Discipline

“Discipline” consists of being “put away from the Lord’s Table” meaning you can’t participate in the “breaking of bread” or communion ceremony (though they would never call it a ceremony). This isn’t that bad, since I’ve always felt I communed with God in my own way, whether I drank their nasty wine or not. There is something to be said about being with other Christians when you worship but that’s something I haven’t really resolved yet.

Discipline also means you must come late and leave early for all meetings.

The normal meeting schedule is:

Sunday: Sunday school, Reading Meeting, Breaking of Bread, then you go home and come back at night for Gospel
Tuesday: Prayer Meeting at night
Thursday: Reading Meeting at night


Lots of random meeting are scheduled because a special guest might be in town and has slides from their recent trip to Peru or maybe it’s the 2nd Sunday of the month and everyone gets together for a big pot luck feast. There are young people get togethers and Sunday School pic nics at the park... etc etc... There must be lots of healthy gatherings since you cant’ really go out and hang out with people outside the religion. Anything outside of the meeting community is considered “the world” and therefore a big trap set by the devil, but I digress...

Discipline also means that you cannot socialize with anyone outside of your immediate family. No eating, no talking, no driving together or being seen together anywhere. This also applies to anyone whom you might want to call your boyfriend or your partner in crime. He is also under discipline and you should not be seen together until you are accepted back into “fellowship”.

Getting accepted back into “fellowship” is a magic secret process that the elders decide together amongst themselves. They’ll have you believe that they are led of the Spirit to make these decisions but I’ve found it has a lot to do with how much you grovel and whether or not you are pretty. The prettier you are, the more punishment you need because everyone knows pretty people have less self control. The devil uses pretty people like pawns.

Usually after a few months of groveling and general submission the “loved” someone has a spirit of repentance and THEN that loved one will be welcomed back to the fold with open arms. This could take a long time or a short time. For me it was one step forward, three steps backwards.