Since Easter also happened to be my fiance’s birthday, the priest thought it was a perfect day for a baptism! We met with Father Joe, our priest, early last week to find out more about baptism in the Episcopal Church. All three of my baptisms were of the immersion variety (I was dunked!) and despite last year’s research, I was still unfamiliar with an Episcopal baptism.

At our first meeting Father Joe mostly spoke about the significance of baptism – what it represents, how important it is, what it means going forward in your faith. But he did tell us that my fiance would need sponsors for the baptism. A sponsor is basically a godparent, but I guess sponsor sounds better when it is an adult being baptized. I was able to be a sponsor, but he needed at least one more. He asked the parents of one of his closest friends to do the honors.

We all agreed to meet up the night before Easter to go through the details of the baptism. It didn’t hurt that Father Joe offered to buy us dinner afterward too

That night we did a quick run-through of the service. Father Joe showed us where we’d be standing and had my fiance try to fit in the baptismal “pool”. We went through who says what and when, and Father Joe answered several of our questions.

Even with all that preparation, I still was completely shocked by how the whole experience went! I’ll share that story next time, so stay tuned.

But here’s the good news for this blog: I’ve read all the emails and comments asking me to continue writing, so I will! My fiance is actually going to be baptized in the Episcopal Church soon, and we will be joining and getting married there. And I’ll be blogging it all here!

Stay tuned

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know. But allow me to make it official: I’ve decided I want to join the Episcopal Church.

Why? Well, from my very first visit back in January 2012, I felt at home there. Even though I didn’t understand things, the bowing and kneeling and crossing, it felt right. Even in 2012 when I was still visiting different denominations, I found myself visiting Episcopal Churches in the area.

The one closest to me – right down the road, in fact – is super conservative. Suits and pearls, very formal. I went there a few Sundays, and if I hadn’t met my boyfriend, that might have been the church I made my home.

But I did meet my boyfriend, a small town volunteer firefighter who feels most comfortable in jeans and boots. He didn’t exactly fit in at the pearls and jacket church, but he did love the Episcopal services. (He has a background in the Catholic Church.) We kept looking, trying another church in the area. This one was the opposite of the first, ultra-casual. Everyone wore jeans, no one kneeled, and the services were very relaxed. I felt it was too far in the other direction, so we tried one more church.

Much like Goldilocks, the third one was just right. This church describes itself as “not your ordinary church” and they are very right. The church sanctuary has elements of the Orthodox Church with icons on the walls. The music is a single man with a guitar – and occasionally a small choir – and contemporary songs are mixed with hymns. There is kneeling and crossing, but everyone does it a little differently. The priest has a Baptist background that occasionally comes out in his sermons.

Essentially, this church has combined my favorite elements of other churches with the traditions of the Episcopal Church, creating the ideal worship service for my boyfriend and me. Not to mention how welcoming the church is! Everyone is friendly and warm, inviting us to join in as much as possible.

For now we’re just attending the church regularly. We want to join, but joining the Episcopal Church is a little more time consuming than just signing a card

Which brings me to a question: would anyone be interested in reading about that process? What all goes into becoming an Episcopalian?

Or are we ready to end this journey entirely?

So what about the assumptions I shared at the start of this month?

• Pentecostals don’t cut their hair - Most Pentecostal churches don’t believe in this (or that women can’t wear pants) any more. The exception is the United Pentecostal Church, an off-shoot of the Pentecostal faith that seems to be a bit fundamentalist.
• Pentecostals believe in faith healing, and practice it regularly - All Pentecostal churches believe in it, but regular practice varies by individual church.
• Pentecostals are snake handlers – NO!! There were a handful of extremists that started this, but as a rule, no, Pentecostals aren’t snake handler.
• Pentecostals speak in tongues - We covered this. Yes, most do. But not all.
• Pentecostals are very vocal during service, lots of shouting and handraising and amening - Yes.

Most of the assumptions (especially the more extreme ones, like no hair-cutting) were related to the United Pentecostal Church, a variation of Pentecostalism that is much more strict than most. The women don’t significantly cut their hair, so they usually wear their hair in buns atop their heads. They also don’t wear makeup or much jewelry, and they always wear full-length skirts or dresses. (Reminds me of the 7th Day Adventists, or the Fundamentalist LDS Church.) This is a church I would have to spend a lot of time researching to even begin to understand.

So that’s it. Last post about the Pentecostal Church. I’ll be sharing some of my thoughts on the last 12 months over the next few weeks. I’ll even be letting you know what church I end up making my home! So stay tuned – it’s almost over.

Image by Thomas Hawk used under Creative Common License.

So here’s a little more information on the topic.

Speaking in tongues can mean speaking in a language of heavenly origin or speaking in a human language previously unknown to the person. The first instance is more common (at least to me) and is usually what we hear in church services. The second instance usually takes place when witnessing to others.

I found some interesting  ideas on the reason behind speaking in tongues. Pentecostals (mostly) believe speaking in tongues serves two purposes. The first is, as I’ve said before, it serves as the evidence of baptism with the Holy Spirit. This purpose is simply to pray and praise God. When used this way, speaking in tongues is often referred to as a “prayer language”. The person speaking isn’t trying to communicate with anyone but God. Pentecostals believe the Spirit intercedes for us through tongues. It is a way of supernaturally directing our prayers.

The other purpose is what we often call the gift of tongues. Not all who speak in a prayer language are given the gift of tongues. The purpose of the gift of tongues is for  the person to speak publicly, whether through prayer, song, or simply a message. Here is what I found really interesting. At first I thought this purpose, the gift of tongues, is what my mom meant by receiving a message. But apparently not all Pentecostals agree on this idea. Some believe this the gift is always directed from man to God, in which case it is a prayer or praise spoken to God that happens to occur in the hearing of the entire congregation. Others believe that the gift of tongues can be prophetic, so when someone prays, sings, or speaks in front of the congregation they are delivering a “message in tongues” which is a prophetic utterance given under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

While some Pentecostals agree to disagree about the prophetic nature of these messages, most agree that these public acts of speaking in tongues must be interpreted. This happens when someone who has received the gift of interpretation understands the message and translates it for the congregation. Funny enough, it is common for people who have the gift of tongues to also have the gift of interpretation, and yes, they can interpret their own message. (I know that probably creates a little doubt in some people’s minds.)

So that’s what I’ve learned about speaking in tongues. Do I know more than I did before? Yes. Am I still a little confused? Absolutely.

Anyone want to share their insight? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I took last week off from this blog. And I know I didn’t finish writing about the Pentecostal Church in December. I’ll have a couple more posts about it soon, then I’ll start winding things down.

Can you believe it?

I haven’t done any research about speaking in tongues yet. First I thought I would simply write about my understanding of it.

I don’t even remember the first time I heard someone speaking in tongues. Perhaps because I grew up in a church that did, so it was just something that was always around. But I don’t remember it happening every service. Even now when I go back home and attend Pentecostal services with my parents, I don’t hear many people speaking in tongues.

When I have heard people speak in tongues, it is often followed by a translation. One person stands up, often during worship or time of prayer, and begins to speak in a foreign tongue. (And I don’t mean French.) Someone else, often on the other side of the sanctuary, stands and repeats the message in English.

I’ve heard that speaking in tongues is only legitimate if there is someone who can translate it. I’m not sure I agree with that – I know some people speak in tongues in their own personal prayer time. There wouldn’t be a translator in that case. But I do think some people fake speaking in tongues at times. Why, I have no idea. Why do people do anything they do? But I don’t think it is my job to say who is or isn’t legitimately speaking in tongues.

Personally, I’ve never spoken in tongues. At some point in the past, that might have bothered me. At some point in the past, I think I believed that speaking in tongues proved that you were really a Christian. (But honestly, is there any way to prove you’re really a Christian?)

At this point, I believe that speaking in tongues is real. It is one of the spiritual gifts given to Christians, but I don’t think everyone is given the gift. I believe some people use their gift in church services, some use their gift in private, and yes, some people fake the gift.

Next week I’ll share what I learn after I actually spend time researching the topic!

Image by Lawrence OP used under Creative Common License.

The baptism into the body of Christ, that is, salvation. Every believer in Christ is made a part of his body, the Church, through baptism. This one seems simple enough. To be baptized into the body of Christ, you simply must believe.

The second is what we typically think of, water baptism. They believe it is the symbol of dying to the world and living in Christ. They don’t believe in transubstantiation, instead believing water baptism is an outward symbol of that which has already been accomplished by the Holy Spirit, namely baptism into the body of Christ. Pentecostals believe in immersion baptism, and only in baptism of those old enough to make a decision, not of infants.

And finally, they believe in baptism with the Holy Spirit, an empowering experience distinct from baptism into the body of Christ. In this baptism, Christ is the agent and the Holy Spirit is the medium. There are often certain expectation following this type of baptism – some believe speaking in tongues is the only proof someone has been baptized with the Holy Spirit. (Not all believe this, and speaking in tongues is really another post unto itself.) Other “evidence” of this baptism is praising God, being unusually happy, and testifying about Jesus. Pentecostals believe this type of baptism is available to all Christians, not just their denomination.

These baptisms usually occur in this order – first you must be saved, then baptized in water, then baptized with the Holy Spirit – but not always. Some Pentecostals believe you can be baptized with the Holy Spirit before being baptized in water.

So do you have to experience all three to get to Heaven? No, the Pentecostals don’t seem to believe that. Salvation itself is enough – the other two baptisms are valuable, but not essential. (Of course, it can be argued that they are essential to grow as a Christian, but if we’re talking just of getting to Heaven, not essential.)

Pentecostal friends, does that seem accurate? Did I miss or misrepresent something? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to know!

Image by Richard Masoner used under Creative Common License.

It was a smaller church than I expected, but the parking lot was packed and people were hurrying into the building. I was greeted warmly and handed my program by a woman holding the front door. Several people said hello as my boyfriend and I found seats. The church looked rather traditional from the outside, but not so much inside.

Instruments littered the elevated stage area. Drum kits, guitars, bass, clarinet, and a keyboard were all used as several men and women led modern worship songs. There seemed to be one main worship leader – the pastor’s wife. The music was loud, and people really got into it. Eyes closed, hands raised, jumping up and down, fist pumping…the works.

The service started almost immediately with this level of intensity. The church was only half full when the band began, but by the end of the first song it was almost full. The worship team led the congregation in four or five songs, drawing the last song out for quite a while. Somewhere in the midst of all the singing, we took a quick break to greet each other. (Honestly, the beginning of the service was kind of a blur. I’m having a hard time remembering the exact order.) But as the final song played on, the pastor stepped up to the stage and encouraged everyone to continue worshiping.

Throughout the worship time, there were familiar phrases that I hadn’t heard in a while. “Let’s give a hand clap for Jesus.” and “Shout if you love the Lord and want to praise him this morning.” (Side note: I never liked the last one. It reminded me of the Facebook posts that I’m supposed to like if I love Jesus. Maybe I don’t feel like shouting to the Lord this morning, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to praise him. I’d just prefer to do it quietly.)

While the band continued to play, the pastor asked for everyone to bow their heads and close their eyes. Then came the request to raise your hand if “you want to ask Jesus into your heart”. He emphasized that there was no specific prayer, that all you needed to do was raise your hand. When no one did, he asked if anyone needed to recommit. He said you could be a Christian for 97 years and still need to recommit from time to time. (Interesting.)

This segued into a time of prayer. People laid hands on each other, and everyone prayed out loud. It wasn’t a group prayer, like in liturgical churches. It was individual prayers all being spoken at once. It is often in this time that people start speaking in tongues, at least from what I’ve seen in the past. No one did this Sunday, at least not that I heard.

As the prayers wound down, the pastor’s sermon began. He spoke for about 30 minutes, and was very animated. He didn’t really stand on the stage, instead standing in front of the steps and walking around. (The Episcopal priest I met in January would’ve liked this…he seemed very against elevated stages.) He used some interesting language, and declaring that “this was good stuff”. This could come off as arrogant, but many pastors believe their words are coming directly from God, so they are actually trying to give glory to God. (Right?)

His sermon was about detours, and at the end of it he gave an altar call. He told the congregation “don’t take a direct path to the altar, God will meet you where you need to be”. Some people went to the front (to the steps of the stage, as there wasn’t an actual altar), while others knelt where they were. Others (like me) simply sat down where they stood. (I think God met each of us anyway, even if we took a direct path.)

After a time of prayer, the pastor made some announcements and called upon the ushers to take up tithes and offering. This is the part I found a little different. Most churches do this part at the beginning rather than the end. I’m not sure if they do it this way every time. This particular day they were preparing for a baptism service, so perhaps that’s why. After the offering was taken, the pastor announced a small break, allowing those who needed to leave a chance to sneak out before the baptisms began. Unfortunately, I was one of those people. I had other plans that afternoon, so we couldn’t stay much longer.

The service was so high energy that I didn’t really get a chance to look at the program until the end. Like most non-liturgical churches, the program was basically just announcements. It also had a section for notes, and an offering envelope inside. As we drove away from the church, I asked my boyfriend what he thought. He’d gone to my parents’ church with me before, but only once, so I wanted his opinion. All he would really say is that this church was “more intense” than my parents’.

And I think I agree. More intense seems like a good description.

I attend their church when I visit, so I’ve actually been to a Pentecostal Church a few times this year. Because I’m still somewhat involved in this church, I will freely admit that I’m biased. So today I’m going to share assumptions that I think people have about the Pentecostal church.

• Pentecostals don’t cut their hair - My great-grandmother was Pentecostal and didn’t cut her hair, but I don’t know anyone that doesn’t now.
• Pentecostals believe in faith healing, and practice it regularly - They do believe in faith healing, but I don’t think they regularly practice it.
• Pentecostals are snake handlers – This is a false stereotype, one that I’m not sure the origin of.
• Pentecostals speak in tongues - True, though not every Pentecostal does.
• Pentecostals are very vocal during service, lots of shouting and handraising and amening - Mostly true.

If you have other assumptions, please share them in the comments! I’d love to hear them And next week I’ll share my experience in my first Pentecostal church outside of the one I’ve attended since I was a teenager.