#publictalk tittle: Cherish your place in the kingdom arrangement,

Watchtower study title: “Are You “an Example . . . in Speaking”?

Theme scripture: Become an example to the faithful ones in speaking.”​—1 TIM. 4:12.

Midweek assigned Bible reading: 2 Samuel 9-10

Para 1: immediately the tone is set: “Our ability to speak is a gift from our loving God.” When we have a gift, we bring it to the altar. We use it for good not for bad

Para 2: Foul speech—if it went no further, you could live with it, most likely. Instead, it is like the canary in the coal mine; it reflects broader and general deterioration #watchtowerstudy

Para 5: “gracious and kind speech at our Christian meetings or … ministry but … harsh and unloving way to family members behind closed doors?​“ It is either the kind person slipping up at home OR the nasty person putting on a pretense in public

Para 6: One bro comments, tells of a coworker who does not swear around him, though he does elsewhere, out of respect for him., knowing he doesn’t appreciate it.

Para 8: Speak with kindness and respect when provoked, a good lesson for me. Did i trigger a negative view because I was harsher than necessary with a certain opposer? If so, please believe me—the fellow pushed. One of those guys who would not suffer non-acquiescence to his viewpoint. I’ve come to think that unless your object is to put down a person, any hint of disrespect torpedoes an otherwise persuasive passage because that is all that person will see.

Para 9: “What can help us control our speech when we are in the preaching work?”

Sometimes it is hard because they’re speaking negatively of our best friend Jehovah, says one sis about respond respectfully to harsh opposers.  (Note how respectful speech even to opposers impressed the European Court of Human Rights which wrote: “Even accepting that the texts [used to prove that Jehovah’s Witnesses were “extremists”] promoted the idea that the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses was superior to others or that it was better to be a Jehovah’s Witness than a member of another Christian denomination, it is significant that the texts did not insult, hold up to ridicule or slander non-Witnesses; nor did they use abusive terms in respect of them or of matters regarded as sacred by them.” [bolding mine]

Para 9:  Another sis tells of a householder that chewed her out vehemently, and later crossed the street to confront her once again—‘oh, boy—what’s she want now?’—this time to apologize,

Para 12 Tip for those new or shy. Comment and it puts you on the radar, more likely to be approached afterwards. Probably shouldn’t be that way but it is. After all, even Jehovah takes note when people speak:

“At that time those who fear Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance was written before him for those fearing Jehovah and for those meditating on his name.” Malachi 3:16

Para 16: Further, we never want to hurt others with cutting remarks. One brother admits: “At times, I have made cutting, sarcastic remarks….one sis recalls the Sonny and Cher show where they specialized in that. That marraige ended early, if I recall correctly.

Para 17: The brother I love to tease, too chicken to play me in Scrabble and so he ran far away, just commented from his remote zoom location. Can I add—risky because of the study theme—that it was as usual another clunker of a comment?

Para 18: one bro comments on the picture that uses emojis, as evidence he says that the organization is “up to date.” Be that as it many, I’ve never adopted the use of those things myself. I just do a smiley by the colon followed by right parenthesis. It’s as far as I go. It’s enough.

#midweekmeeting, Bible reading assigned: 2 Samuel 9-10

At that [Mephibosheth] prostrated himself and said: “What is your servant, that you have turned your attention to a dead dog like me?”

Did the fellow have self-esteem issues?

“QR code links to a site for Bible study. It’s free. No hassles. I hope you check it out,” one sis’s talk concludes with.

Just look at this monstrosity I’m assigned to read!

“So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the sons of the king.  Now Mephibosheth also had a young son named Miʹca; and all those who lived in Ziʹba’s house became servants of Mephibosheth. And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he always ate at the table of the king; and he was crippled in both feet.”

I mean, can they say it any more? FOUR times that unpronounceable name! What was wrong with Jonathan his dad? Why couldn’t he have named the kid Jon Jr? Throw in the middle name Albatross while you’re at it! And he was crippled in both feet? I’ll be crippled in my mouth after this talk!

yes yes, I admire the optimism, I said to someone who assured me I could do it, but tell me true: did you name any of your kids Mephibosheth?

Maybe you can go with Mephie, another said. Good idea. Just like Andy Taylor used to call his nephew Opie when the kid’s real name was Opilakimommaoctolibiario.

Look at it as an opportunity to pronounce it differently seven times, Stephen said.

Mission accomplished (sort of). Seven times the unpronounceable name read, including a veritable minefield of 4 at the very end. He sells seashells by the seashore. “And if I ever have a son, I think I’m gonna name him . . . Bill or George, anything but Mephibosheth.”

I flubbed it  just before the minefield and then laughed at myself for flubbing it. It’s just a tongue twister of a name to say fast and repeatedly. “I’ve never actually seen a brother chuckle at such times,” said one bro (and then braced to see if anyone was smited like Urijah and the ark.)

“I think the angels chuckled with you and were proud of your effort as well as all the others who gave this assignment around the world 🌎.   Even when you think you are losing, you’re winning in our eyes, especially Jehovah’s eyes,” says one sympathizer. I admit I had not thought of myself that way, as sort of a Geico lizard mascot to everyone else assigned that reading.

Says Murray: ‘You are not alone my brother. I did not have any dealings with that part this week. I was householder on the study portion, but two of the brothers who had to use the name had serious muble with their trouths & got their murds wixed up. He will need a name change upon his ressurection I reckon.’

“is there anyone remaining of Saul’s house to whom I can extend loyal love,” perhaps by giving them a name change in case it is Mephibosheth?”

Yikes! No sooner do I flub the Meshibosheth minefield (2 Samuel 9) then I see this week’s Watchtower study title: “Are You “an Example . . . in Speaking”?

Theme scripture: Become an example to the faithful ones in speaking.”​—1 TIM. 4:12.

Way to rub it in.

One sis comment of how kings were pretty vengeful and Mephibosheth might have wondered what was going to happen to him, not to mention that the handicapped counted for little. .   It’s true. They routinely mowed down all rivals and potential rivals,

“I praise you because in an awe-inspiring way I am wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know this very well.” Ps 139:14

Imagine. It’s possible to hurt God’s feelings: “How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness And made him feel hurt in the desert!Again and again they put God to the test, And they grieved the Holy One of Israel.”  Psalm 78:40

So Moses said to him: “Make me know your ways, so that I may know you.” (Exodus 33:13) In reply, Jehovah revealed to Moses some aspects of His personality. Read Exodus 34:4-6,

…This will sound crazy to someone raised in the faith where you see families together as a matter of routine. But if you weren’t raised in the truth, and so saw most “families” on TV, it comes as a surprise to learn that real family members resemble each other.

(Photo from Wikipedia)

“Do your characters always have first and last names?” was the question.

Well, there is Tom Irregardless, Oscar Oxgoad, Bernard Strawman, and Dr. Mike “Ace” Inhibitor, so I would say yes.