After reading the assignment for tomorrow, I was reminded of this video that shows a worship experience in the Pentecostal church.
The reading due tomorrow states that "The emphasis of [Pentecostalism] is on the free response to this encounter with God rather than on an order or a structure provided for the possibility of that encounter...This is coupled with an emphasis on experience and empowerment" (149). The reading also talks about the presence of God's Spirit saying that it "was perceived as a liberating occurrence of freedom" (153).
It is hard to explain to any close accuracy what is going on in this video, since I assume it is something that only people who have experienced this can explain. Some have accused this of being fake, some just laugh at it. How do you all think that this functions as a Christian Worship Experience and what purpose does it serve? It seems pretty "freeing" to me, but again I have never experienced or even seen anything quite like this. How do you all think that it connects to the reading we have due tomorrow?
Also, side note: the pastor is saying "do you want it" and I believe he is referring to the Holy Spirit as it.
I'm so glad you shared this I find Pentecostalism really fascinating and it's interesting to me to see it on such a large scale. (The video I shared earlier in the semester was a much smaller group.) I imagine tent-revivals in their heyday were something like this.
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