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Nashville, TN: In many cases, people are afraid of something because they don't understand it. And sometimes it's hard to ask questions because you don't want to sound stupid. So, for instance, when I asked my friend, Kaelin, if I could attend a service with her at her church, I asked timidly, "are you sure it's ok that I go? Even though I'm just visiting?" Her response was priceless:
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Um, yeah!
We save goat sacrificing for less public events!"
But then added a reassuring, "You are too cute! However, you might get mauled by the 'friendlies.'"
My hesitation (which, because of lack of knowledge, breeds fear) was about the religion / denomination of
Jehovah's Witnesses. The only thing I really knew about them was that they go door-to-door, asking those who answer if they would like to talk about the bible. I have scattered childhood memories of hiding and being
verrrry quiet, so that the two men in suits and briefcases knocking on our door would eventually leave, thinking we weren't home.
I decided to use this project (
TGCS) to get a new and adult perspective for myself. Gaining more knowledge by personal experience will only benefit my desire to see how others worship God. Plus, it was a perfect excuse to hang out with my friends, Kaelin & her husband Matt.
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Aesthetics: All Jehovah's Witnesses (JW's) meet in buildings called "
Kingdom Halls." They use this term instead of church because they believe the word "church" in the bible refers to a group of people versus a structure. This Kingdom Hall, located in the suburb of Bellevue, TN, was a simple, modest building, on the same block as two other houses of worship. Inside was a back area full of literature (free for anyone to take), a slightly raised stage and movie-theatre-style seating.
Greeting: This is the community Kaelin was raised in. Recently, she and Matt moved to another area of town to be close to a Spanish-speaking Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall. (Side note: they are also learning Spanish simultaneously. Totally jealous & impressed!) So, walking around with Kaelin was kind of like being with a celebrity. People were so excited to see the girl they 'watched grow up,' so were naturally welcoming to her friend. Kaelin was right - I did get "mauled by friendlies" in the loveliest of ways.
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Community: There were approximately 100 people at the 10am service, with a dozen or so African Americans and one person of Hispanic ethnicity (the rest being Caucasian). There were around 10 children as well. It didn't look like there were too many single people -- mainly couples and families. One thing I noticed right off the bat was that all men were in suits and all women were in dresses. I was wearing a pair of dressy/casual pants & top (my standard church attire) and, though I wasn't looked at or treated any differently, I could definitely sense that I was underdressed.
Music: There were three songs sung by the congregation (and accompanied by a recording of a piano, played via CD on a sound system). They all sounded traditional (to me: church-y) and used the word "Jehovah" in place of "God."
Service: The service, called a "
Meeting," started with a prayer and a guest speaker for 30 minutes. After another song, they began their study of
The Watchtower, which Matt
printed out for me (he's very thoughtful). After another 30 minutes or so, it wrapped with announcements and a closing song.
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What I enjoyed most was the interactive process of the Watchtower study. First, the leader (called an
elder) would read a paragraph or two from the study guide everyone in the congregation had brought along. Then, he would ask the already-prepared corresponding questions at the bottom of the page. People in the audience would raise their hands and one of three men would go to the person chosen by the elder and be given a microphone to reply. I could feel myself paying attention more since I knew there was going to be an opportunity to respond (with a microphone!) at the end of each segment. Also, the elder would call upon each person by their name -- Brother or Sister so-and-so (last names only) -- which would mean he would have to know each person in the congregation. A very impressive and challenging task for the person in charge.
Message: Ironically (or not so ironic) for me - considering my only exposure to JW's had been the door-to-door visitors - the topic of the guest speaker was on "the spirit of the evangelizer." He sympathized, "going door-to-door is not a natural thing. It's something you may not like doing. But you have to get over it." He continued on to say that if this is what you believe, it is your job to talk about it. If it is hard to know how or what to talk about, there are schools that will help guide you. "But you will never graduate," he advised. "Because we are always learning."
Denomination: Jehovah's Witnesses are headquartered in Brooklyn, NY. It was founded in the late 1870s and emerged from the
Bible Student Movement. They believe solely on the bible and use the
New World Translation. A few other beliefs:
Jehovah is God's proper name; Jesus was the son of God (though not God himself -- which means, no
Trinity); and the earth will
remain forever and that all people, living and dead (who will fit in with Jehovah's purpose for a beautified, inhabited earth) may live on it forever... with a lucky
144,000 who actually get to go to heaven.
Overall: It's interesting to me how differently the bible can be interpreted. To me, JW's present some points that are easier to grasp than traditional Christianity, yet also have some that are even more confusing. As with all religions / denominations, rules are made based on what the core beliefs of the group are, and its followers are to adhere to the mandates accordingly. It was inspiring to know how much courage they must have to talk about their beliefs in such a forward and public way.
Contact:
210 Bellevue Rd.
Nashville, TN 37221
There is no website or Facebook page for this particular Kingdom Hall (or any others that I could find), however you can go to the official Jehovah's Witnesses website
here.
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Reflections on the Journey Thus Far: As usual, I found my faith deepened by sharing my Sunday with friends and conversations of God (or Jehovah, in this case). After the meeting, Kaelin, Matt and I went to a nearby
Calypso Cafe, where the staff immediately recognized them (must have been regulars here too!). I was able to ask questions and admired the strength in their convictions. Even though I couldn't quite shake all of my fears (especially the ones that had to do with not knowing the reasons behind
my own beliefs), I am certain that continuing to question and experience various forms of worship is a way for me to learn and grow.
One More Thing: In my research, I found a list of
famous JW's, including
President Dwight D. Eisenhower,
Venus &
Serena Williams and
Prince. That's right -- His Royal Badness (aka The Artist Formerly Known As...) -- is a Witness. And you can bet your bottom dollar that if The Purple One knocked on my door and wanted to talk about Jehovah, I'd
open up & let 'em him.
+-+01.jpg)
Aesthetics: All Jehovah's Witnesses (JW's) meet in buildings called "Kingdom Halls." They use this term instead of church because they believe the word "church" in the bible refers to a group of people versus a structure. This Kingdom Hall, located in the suburb of Bellevue, TN, was a simple, modest building, on the same block as two other houses of worship. Inside was a back area full of literature (free for anyone to take), a slightly raised stage and movie-theatre-style seating.+-+02.jpg)
Community: There were approximately 100 people at the 10am service, with a dozen or so African Americans and one person of Hispanic ethnicity (the rest being Caucasian). There were around 10 children as well. It didn't look like there were too many single people -- mainly couples and families. One thing I noticed right off the bat was that all men were in suits and all women were in dresses. I was wearing a pair of dressy/casual pants & top (my standard church attire) and, though I wasn't looked at or treated any differently, I could definitely sense that I was underdressed.+-+05.jpg)
What I enjoyed most was the interactive process of the Watchtower study. First, the leader (called an elder) would read a paragraph or two from the study guide everyone in the congregation had brought along. Then, he would ask the already-prepared corresponding questions at the bottom of the page. People in the audience would raise their hands and one of three men would go to the person chosen by the elder and be given a microphone to reply. I could feel myself paying attention more since I knew there was going to be an opportunity to respond (with a microphone!) at the end of each segment. Also, the elder would call upon each person by their name -- Brother or Sister so-and-so (last names only) -- which would mean he would have to know each person in the congregation. A very impressive and challenging task for the person in charge. 
+-+03.jpg)
+-+04.jpg)
Reflections on the Journey Thus Far: As usual, I found my faith deepened by sharing my Sunday with friends and conversations of God (or Jehovah, in this case). After the meeting, Kaelin, Matt and I went to a nearby Calypso Cafe, where the staff immediately recognized them (must have been regulars here too!). I was able to ask questions and admired the strength in their convictions. Even though I couldn't quite shake all of my fears (especially the ones that had to do with not knowing the reasons behind my own beliefs), I am certain that continuing to question and experience various forms of worship is a way for me to learn and grow.