Pentecostalism originated from one of the Protestant movements, the Holiness movement. Glossolalia and the baptism of the Spirit and fire were practiced there. In 1906 in Los Angeles, on the basis of one of these communities, the so-called Azusa Street Revival began. It was massive public glossolalia and preaching of the return of the “gifts of the Spirit” to Christian churches. This was later called the first “wave” of Pentecostalism. The movement quickly spread throughout the world; Pentecostals are organized into independent unions and associations with great community autonomy (Miller, 2015). The congregation is run by a pastor along with the church council. Strict church discipline is maintained. For classical Pentecostals, only a man can be a pastor; charismatics and neo-charismatics, as a rule, recognize the female priesthood.
After the virtual attendance of the Apostolic Pentecostal ceremony, it became clear that the main distinguishing feature of Pentecostal worship is glossolalia, or “speaking in tongues” – the uttering of inarticulate sounds during prayer. This phenomenon is considered a sacred language of communication with God and a sign of the gift of supernatural power. Despite the fact that before this attendance, I felt skeptical due to some theoretical controversies, during the ceremony, I felt the power and influence of the religious traditions.
The worship itself is usually divided into two parts – glorification, during which chants are sung more energetically, and worship, during which more calm music is played. In a number of Pentecostal communities (predominantly of the charismatic type), vivid emotional manifestations are practiced at divine services: screaming, falling, crying, and laughing. In different communities, depending on the pastor’s attitudes, a different set of musical instruments is used, and various musical styles are adopted in worship (in some churches, even “Christian metal” or “Christian rap” can be played).
It should be noted that Pentecostals do not have a single doctrine; different groups can differ quite a lot in philosophy. However, there are positions shared by all Pentecostals besides general Christian approaches. The religion claims the exclusive role of the Person of the Holy Spirit, miracles and revelations received from Him by the church and individual believers (Got Questions, n.d.). Among the crucial ideas of the religion is that Christ brought people not only spiritual salvation but also deliverance from physical suffering. Different Pentecostal churches have different opinions about various aspects of this teaching: how much healing is necessary for everyone, whether everyone can heal, and how conventional medicine should be treated.
It seems reasonable to note that the Pentecostal religion forbids its followers to take in tobacco and alcohol, which should be taken into account during my future nursing practice. I will be able to exclude the impact of these substances on a patient’s conditions who recognize the church’s fundamentals. Moreover, treatment plans that would be developed for such patients should consider the religious principles thoroughly.
After the virtual attendance, I understood that Christianity might be perceived as a diversified religion that has a plethora of interpretations. In my future practice, I will pay a lot of my attention to figuring out my patients’ beliefs and the related religious rules. This can shed light on their everyday life, which can alleviate the diagnosing process to a great extent. Moreover, a person feels uninhibited and free when healthcare providers demonstrate an interest in their religion. This might contribute to the establishment of productive communication and relations.
References
Got Questions. (n.d.). What is the Pentecostal Church and what do Pentecostals believe?
Miller, E. M. (2015). What’s an Apostolic Christian and why is Kim Davis’s hair so long? Washington Post.