Remember

Remember the days of old, consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you” (Deuteronomy  32:7).

This morning I watched the events of September 11. The emotions overwhelmed me. I wept. I sat in my chair and remembered.

Continue reading “Remember”

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter

Why I Observe Lent (and the Liturgical Calendar)

For most Pentecostals, the only days of the Christian calendar worthy of observance are Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. Even so, these days are dropped into the midst of ordinary days with very little reflection or planning, with the exception of the obligatory drama or cantata. As a kid in Pentecostal church, I never knew what Ash Wednesday signified. I thought it had something to do with the government’s anti-smoking campaign.

Continue reading “Why I Observe Lent (and the Liturgical Calendar)”

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter

So, You Don’t Want to be Religious?

As one of my theology professors used to say, “Words mean something.” What he was trying to teach is that we should be careful with the use of words, especially when we are trying to teach or proclaim the truth of the Gospel of Christ. Cases in point are a couple of popular sayings illustrated below:

It seems that the word religion has developed a negative connotation. One would think that to be religious  means to be self-righteous, formal, and ritualistic, among others. In fact, religious means: manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality; devoted to religious beliefs or observances; or, to be scrupulously and conscientiously faithful.

Continue reading “So, You Don’t Want to be Religious?”

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter

Sacraments: An Ongoing Altar Call

The celebration of the sacraments is an ongoing altar call. For most Pentecostal churches, the altar call is the central event of the worship service. Sinners are encouraged to come forward to the altar to “pray through” to salvation. Believers are encouraged to come to the altar to pray for sanctification, or to “pray through” to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. During the altar service, those who are sick, or otherwise in need, are encouraged to come to the altar. There the church elders will anoint with oil, lay their hands upon the sick, and pray for healing. The celebration of the sacraments in Pentecostal worship should be understood as an opportunity to invite the saints of God once again to the altar to encounter the Holy Spirit in the celebration of water baptism, the Lord’s Supper, foot-washing, and the laying on of hands. Each sacrament directly corresponds to the redemptive work of the Holy Trinity. In this regard, the sacraments are an ongoing altar call in which the believer encounters God through the Holy Spirit.

Continue reading “Sacraments: An Ongoing Altar Call”

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter

Encountering God at the Altar

Encountering God at the Altar: The Sacraments in Pentecostal Worship

In the 2002-2003 United States Congregational Life Survey administered by the Center for Pentecostal Leadership and Care, Church of God pastors rated “participation in footwashing, baptism, or the Lord’s Supper” as the pastoral task they were least competent to perform. Yet the significant place these formational worship experiences have in Christian life and commitment and in relation to core Pentecostal theological teaching suggests the need for pastoral guidance in their observance. Pentecostal congregations need pastors capable of leading them in meaningful and Spirit-led participation in these biblically based spiritual practices.

This volume in the Center for Pentecostal Leadership and Care Pentecostal Leadership Series is intended to address this need in pastoral ministry. Dan Tomberlin takes seriously the ecclesial (within the church) context of the sacraments of footwashing, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. He emphasizes the communal nature of their celebration as compared to more individualistic approaches. That is, Tomberlin sees these sacraments as formative and transformative rites of the church rather than mere personal religious experiences. He affirms the reality and importance of the personal dimension of faith but finds the fuller meaning of the sacrament in the relationship between the individual and the community of faith.

Continue reading “Encountering God at the Altar”

FacebooktwitterFacebooktwitter