'Cooneyite' form of worship

[Admin]

I've asked maryhig if she would mind posting here, in as much detail as she can find the time and energy for, to tell us about her 'meetings'. The little that Mary has told me sounds quite wonderful, and one immediate strength is how the bible is read in detail (in as large or small amount of passages as time permits) and people speak on what is being read, as moved to do so. The bible readings are by an open coal fire, way less formal that we are used to!

Over to you, maryhig

And thank you!
admin

[Admin]

Women's dress in sister group 'Cooneyites'

Jun 9, 2023 1:13:14 GMT -5 maryhig said:

I agree it has to be from the heart, we also have meetings but we aren't forced to wear certain clothes, there is no "uniform" we are taught that a woman is to dress as a woman and a man as a man, and most of us wear skirts, but some wear trousers but it's our choice. I personally don't wear trousers, I wear skirts, I don't dye my hair or wear makeup or jewelry anymore as I now see those things as vanity and vanity is for myself, not for God. But saying that, that's because I know those things aren't important to God, he looks at the heart. You can have a woman wearing trousers that has a better heart than a woman wearing a skirt. It's the heart that counts.

I've been told that the friends who are women have to wear their hair in a bun, and wear certain clothes. These dress codes seem to come from a time when women wouldn't have looked out of place as that's the way they dressed when the friends and workers were formed. So even though I wear skirts, I wear colourful skirts and clothes similar to what everyone else wears, I don't have my hair in a bun, but I do keep my hair long and dress modestly and as I said without makeup because I believe that it is right before God and Paul teaches us this when he said the following.

1 Timothy 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 2:10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

1 Corinthians 11:15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

I too see (like admin) that Jesus dressed like everyone else and we know this because Judas had to kiss him to point him out. He was no different to other men. So again no uniform, and no robes like they have in churches, he just dressed as other men did at the time. But I believe Jesus would have dressed modestly and he always did what is right before God, so he showed his faith by his life, by living it out and obeying God daily as he bore witness to the truth, and those who truly follow him will do the same and follow the example that he set for us.

[maryhig]

Everything that I have gleaned about the 2x2 meetings seems so formal to our meetings. I wonder what the 2x2 meetings are actually like? And what are the workers like? We don't have any near me and no gospel meetings, I'm in North Wales, if there were I'd go even just to see what it's like.

Our meetings are so informal and friendly but true to the Bible, we read the Bible by an open coal fire and talk about the things of God, we have quite a few houses that we have different meetings in, they are not all set in one house. There's no rules as in dress wise, although we are taught as from the Bible to dress modestly and some wear just skirts (including me) because it says in the Bible that a woman shouldn't dress as a man, but it's our own choice and some women wear trousers. We don't have workers but we have members who we would class as elders as they are older and stronger in God, but no one is over anybody, we see each other as the same, but they are not too soft either, if something is wrong and against the Bible they will say so.

Anyone is welcome and there is no set "rules" as I put it. It's not all planned, we go by what Paul says when he said if someone has something to say the rest remain silent as they speak. But we don't speak for set minutes each like our meetings in Ireland do, they have 20 minutes each to speak, but we speak when we have heard something from God as we are reading, or see something good in what we are reading. We have 4 meetings a week, 3 evenings and a Sunday morning meeting, and people come to the ones that they are able to make it to. We read as many chapters of the Bible as we are able to in each meeting, sometimes it won't be much as people hear things, and they then speak about what they hear or see as we are reading, or what they have seen or heard beforehand during the day, and sometimes we can read 3 or more chapters.

Our meetings are 2 hours long in the evening, and an hour and a half on a Sunday and we sit by the fire and read, each taking turns to read chapters. We see lots about the fire, like it takes in all the rubbish, but gives out warmth and light, that's like God, if his love is burning in our hearts then he'll burn the rubbish within us (sin), through Christ by the power of the Spirit, as we obey his word and cast off our old ways, and then through us he gives out warmth and light as we follow the way of Jesus and turn from sin, baring witness to the truth bringing the love of God and life of Christ to others.

They are simple meetings, nothing complicated, we just bringing the word of God to each other and as I said all are welcome.

[nathan2]

Does your group partake the emblem or Bread and wine on Sunday?