Early on in my journey into a more liturgical life I remember reading from other friends on Facebook about their exploration into liturgical worship. I remember when I was “hooked” by the Eucharist. Others, the more I read, really liked the typical “evangelical” worship model (concert level professional worship, topical sermons), but when they wanted some quiet, they loved going to a liturgical service, especially with candles.
We had made liturgy yet another evangelical fad.
When I was “hooked” by the actual presence of Christ in a Eucharist, I knew I wasn’t playing around any longer. Communion became a true sacrament. It wasn’t occasional. It wasn’t a fad. I knew the presence of Christ existed in the Eucharist. I wasn’t going back to “communion as symbol.”
Pentecostals can offer so much in the life of liturgical worship, but the street must go both ways. Liturgical theology offers so much to the Pentecostal.
But you can’t play around.
Sacraments aren’t occasional tools. They are life. For Pentecostals searching the liturgical life, I would offer this: dive in. Don’t dip your toe and get out. You can’t do this when you “feel” like it. You don’t do it for a season then cut it when attendance is where you want it to be. As Pentecostals we believe in the actual work of the Holy Spirit and his presence here and now. How do you walk away from that mentality in the Eucharist? Why would we NOT want the actual presence of Christ in the Eucharist?
We, as Pentecostals, can be so much better in our theological discovery. We need to be more honest in our exploration of communion especially. We are capable. We are hungry. Dive deeper.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 