I’m a Pentecostal
"What a great service last night, celebrating 25 years since our church was founded as a home missions work. One of the highlights for me, the song "I'm a Pentecostal," about halfway through the song the saints broke loose, cuttin' a rug, some of the ladies even shouted their hair down! I don't recall exactly when the rejoicing started in earnest, but I think it was on the line "they're leaving their dead churches." I am so thankful I have always been a Pentecostal, never having had to experience firsthand a service bound by tradition and without any real worship."
"What a strange service that was. Never in my life have I been so
uncomfortable in church. One song in particular really bothered me. Not only did the song imply my faith tradition was not valued, everybody seemed to be mocking my faith tradition. I worship God in a conservative Lutheran church. While we may not shout or dance or raise our hands, we sing heartily during the hymns (and, if I may say so, with a modicum of actual musicality), and we participate fully in all aspects of the service. Hardly a 'dead' church, if you please and thank you."
Am I on a rant roll or what. I watched a video of this song a while back and thought about it from a number of vantage points. The song has its merits and its drawbacks, I suppose, as with any song. Do you know the song? Do you sing the song as a chorus, special song, or choir song? What do you think of any of the foregoing?
posted by everettg at
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
11 Comments:
Yes, I've heard it...primarily at camps, rallies, etc. Even though I've grown up Apostolic, I don't really care for it. The tone just doesn't set right with me. IMO, we sing about who we are and what we're going to do too much...stop singing about it and do it, live it! Songs should be about him and his greatness, not us and our greatness.
Glad someone besides me feels that the spirit of the song isn't right. The words and intent behind the song may be true but it sound like we're flaunting our religion rather than God. Music should be to uplift and encourage. The comment about people leaving their dead churches and coming to ours isn't going to set well with visitors from another denomination.
I don't like the song. I find it kind of embarassing. We don't sing it where I'm from and for that I'm thankful. I don't really care so much about being a Pentecostal as I do about being a follower of Christ. Pentecostals don't have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit and moves of God. We should probably stop acting like we do.
As a Pentecostal - of the conservative Oneness stripe, I find the song arrogant at best and appalling to unbelievers at best.
Sister Blog Collideoscope touched on this dichotomy a while back. Perhaps you'd like to hear what people said then at: http://www.ninetyandnine.com/sblog/2007/08/im-pentecostal.html
Thanks, anonymous, whoever you are, for pointing out I am not the first to bring this song up for critique. Had I realized it had already been "covered" I would have opted for another topic.
In response to the other posts... I am generally on the negative viewpoint of the song as I worry more about how a newcomer might be offended. However. With that being said, I would defend its use in something like a camp setting where it builds up a sense of self-worth about being Pentecostal. I think our young people have enough difficulties in life and having something to be "proud" of, can be a good thing. Although I have to admit, if I was a camp music director for a youth camp, I would still have a hard time using this one!
Everett,
That song completely turns me off. I agree with Jaime's comments above, wholeheartedly. I fear that we often thing that because we're Pentecostal that we automatically have it all right - that we have a corner on the market. There are many more people who are going to be in heaven than just Pentecostals.
And, since we're on the subject, I will say that I can feel God just as much in "high church" as I can in a shout-your-hair-down service. Cheer-leading in church brings out the rebel in me, to be sure.
AA
Ha! Ann, I love that line "cheer-leading in church brings out the rebel in me..." I agree. Everett, I am so thankful that the song is not an option for any moment in our church. There is an arrogance that is not Christ-like in the song and it bugs me. I celebrate Pentecostal culture and the heritage that we have, but I don't want to mistake the cultural aspects for Biblical precepts on praise.
Hey Everett! I didn't post the link to highlight your un-originality so much as to point out how this is a song/issue that still bugs many people, making us uncomfortable to one degree or another.
The fact that the comments keep coming proves that - roughly 2 years later!
I was raised in an apostolic/pentecostal home, and I find the song uncomfortable, at best. Yes, I'm thankful I'm a pentecostal, but there's no reason for me to have a 'haha' kind of attitude about it, and poke jabs at other churches and groups, or belittle someone else's journey toward God.
Besides... I'd much rather sing about Jesus than myself.
If it's a praise song, who is it praising?
If it's a worship song, who is it worshiping?
If it's a doctrine song, what is it teaching?
As Everettg pointed out, pentecostal young people have a lot of issues to battle, so perhaps it could be used in a 'cheering them on' sense. But even so...
It seems I'm not the only apostolic bothered by this one.
Greetings,
I would like to invite you to my site, as it relates directly to your faith...
www.onenessheresy.blogspot.com
Regards,
FW
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