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.
Just as the Spirit animates Pentecostal worship in inspired preaching, anointed singing, joyful shouts of praise, and dancing, the Spirit also animates the sacraments. When believers experience water baptism, Holy Communion, or foot-washing, they encounter Christ’s priestly ministry through the Spirit of grace. When the sick call for prayer, holy hands anoint the sick with oil and the Spirit is present. Through the Holy Spirit, worshipers transcend time and space as they share sacramental experiences with Christ and the redeemed community. When believers enter the baptismal water and are baptized into Christ, they share in His personal baptism in the Jordan River. When believers gather at the Lord’s Table to share bread and wine, that is, the body and blood of Jesus, they join with the Lord and all believers of the past who have received bread and wine, and all those in the future who will receive bread and wine. When believers take the towel and basin to wash the feet of another, it is because they have been baptized into Christ and are participants in Christ’s reconciling and sanctifying work. Through Christ the High Priest and the Spirit of grace, sacraments are more than mere reenactments or memorials to God’s redemptive acts; the baptismal water, the towel and basin, the bread and wine, and the anointing oil become mediatory gifts. In Christ and the Spirit, celebration of the sacraments becomes participation in God’s redemptive acts. Worship becomes an expression of ongoing saving faith.
The challenge for Pentecostals is, “How can the celebration of sacraments enrich Pentecostal worship?” This is not a call for the establishment of a formal Pentecostal liturgy, nor is it a suggestion to diminish spontaneity or “Spirit movement” in Pentecostal worship. The Holy Spirit is utterly free. The Spirit cannot be domesticated, manipulated, or institutionalized. The Spirit cannot be confined to an established liturgy. Pentecostals should understand that the freedom of the Spirit means that the Spirit is free to act as an agent of grace in sacraments. The sacraments originate in the Spirit-empowered ministry of Jesus Christ. Sacraments are common to most Christian churches. The intent here is to suggest ways sacraments can be fully appreciated in Pentecostal spirituality. The Spirit’s movement in and through the sacraments is the agent of spiritual formation in the worshiping community.
