What is Pentecostal worship?
Every denomination and doctrinal approach has its own way of worship. This doesn’t mean that every individual in the congregation worships in the same way. Some congregations offer many different types of worship.
The posture of worship can be different in all of these Christian groups of believers. You have everything from the solemn, quiet, contemplative approach to the louder, joyous, energetic worship. None of these is the wrong approach as long as Jesus is the center.
You also have worship of all kinds. Some groups worship with chants and words alone while others have music. And the music could range from one instrument to many. And don’t forget that different cultures worship in different ways as well.
All of this said, Pentecostal worship can take many of these forms. It’s not about the noise or everyone speaking in tongues or using all of their gifts in the service. Jesus is the center and the Holy Spirit is the leader. He guides the worship and orders the service.
Some people would be taken aback by the idea that Pentecostal services can be orderly. But this is what Paul calls for in 1 Corinthians 14:39. As the Holy Spirit leads, he tends to use people in the spiritual gifts, such as prophetic words, speaking in tongues with interpretation, and the other spiritual gifts given in 1 Corinthians 12.
As a Pentecostal, I define Pentecostal worship not in terms of noise or music. Pentecostal worship is about seeking God through the power of the Spirit, focusing on Christ and the Word of God. Every moment of the service is infused with the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Another mark of Pentecostal worship is that it is experiential. By this I mean that we seek to experience God’s presence in a personal and corporate way. We want God to speak to us every time we meet. And he can do this through a word from him, through another person, through the sermon, and through many other ways.
