In Pentecostal Sacraments (2010, 2015) I suggested that the church’s worship should be an integration of the Spirit, the Word, and Sacraments. For liturgical worshipers, the Spirit is present in the sacraments. For reformed worshipers, the Spirit is present in the Word. Pentecostal worshipers emphasize an unmediated personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. Each worship tradition standing alone has shortcomings. Liturgical worship without the Word and the Spirit may lead to dead formalism. Reformed worship without sacraments and the Spirit may lead to sterile intellectualism. Pentecostal worship without sacraments and the Word may lead to shallow emotionalism. Since the publication of Pentecostal Sacraments, others have called for the integration of Word, Sacrament, and Spirit in Christian worship.
Continue reading “Celebrating Sacraments at the Pentecostal Altar”
