a sign of humility.

I used to call at the home of a pentacostal or some type of christian church, where I had started return visit conversations with the wife. Come to find out the husband was a pastor at their church. Sometimes the wife would send out her grown daughter, and when she came to answer the door, she always grabbed a head covering. Her step-father wasn't always at home, but when he was, she made sure to put it on. I guess I could have done it to display respect for their views, too, but I actually at the time didn't think too much about it.

 

Found out he used to study with Witnesses for a half a year, but was mainly using the information he learned for his preaching to his church. He tried to challenge me once by asking if it's ok if he remains a pastor at his church, but studies on the side with JW's. In front of his wife, I asked him if it was ok if he was married to his wife, but had a girlfriend on the side. He became verbally (sexually) crude towards my visits after that. They ended up moving away without telling us, and we lost touch.

[Thesauron]

No, the topic of head coverings has always been a source of great confusion. Many sisters don't really know when to wear and not wear one. (At all female babyshowers or bridal showers, they always think they need a head covering to pray, when in fact they don't). And it often changes depending on different scenarios. And no matter how many times I personally review this topic, I still get confused myself. For example: It says it would be rare for a sister to pray outloud in front of her husband, unless he's deaf. But all this time I've been praying in Spanish while giving my studies, with head covering of course, because he doesn't speak Spanish, so he can't offer the prayer. How can this be a rare scenario? I know many, many couples with same scenario. So.... have I been doing something wrong all this time? Sigh... back to the drawing board...

Many would ask him to say a prayer in his language. But, when in doubt...

[ijsvogel]

2 hours ago, Lieblingskind said:

I know a sister at Germany Selters Bethel that has translated German talks into German Sign Language..... she’s wearing a head covering

When a sister translates into a sign language she should wear head covering, while she could choose not to wear head covering when she translates any spoken language: https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2009846#h=1:0-6:1104  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ijsvogel]

7 hours ago, M.J. said:

I found it extremely misleading. The first question in the box indicates that a sister who teaches must wear a head covering.

Maybe you did misunderstood the illustration? I think the sister with head covering is conducting a field service meeting, not a bible study. She seems to discuss which tract to use in field service. 

[M.J.]

3 hours ago, Lieblingskind said:

I think it just referred to the situation "when a baptized brother is present." So the question was in reference to congregational situations, and not during a home bible study.

That would make sense.. but... it didn't state this... hence the confusion.

[M.J.]

2 hours ago, Thesauron said:

Many would ask him to say a prayer in his language. But, when in doubt...

That would make no sense or be of any benefit:

[Thesauron]

That would make no sense or be of any benefit:

It would be perfectly fine. It happens quite often, in fact, that someone prefers to say a prayer, a most important matter, in the language of their heart. I attended a function, in fact, not too long ago, with a couple of friends, where the one saying the prayer preferred to say it in his mother tongue - sign language. Of course, it is better if everyone can understand the prayer fully, but it is not always possible.

[M.J.]

Well if the Bible doesn't convince you, when it says "you will in fact be speaking into the air", then there is nothing left for me to say. 

[Thesauron]

Well if the Bible doesn't convince you, when it says "you will in fact be speaking into the air", then there is nothing left for me to say. 

If you are to teach someone, or relate an experience, say, it is important to speak the local language, or have it translated. When it comes to prayer, it is a very personal thing. When we teach people, we do not ‘speak in tongues’, but do our outmost to make sure what we teach is understood.

[Amygdala]

I was in service today with a sister from the German congregation who asked me to join her in a video study. I thought she was going to ask me to pray, in which the theocratic words fail me when on the spot. So I started googling and translating my thoughts into German should I have had to pray, as the student speaks no English. I had it ready on a side screen. Praying in the student's language is important. I wasn't asked, but nowadays with everything digital, anything is possible.

[Thesauron]

I was in service today with a sister from the German congregation who asked me to join her in a video study. I thought she was going to ask me to pray, in which the theocratic words fail me when on the spot. So I started googling and translating my thoughts into German should I have had to pray, as the student speaks no English. I had it ready on a side screen. Praying in the student's language is important. I wasn't asked, but nowadays with everything digital, anything is possible.

It is important, and should be done if suppose, if possible. But there’s no law. If a qualified brother does not speak the language of the student, it would not be improper of him to say a prayer in his own language.

[Romain]

12 hours ago, Lieblingskind said:

It makes me think it's good that we analyze and talk about the picture illustrations during the WT study to avoid any confusion.

The description of the illustration is “A sister conducting a meeting for field service. She is seated and wearing a head scarf”