Transcripts: Apply Bible Principles

Transcript: Keep improving your family worship
Husband: Change, it happens all the time in life.
[A middle-aged couple return home their expressions stoic]
How we adapt to change isn’t always easy.
[She removes her scarf]
As a family, we’ve always tried to put Jehovah and his will first,
[He takes off his suit jacket and tie]
and now it’s time for change again.
[At the dining table he sits alone]
Let me explain.
[Now his wife and two grown children sit with them]
Family worship has always been an important part of our spiritual routine. Studying with our children came naturally. It just flowed, and we enjoyed it.
[Hand in hand they laugh with their son and daughter over open Bibles and Watchtowers]
But when the last of our children moved out,
[Now just a couple sitting at opposite ends of the table]
we just hit a wall.
[With serious faces they both put on their reading glasses]
I was finding it awkward to study with my wife alone. Our family worship was becoming nothing more than a stale question-and-answer session.
[Week after week he brings two ‘Close to Jehovah’ books to the table and sits across from her. Holding her book open she frowns, staring at him. Another time she avoids his gaze as he puts the book down in front of her]
And gradually, it got worse
[She sighs deeply as he rubs his eyes in frustration. Looking down she shakes her head]
until finally we stopped altogether.
[He slowly walks by framed photos of their son and daughter then turns off the light. Later she sits in a chair with an open Insight book, Bible and note pad]
Sometimes with change, we just need a wake-up call.
[He enters the living room and pauses when he sees her, crossing his arms he notices her studying, he smiles at her admiration]
I had almost forgotten how deep a student of the Bible she is.
[As he observes her concentration, he nods softly to himself. He enters another room holding his tablet]
How could I make our family worship more enjoyable for her, for myself, and for both of us? I had to do something.
[Picking up a Bible, he puts it under one arm then settles into an easy chair with his Bible and tablet]
The faithful slave has always encouraged husbands to study with their wives.
[Taking his reading glasses out of his pocket he puts them on and opens his Bible]
I meditated on 1 Peter 3:7, where it says: “You husbands, . . . continue dwelling with them “according to knowledge. Assign them honor.” I reflected on the example of Abraham and Sarah. At one point, Abraham had to adjust and pay attention to his wife’s feelings. In fact, Jehovah said: “Listen to her.”
[On his tablet a picture of Abraham and Sarah]
Was I listening?
[Abraham holds Sarah’s hand as they sit on benches in front of tents. The husband imagines himself and his wife in the picture in place of Abraham and Sarah. His wife speaks freely with one hand resting on his. He listens attentively, nodding. The picture reverts back to Abraham and Sarah. He puts down the tablet, takes off his glasses and stands up smiling]
Like Abraham and Sarah, it was time for us to have a heart-to-heart.
[Back in the living room he approaches his wife studying. As she looks up at him, he sits on an ottoman beside her. He takes her hand in both of his]
I let her know that her feelings really mattered to me and that with a little creativity and finding material that would interest both of us, our studies could be more enjoyable.
[As he speaks earnestly, she smiles at him. She wraps her arms around his neck, they embrace tightly. As she sits back in her chair she grins. He picks up her open Insight book]
We decided to make a new start.
[The smiling couple walk to their dining table, instead of sitting at opposite ends they sit next to each other. With the Insight book between them he takes both of her hands as they bow their heads in prayer. Another day she grins as she brings two mugs to him at the table, she sets them down near their study books]
Family worship has taken on a fresh and exciting new role in our marriage. In fact, it is the highlight of our week.
[On a sunny day they sit outside, she playfully pushes him on the shoulder as they look at an open Imitate their Faith book. In their living room he picks up a Sing to Jehovah book, he brings it over to his wife sitting on the couch then sits next to her. They smile as they open the song book together, they begin singing. Now outside they chat over their tablet]
By adding variety to our studies, they are now more rich, meaningful, and engaging.
[Sitting close on the couch they watch the Why Study the Bible video on their TV. Later she grabs a packed picnic basket then they sit on a blanket on the grass]
Yes, change can bring about new challenges, but it also creates new opportunities.
[They open their large print Bibles]
Together we are drawing closer to each other and to Jehovah.
[In a park they stroll past a fountain arm in arm, she leans her head on his shoulder]
[Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2014 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania]