April 2023 WT

[Dustparticle]

Here it is: https://d34ji3l0qn3w2t.cloudfront.net/b3538970-bdd4-468f-bfd9-e55751650343/1/w_E_202304.pdf

[Dhanyel]

Available on website and app 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-study-april-2023/

[Kerv]

Tremendous articles 😊

[AH173]

Even the Watchtower Study conductor gets counsel in the box in the meeting article. 

 

I'm so glad about this. When we had elders and circuit overseer meeting I asked him what do you think the FDS consider excessive commenting by the conductor, 3 to 5 times throughout the lesson.

 

(from my observations in my congregation it's been from a dozen to 2 dozen times he makes statements) 

 

He replied from historical experience as once being the conductor, about 2 times would be sufficient. 

 

In the box it says few. Seems like 3 times is permissible forces conductor to make comments to bring out a point of in the lesson. 

[Loopy]

 I like the part in that box that says: Do not call on the same ones repeatedly if others who have not had an opportunity to comment have their hand up. 
 

Calling on the same one every single time they raise their hand (really long commenter 🎶) takes a lot of time away from others. 🤣🤣🤣

[AH173]

1 hour ago, AH173 said:

In the box it says few. Seems like 3 times is permissible forces conductor to make comments to bring out a point of in the lesson

***Spell check error. ***

 

Seems like 3 times is permissible. 

 

The conductor is encouraged to make a few comments in order to bring out points in the lesson. 

[Dustparticle]

1 hour ago, AH173 said:

Even the Watchtower Study conductor gets counsel in the box in the meeting article. 

 

I'm so glad about this. When we had elders and circuit overseer meeting I asked him what do you think the FDS consider excessive commenting by the conductor, 3 to 5 times throughout the lesson.

 

(from my observations in my congregation it's been from a dozen to 2 dozen times he makes statements) 

 

He replied from historical experience as once being the conductor, about 2 times would be sufficient. 

 

In the box it says few. Seems like 3 times is permissible forces conductor to make comments to bring out a point of in the lesson. 

We have several friends who comment beyond than 30 seconds in our congregation and this is ridiculous When you comments goes beyond 30 seconds, it no longer a comment.

[pholmes38]

As a conductor myself, who can fall in the trap of commenting a bit too much, its a good reminder to me.

 

Also good that some wise advice on how to make the best of commenting.

 

I do find that confident commentors will put their hands up quickly.

Less confident ones hesitate. Its good to try waiting a few moments for them, but with time constraints you can only wait so long.

 

Hopefully this information will help us all

 

 

[Br. Ice]

The article even encourages those that comment often to not put their hand up if they already commented a couple of times. This should encourage those that don't put their hand up to do so. It will be interesting to see how that will turn out. And to see different hands going up, when this advice is followed.

[Doug]

Love these comments from article 17:

 

"When we rely on Jehovah, life's uncertainties can actually draw us closer to him".

 

"Even when life does not turn out the way we had hoped, we can still be an example of faith and endurance".

 

"Even if we cannot do all that we had hoped to do for Jehovah, our God may have other blessings in store for us that we could never have anticipated".

[SUNRAY]

I touched a picture in an article and along with a picture at the bottom of my screen are play buttons that play the songs in the lesson..wonder what that is ? It streams them.

[Tortuga]

I was recently asked to talk to an older sister that was asking why she didn't get called on every time she raised her hand. She is usually the first one to raise her hand and comments often, but she was upset that she doesn't get to answer every time. I was planning to talk to her next week and this article is perfect!

[daydream]

7 hours ago, Doug said:

Love these comments from article 17:

*** w00 12/1 p. 24 “You Do Not Know What Your Life Will Be Tomorrow” ***
Life Story
https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=2000886&srctype=wol&srcid=share&par=1

 

Life Story

 

AS TOLD BY HERBERT JENNINGS (who suffered from  bipolar mood disorder)

[Californiamama]

30 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

I was recently asked to talk to an older sister that was asking why she didn't get called on every time she raised her hand. She is usually the first one to raise her hand and comments often, but she was upset that she doesn't get to answer every time. I was planning to talk to her next week and this article is perfect!

 

Some people take themselves too seriously when it comes to being called on...They may have a good comment but where is the humility that Jehovah treasures even more?

 

Recently our conductor called on someone who answers fairly often and then he spotted a new hand.  He said "wait, let me call on Sis XXX" then he said "Psych!"

 

The American friends may recognize this bit of a tease. It's like saying "Ha ha, the jokes on you". It's a little casual but we are a tight knit congregation and our elder saying "psych!" totally cracked us up.

[Doug]

2 hours ago, Californiamama said:

 

Some people take themselves too seriously 

 

What has helped me to comment regularly is not taking myself too seriously.  It occurred to me that, realistically, hardly anyone will remember my comment anyway.  This reality has been liberating.  My comments come from the heart, and I simply don't stress over the reviews.  It's not a competition.

 

[jrnievas]

15 hours ago, Dustparticle said:

We have several friends who comment beyond than 30 seconds in our congregation and this is ridiculous When you comments goes beyond 30 seconds, it no longer a comment.

In Filipino, the translation of "commenting" is "pagkokomento"

 

but if the comment is longer than 30 seconds, it's like you are "telling a story"

 

In Tagalog, it is translated as

" pagkukuwento"

 

comment = komento

story = kuwento

 

commenting = pagkokomento

telling a story = pagkukuwento

 

So, sometimes, we're make it fun when someone make a longer comment than usual, we always say

 

"that is not pagkokomento at all, we can call his/her comment as pagkukuwento"

 

😆 hahahahaha just wanna share it 

 

bye 😆😆😆

[Pabo]

15 hours ago, Doug said:

It occurred to me that, realistically, hardly anyone will remember my comment anyway. 

 

You may think that way, but it may stick in someone's mind for many years.

 

One time, my wife and I went to a congregation meeting down the Central Coast way, as we had turned up fairly early on a Sunday morning, there were a two brothers who were there doing some cleaning of the KH. When I introduced myself to them and which congregation I was from, one of them said "I know that congregation, I was there about 7-8 years ago visiting with a whole group of brothers from the RBC suspended ceiling team that one your brothers invited us up for the weekend. I always remembered an older brother giving a comment about 'what it would feel like to stick a knife into someone'. I never forget that because it was so left field."

 

The other brother said "Nah, you must have misheard him. I doubt any brother would make a comment like that".

 

I replied, "Yes, that brother who is an elder did exactly say that," which I named that brother, then quoted his wife who gave the comment directly after his saying "I am not not so sure about sticking a knife into someone, but maybe I should start sleep with one eye open."

 

That brother bottom jaw just dropped, he couldn't believe what this brother said was true. Not only that, we were relating other incidents that went in that Watchtower study as well that this first brother had related to those whom he knew when he got back home, whom many thought he was telling tall stories that wouldn't be done at a meeting. The brother was absolutely flabbergasted what did happen at our meeting that morning, as I was naming the brothers were actually had done or said what was said and confirmed these stories.

Edited January 19, 2023 by Pabo

[Skye]

Loved the article on resurrection. It will be a touching study…I hope we won’t have an assembly that weekend. Especially loved the box: https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=jwlshare&wtlocale=E&prefer=lang&docid=2023361&par=59

 

Quote

What Would You Ask Them?

In the new world, imagine asking resurrected ones the following questions:

Noah’s wife: What is your name? How did you and Noah protect your sons from the wickedness all around you? (Gen. 6:5, 13)

Isaac: What was going through your mind as you carried the firewood up the mountain? (Gen. 22:6-8)

Job: How do you feel now that you know what was going on in heaven during your trial on earth? (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7)

John the Baptizer: What was it like to hear the voice of Jehovah? (Matt. 3:13-17)

The criminal executed alongside Jesus: Can you tell us anything else about Jesus’ last moments on the stake? (Luke 23:39-43)

 

What would you ask . . .

Abel?

Abraham?

Jephthah’s daughter?

David?

Jonah?

 

[Dhanyel]

47 minutes ago, Skye said:

Adorei o artigo sobre ressurreição. Será um estudo comovente...espero que não tenhamos uma assembléia naquele fim de semana. Adorei especialmente a caixa:  https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=jwlshare&wtlocale=E&prefer=lang&docid=2023361&par=59

 

 

Wonderful article and even gives us a tip to listen to the songs and keep in mind and heart that the spirit of Jehovah will help us to remember in difficult situations 

[daydream]

 

 

On 1/20/2023 at 8:32 AM, Loyal said:

 gives us a tip to listen to the songs and keep in mind and heart that the spirit of Jehovah will help us to remember in difficult situations 

 

*** w23 April p. 13 par. 18 “Your Brother Will Rise”! ***

18 Make good use of “spiritual songs” that mention the resurrection hope. (Eph. 5:19) These songs make the resurrection more real to us and strengthen our faith in this precious hope. Listen to them, practice them, and discuss the meaning of the lyrics during your family worship. Etch the lyrics in your mind and heart. Then if you face a life-threatening trial or lose a loved one in death, Jehovah’s spirit will help you to recall these songs and draw comfort and strength from them.

https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=2023361&srctype=wol&srcid=share&par=27

Edited January 28, 2023 by Imagine

[daydream]

On 1/20/2023 at 4:22 AM, Pabo said:

a comment about 'what it would feel like to stick a knife into someone'.

[jwhess]

On 1/18/2023 at 8:46 AM, Dustparticle said:

We have several friends who comment beyond than 30 seconds in our congregation

Last Sunday we had about 100 at our meeting (around 70 in-person).  I took the opportunity to time the comments.  We had 40 comments of 30 seconds or less.  We had 3 comments of 30 to 39 seconds and we had two comments, one 42 and one 45 seconds (at least one of these was an experience).  

 

There were 18 paragraphs, 18 individual questions (no doubles) and two pictures to comment on.  Well done group.  I was very impressed.

 

Note: I did not count any "Review comments".

[Amygdala]

On 1/18/2023 at 2:12 PM, Loopy said:

I like the part in that box that says: Do not call on the same ones repeatedly if others who have not had an opportunity to comment have their hand up. 
 

Calling on the same one every single time they raise their hand (really long commenter 🎶) takes a lot of time away from others. 🤣🤣🤣

 

 

My daughter used to count who commented the most compared to those who commented the least. lol The really long commenter everyone knows and how many pay attention?

[Amygdala]

It seems to happen more during the Bible Highlights part where one goes over the 30 seconds. Someone gets over-enthusiastic about a point and then feels the need to go into detail, and then apply it after spending already 30 seconds just talking about the details. Of course there's alot of good stuff to bring out, but not limiting the comments to 30 seconds doesn't allow others the opportunity to share their inciteful thoughts. It's good to think about a point, but actually try and bring out the application moreso. Plus it's important not to misapply or misinterpret the scripture to fit something one wants to express.

[Loopy]

57 minutes ago, Woanders said:

 

 

My daughter used to count who commented the most compared to those who commented the least. lol The really long commenter everyone knows and how many pay attention?

Admittedly, there was a time when I was so frustrated because I was “never” called on no matter how many times during a meeting I raised my hand (small congregation) that even I got to that point. Naturally, the long commenter won the prize of being the majority. 🤣🤣🤣 But somehow in recent times it cleared itself out. 🤣🤣 Although the long commenter still gets the award 🥇🤣🤣🤣