Publication date
10/1/11
Volume
32
Number
19
The WatchTower
Views of "Our Very Best Convention"
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1911/19/1911-19-1.html
 
 
 
 
 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y. 
their 
bodies, 
and 
comfort 
and 
pray 
for 
those 
a 
little 
more 
able 
in 
body, 
but 
no 
more 
so 
in 
spirit. 
God 
bless 
these 
ex­ 
hausted 
ones. 
It 
is 
good 
to 
have 
them, 
and 
to 
see 
how 
they 
can 
be 
truly 
happy, 
though 
unable 
to 
work 
as 
formerly. 
Your 
suggestion 
re 
"Manna 
texts" 
being 
used 
as 
subjects 
for 
prayer, 
praise 
and 
testimony 
meetings 
is 
a 
timely 
one 
and 
a 
good 
one. 
It 
appears 
to 
me 
it 
will 
meet 
a 
favorable 
re­ 
ception 
everywhere. 
My 
hope 
is 
it 
may 
become 
universal. 
Another 
important 
matter 
which 
appears 
to 
deserve 
notice 
is 
that 
in 
some 
places 
the 
brethren 
appear 
not 
to 
appreciate 
the 
privilege 
of 
servipe-in 
"volunteering" 
in 
the 
distribu­ 
tion 
of 
the 
papers-not 
half 
as 
they 
should. 
Sometimes 
they 
hire 
boys 
to 
do 
it 
for 
them. 
The 
thought 
is 
that 
it 
would 
never 
do 
for 
them 
to 
risk 
their 
respectability 
by 
appearing 
on 
the 
street 
thus. 
It 
would 
endanger 
their 
popularity 
and 
thus 
injure 
their 
pr:wtice 
or 
trade, 
etc. 
It 
is, 
of 
course, 
all 
right 
to 
hand 
out 
medicine 
or 
goods 
to 
the 
puhlic, 
"but 
not 
the 
truth," 
for 
the 
world 
approves 
the 
one 
and 
fro,,'ns 
upon 
the 
other. 
The 
boy 
may 
burn 
up 
the 
papers, 
and 
no 
one 
attend 
the 
meeting, 
and 
the 
Lord's 
cause 
languish 
and 
die, 
but 
what 
mat­ 
ters 
that 
so 
long 
as 
they 
retain 
their 
popularity 
and 
practice! 
Their 
sluggish 
consciences 
are 
in 
this 
way 
given 
another 
opiate 
and 
put 
to 
sleep. 
Evidently 
the 
thought 
is 
that 
the 
Lord 
is 
very 
thankful 
to 
have 
them 
on 
account 
of 
their 
at­ 
tractiveness 
and 
agility 
in 
ilodging 
the 
issue. 
Besides, 
in 
some 
places 
the 
papers 
sent 
on 
refJuest 
and 
at 
considerable 
cost 
are 
not 
distributed 
at 
all. 
Oh, 
that 
we 
might 
see 
what 
a 
privilege 
it 
is 
to 
do 
the 
work, 
to 
"suffer 
with 
him! 
" 
"Be 
not 
ashamed 
of 
the 
testimony 
of 
our 
Lord, 
nor 
of 
me 
his 
prisoner, 
but 
be' 
a 
partaker 
of 
the 
affliction 
of 
the 
Gospel.' 
'-2 
Tim. 
1 
:8. 
Thank 
Goil 
much 
is 
being 
done, 
but 
the 
work 
is 
not 
yet 
at 
its 
best. 
Let 
everyone 
put 
his 
shoulder 
to 
the 
wheel, 
throw 
his 
popularity 
and 
pleasing 
personality 
into 
the 
wagon 
and, 
with 
a 
mighty 
shout, 
the 
work 
will 
go 
right 
on 
to 
completion 
and 
to 
Glory. 
Much 
love 
to 
yourself 
and 
to 
all 
the 
dear 
ones 
at 
Bethel 
and 
everywhere. 
I 
am 
faithfully 
your 
servant 
in 
the 
Master 
'8 
service, 
O. 
L. 
SULLIVAN. 
RE 
MANNA 
TEXTS 
FOR 
TOPICS 
'We 
learn 
that 
our 
suggestion 
has 
been 
quite 
misunderstood. 
It 
was 
that 
the 
Thursday 
MANNA 
texts 
be 
used 
as 
the 
topic 
for 
the 
Wednesday 
night 
Testimony 
Meetings 
in 
all 
the 
Classes. 
It 
appears 
that 
some 
of 
the 
dear 
brethren 
do 
not 
grasp 
the 
meaning 
of 
the 
woril 
testimony. 
Some 
get 
the 
thought 
that 
a 
little 
talk 
or 
sermon 
on 
the 
suggested 
text 
is 
a 
testimony. 
Not 
at 
all, 
dear 
friends. 
Our 
thought 
re 
a 
testimony 
meet· 
ing 
is 
that 
during 
the 
week 
personal 
experiences, 
associated 
with 
the 
text 
of 
the 
week, 
be 
watched 
for, 
and 
the 
next 
Wednes­ 
<lay 
be 
told 
to 
the 
Class. 
Perhaps 
our 
thought 
would 
be 
bet­ 
ter 
grasped 
if 
these 
were 
called 
"experience 
meetings." 
Such 
experiences 
are 
fresh 
and 
interesting- 
they 
seem 
never 
to 
grow 
stale. 
Besides, 
they 
are 
educational. 
We 
get 
more 
and 
better 
experiences 
out 
of 
life 
when 
we 
learn 
how 
to 
look 
for 
and 
note 
them. 
Try 
this 
plan! 
BROTHER 
RUSSELL. 
AN 
APPROVED 
METHOD 
FOR 
BEREAN 
STUDIES 
Dear 
Brother 
Russell:- 
I 
feel 
constrained 
to 
write 
you 
a 
few 
words 
in 
respect 
to 
the 
Berean 
Studies. 
The 
classes 
in 
some 
places 
are 
reluctant 
to 
yielll 
even 
o 
Ill' 
pilgrim 
address 
for 
Berean 
Study, 
saying, 
We 
have 
the 
Studies 
all 
the 
time, 
but 
the 
pilgrim 
seldom. 
I 
know 
just 
how 
they 
feel 
and 
yet 
those 
Studies 
are 
the 
hest 
lessons 
the 
church 
has 
ever 
had. 
Since 
they 
are 
so 
gen­ 
erally 
used 
the 
friends 
specially 
need 
the 
sample 
illustration 
of 
how 
they 
can 
be 
made 
both 
interesting 
and 
profitable. 
A 
word 
from 
you 
in 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER, 
I 
am 
sure, 
will 
be 
ap­ 
preciated 
and 
would 
be 
a 
great 
assistance 
to 
many. 
When 
the 
Berean 
questions 
first 
appeared 
in 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
they 
wpr 
.. 
(lifferpnt 
from 
what 
wp 
Im(l 
hp('n 
forming 
because 
I 
had 
alway~ 
fOl'll!Pcl 
my 
own 
ql!('~tion~. 
Several 
times 
I 
was 
tempterl 
to 
ignore 
tllp 
printp(l 
qlH·~tions. 
yet 
I 
did 
not 
wish 
to 
(10 
so. 
bppau,p, 
pOllling 
from 
~'ou. 
1 
felt 
thesp 
to 
be 
additional 
.. 
~t('ps 
of 
tlw 
rightpou~ 
o]'(lpr('(l 
of 
the 
Lord." 
Now, 
however, 
having 
become 
accustomed 
to 
the 
Berean 
ques· 
tions, 
I 
find 
them 
of 
great 
value 
and 
appreciate 
them 
highly. 
I 
will 
outline 
the 
rules 
I 
follow 
in 
Berean 
Studies. 
I 
will 
be 
pleased 
to 
have 
your 
criticism 
of 
them. 
I 
do 
not 
ask 
the 
class 
to 
formulate 
the 
questions, 
but 
read 
the 
questions 
from 
THE 
\V.\TCH 
'rOWER 
or 
l'amphkt. 
I 
(10 
not 
address 
the 
questions 
to 
one 
or 
two 
of 
the 
leading 
ones 
of 
the 
class, 
but 
give 
them, 
sometimrs 
to 
one 
and 
sometimes 
to 
another, 
reaching 
as 
nearly 
as 
possihle 
all 
of 
the 
class. 
If 
someone 
attempts 
to 
read 
the 
answer 
from 
a 
book 
I 
ohjept, 
reminding 
the 
one 
that 
in 
sehool 
as 
children 
we 
were 
not 
al­ 
lowed 
to 
look 
on 
the 
book, 
but 
were 
supposed 
to 
have 
learned 
the 
lesson 
and 
to 
know 
the 
answer 
before 
coming 
to 
the 
class. 
The 
reading 
of 
the 
answer 
from 
the 
book 
I 
may 
call 
for 
last; 
or, 
perhaps, 
I 
read 
it 
myself, 
but 
that 
is 
after 
the 
discussion 
and 
is 
generally 
understood 
to 
he 
the 
conclusion 
of 
the 
lesson. 
While 
I 
generally 
address 
the 
printrd 
questions 
to 
indi­ 
viduals, 
sometimes 
I 
make 
it 
general 
and 
invite 
voluntary 
re­ 
plies 
and 
encourage 
them. 
In 
some 
instances 
I 
have 
thought 
it 
advisable, 
for 
the 
sake 
of 
some 
heginner, 
to 
formulate 
ques­ 
tions 
additional 
to 
those 
printed 
in 
order 
to 
assist 
in 
bring­ 
ing 
out 
some 
other 
good 
points. 
My 
effort 
continually 
is 
to 
draw 
the 
answers 
from 
the 
class 
and 
to 
say 
as 
little 
as 
possible 
myself, 
except 
by 
way 
of 
recapitulation. 
I 
believe 
it 
a 
mistake 
for 
the 
leader 
of 
Berean 
Study 
to 
do 
more 
talking 
than 
others 
in 
the 
class. 
If 
in 
leading 
I 
have 
heen 
obliged 
to 
do 
most 
of 
the 
talking 
throughout 
I 
consider 
that 
lesson 
a 
failure 
so 
far 
as 
my 
leadership 
is 
concerned, 
for, 
if 
it 
had 
been 
profitable, 
the 
class 
would 
have 
been 
anxious 
to 
speak. 
Of 
course, 
I 
give 
the 
class 
opportunity 
for 
asking 
addi­ 
tional 
questions 
in 
line 
with 
the 
printed 
questions 
of 
the 
les, 
son; 
but 
I 
do 
not 
consider 
these 
qurstions 
as 
addressed 
to 
me 
personally, 
desiring 
a 
personal 
answer, 
so 
I 
turn 
the 
questions, 
the 
same 
as 
the 
others, 
to 
the 
class, 
and 
seek 
to 
draw 
out 
the 
proper 
ans"'er 
and 
to 
supplement 
the 
answers 
by 
some 
words 
of 
my 
own, 
helping 
to 
make 
the 
matter 
still 
more 
clear 
if 
possible. 
After 
questions 
have 
been 
fully 
answered 
by 
the 
class, 
the 
leader 
also 
having 
given 
his 
thought, 
then 
I 
suggest 
that 
we 
call 
on 
Brother 
Russell 
to 
give 
his 
answer. 
(Then 
all 
may 
look 
in 
the 
book 
to 
note 
the 
answer 
giyen 
and 
not 
before.) 
I 
find 
it 
well 
to 
restate 
the 
question 
just 
before 
giving 
your 
answer 
so 
that 
the 
matter 
may 
be 
as 
clear 
as 
possible 
before 
the 
minds 
of 
all. 
After 
hearing 
Brother 
Russell's 
answer 
I, 
as 
the 
leader, 
ask 
the 
class 
if 
there 
are 
any 
further 
remarks. 
Some 
may 
have 
occasional 
questions. 
So 
far 
as 
I 
am 
able 
to 
judge, 
the 
class 
of 
International 
Bible 
Students 
giving 
most 
attention 
to 
the 
Berean 
Studirs 
are 
spiritually 
and 
intellectually 
better 
nourished 
than 
some 
that 
are 
depending 
upon 
preaching. 
Preaching, 
of 
course, 
has 
its 
place; 
but 
it 
could 
not 
be 
expected 
that 
many 
of 
the 
dear 
friends 
have 
special 
talent 
along 
this 
line-nor 
would 
many 
of 
them 
have 
much 
time 
for 
preparation 
if 
they 
had 
the 
talent. 
Anyway, 
classes 
that 
have 
learned 
to 
appreciate 
the 
Bereun 
Studies 
and 
to 
use 
them, 
generally 
give 
these 
the 
preference 
as 
being 
most 
helpful 
to 
growth 
in 
knowledge 
and 
in 
grace. 
Yours 
in 
His 
fellowship, 
JAMES 
H. 
COLE. 
YOLo 
XXXII 
BROOKIjYN, 
N. 
Y 
.. 
OCTOBER 
1, 
1911 
VIEWS 
OF 
"OUR 
VERY 
BEST 
CONVENTION" 
No. 
19 
We 
have 
already 
noted 
the 
fact 
that 
there 
is 
a 
general 
disposition 
to 
rate 
each 
convention 
at 
its 
conclusion 
"the 
very 
best." 
But 
with 
full 
allowance 
for 
this 
tendency 
we 
be­ 
lieve 
that 
we 
are 
fully 
justified 
in 
writing 
down 
the 
conven­ 
tion 
of 
Septemher 
1-11, 
1911, 
as 
outstripping 
all 
the 
previous 
assemblages 
of 
the 
kind 
held 
under 
our 
Society's 
auspices. 
Reveral 
matters 
contributed. 
The 
weathrr 
was 
fine, 
with 
rains 
at 
night 
but 
fair 
in 
the 
daytime, 
except 
one 
forenoon, 
during 
the 
eleven 
days. 
The 
accommodations 
were 
comfortable 
and 
the 
mountain 
air 
invigorating. 
The 
assignments 
of 
topics 
to 
the 
various 
days 
contrihuted 
in 
a 
measure 
also. 
and 
the 
fact 
that 
there 
were 
no 
outside 
attractions 
of 
any 
kind 
assisted 
us 
in 
our 
desires 
to 
forget 
the 
world 
and 
all 
else 
but 
heavenly 
things 
during 
this 
little 
season 
of 
withdrawal 
from 
the 
busy 
cures 
of 
life 
for 
communion 
with 
the 
Lord 
and 
study 
of 
his 
Word. 
The 
auditorium 
proyed 
to 
be 
a 
very 
satisfactory 
one. 
The 
sprakers 
could 
he 
heard 
from 
all 
parts 
of 
the 
great 
build­ 
ing, 
which 
seats 
about 
thirty-six 
hundred 
and 
has 
standing 
room 
for 
another 
thousand. 
From 
morning 
until 
night, 
day 
after 
day, 
the 
Lord's 
peo­ 
ple 
assembled 
for 
praise 
and 
study, 
comparatively 
few 
seats 
heing 
vacant. 
Rarely 
were 
there 
under 
three 
thousand 
in 
at­ 
tendance. 
On 
our 
principal 
occasion 
the 
audience 
was 
esti­ 
mated 
at 
four 
thousand. 
These, 
of 
course, 
included 
residents 
[4886] 
(366-371) their bodies, and comfort and pray for those a little more able in body, but no more so in spirit. God bless these exhausted ones. It is good to have them, and to see how they ean be truly happy, though unable to work as formerly. Your suggestion re ‘‘Manna texts’’ being used as subjects for prayer, praise and testimony mectings is a timely one and a good one. It appears to me it will meet a favorable reception everywhere. My hope is it may become universal. Another important matter which appears to deserve notice is that in some places the brethren appear not to appreciate the privilege of serviee—in ‘‘volunteering’’ in the distribution of the papers—not half as they should. Sometimes they hire boya to do it for them. The thought is that it would never do for them to risk their respectability by appearing on the strect thus. It would endanger their popularity and thus injure their practice or trade, ete. It is, of course, all right to hand ont medicine or goods to the public, ‘‘but not the truth,’’ for the world approves the one and frowns upon the other. The boy may burn up the papers, and no one attend the meeting, and the Lord’s cause languish and die, but what matters that so long as they retain their popularity and practice! Their sluggish consciences are in this way given another opiate and put to sleep. Evidently the thought is that the Lord is very thankful to have them on account of their attractiveness and agility in dodging the issue. Besides, in some places the papers sent on request and at considerable cost are not distributed at all. Oh, that we might see what a privilege it is to do the work, to ‘‘suffer with him!’’ ‘‘Be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be a partaker of the affliction of the Gospel.’’—2 Tim. 1:8. Thank God much is being done, but the work is not yet at its best. Let everyone put his shoulder to the wheel, throw his popularity and pleasing personality into the wagon and, with a mighty shout, the work will go right on to completion and to Glory. Much love to yourself and to all the dear ones at Bethel and everywhere. Iam faithfully your servant in the Master’s service, O. L. SULLIVAN. RE MANNA TEXTS FOR TOPICS We learn that our suggestion has been quite misunderstood. It was that the Thursday MANNA texts be used as the topic for the Wednesday night Testimony Meetings in all the Classes. It appears that some of the dear brethren do not grasp the meaning of the word testimony. Some get the thought that a little talk or sermon on the suggested text is a testimony. Not at all, dear friends. Our thought re a testimony meeting is that during the week personal experiences, associated with the text of the week, be watched for, and the next Wednesday be told to the Class. Perhaps our thought would be better grasped if these were called ‘‘experience meetings.’ Such experiences are fresh and interesting—they seem never to grow stale. Besides, they are educational. We get more and better expericnees out of life when we learn how to look for and note them. Try this plan! BroTHER RUSSELL. AN APPROVED METHOD FOR BEREAN STUDIES Dear Brother Russell:— I feel constrained to write you a few words in respect to the Berean Studies. The classes in some places are reluctant to yield even one pilgrim address for Berean Study, saying, We have the Studies all the time, but the pilgrim seldom. I know just how they feel and yet those Studies are the hest lessons the church has ever had. Since they are so generally used the friends specially need the sample illustration of how they can be made both interesting and profitable. A Vou. XXXIT VIEWS OF “OUR VERY BEST CONVENTION” We have already noted the fact that there is a general disposition to rate each convention at its conclusion ‘‘the very best.’?’? But with full allowance for this tendency we believe that we are fully justified in writing down the convention of September 1-11, 1911, as outstripping all the previous assemblages of the kind held under our Society’s auspices. Several matters contributed. The weather was fine, with rains at night but fair in the daytime, except one forenoon, during the eleven days. The accommodations were comfortable and the mountain air invigorating. The assignments of topics to the various days contributed in a measure also, and the fact that there were no outside attractions of any kind assisted us THE WATCH TOWER BROOKLYN, N. Y.. Brooxtyn, N. Y. word from you in THz WatcH Tower, I am sure, will be appreciated and would be a great assistance to many. When the Berean questions first appeared in THz WaTcH Tower they were different from what we had been forming because I had always formed my own questions, Several times I was tempted to ignore the printed questions, yet I did not wish to do so, because, coming from you, 1 felt these to be additional “steps of the righteous ordered of the Lord.” Now, however, having become accustomed to the Berean questions, I find them of great value and appreciate them highly. I will outline the rules I follow in Berean Studies. I will be pleased to have your eriticism of them. I do not ask the elass to formulate the questions, but read the questions from Tue WatcH Tower or pamphlet. I do not address the questions to one or two of the leading ones of the class, but give them, sometimes to one and sometimes to another, reaching as nearly as possible all of the class. If someone attempts to read the answer from a book I object, reminding the one that in school as children we were not allowed to look on the book, but were supposed to have learned the lesson and to know the answer before coming to the class. The reading of the answer from the book I may call for last; or, perhaps, I read it myself, but that is after the discussion and is generally understood to he the conclusion of the lesson. While I generally address the printed questions to individuals, sometimes I make it general and invite voluntary replies and encourage them. In some instances I have thought it advisable, for the sake of some heginner, to formulate questions additional to those printed in order to assist in bringing out some other good points. My effort continually is to draw the answers from the class and to say as little as possible myself, except by way of recapitulation. I believe it a mistake for the leader of Berean Study to do more talking than others in the class. If in leading I have been obliged to do most of the talking throughout I consider that lesson a failure so far as my leadership is concerned, for, if it had been profitable, the class would have been anxious to speak. Of course, I give the class opportunity for asking additional questions in line with the printed questions of the lesson; but I do not consider these questions as addressed to me personally, desiring a personal answer, so I turn the questions, the same as the others, to the class, and seek to draw out the proper answer and to supplement the answers by some words of my own, helping to make the matter still more elcar if possible. After questions have been fully answered by the class, the leader also having given his thought, then I suggest that we call on Brother Russell to give his answer. (Then all may look in the book to note the answer given and not before.) I find it well to restate the question just before giving your answer so that the matter may be as clear as possible before the minds of all. After hearing Brother Russell’s answer I, as the leader, ask the class if there are any further remarks. Some may have occasional questions. So far as I am able to judge, the class of International Bible Students giving most attention to the Berean Studies are spiritually and intellectually better nourished than some that are depending upon preaching. Preaching, of course, has its place; but it could not be expected that many of the dear friends have special talent along this line—nor would many of them have much time for preparation if they had the talent. Anyway, classes that have learned to appreciate the Berean Studies and to use them, generally give these the preference as being most helpful to growth in knowledge and in grace. Yours in His fellowship, JAMES H, COLE. OCTOBER 1, 1911 No. 19 in our desires to forget the world and all else but heavenly things during this little season of withdrawal from the busy cares of life for communion with the Lord and study of his Word. The auditorium proved to be a very satisfactory one. The speakers could be heard from all parts of the great building, which seats about thirty-six hundred and has standing room for another thousand. From morning until night, day after day, the Lord’s people assembled for praise and study, comparatively few seats being vacant. Rarely were there under three thousand in attendance. On our principal occasion the audience was estimated at four thousand. These, of course, included residents [4886}

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