Lingual Worship

Sitting in the Brand New Life Christian Center in April 2006, I gazed upon the chairs, pulpit, and an array of pianos, drums, and trumpets. The praise and worship team was leading us in songs of worship. An excitement was building because I knew it was not just any ordinary concert; it was the day one of my favorite artists, Cleveland Laing, also known as Lieutenant. Stitchie was going to perform. I counted each song we sang and how many people performed before it was Lt. Stitchie’s turn to thrill us with heart-stopping, soul-filling reggae gospel music. Everyone stood tense as they awaited his performance. The seats were filled, with even more people crowding the back and the sides of the church.

In Santa Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes, Justo L. González invites the reader to read the Bible in fresh ways, and gain insight from the perspective of “those who claim their Hispanic identity as part of their hermeneutical baggage, and who also read the Scripture within the context of a commitment to the Latino struggle to become all that God wants us and all of the world to be—in other words, the struggle for salvation/liberation.” (González 1996, 28-29) Published hot on the heels of the quincentennial of Columbus’ voyage to the new world, and abreast of discussions taking place in the larger Hispanic community, González’s book is both timely and well researched.

It was truly gratifying serving as a positive role model for the students that needed the extra motivational push. Instilling passion within others to pursue a higher education, serving as a prominent role model for my peers, and intertwining my Hispanic and American mindset has been a true blessing.

Just like what I had known my whole life, it was a church that was mostly Latino. At first sight, it appeared homogenous, but with almost ten years there, I realized I was utterly wrong. There were men and women from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and Columbia, each with their own lingos, cultural beliefs, and attitudes. For some of the men and women there, just a single border separated them, yet it seemed like they were oceans apart as people. Save for the occasional squabble, they stupefied me with their openness and cooperation toward each other, and even more with the wisdom they shared with me. At that point, I had only known how a Salvadorian lived, but through my time at church, it was as if I was getting a perfect panorama shot of the diversity I never

Mexican American Catholics combined socializing with religion to form traditions uniquely to them. Jamaicas, for example, were church bazaars and parish fundraisers that surrounded “parishioners in cooperative work and cultural celebration, creating a sacred-secular space in which they…affirmed a sense of dignity and community” (Goff & Harvey, 2004, p. 186). Similar ethnic and religious celebrations include posadas and pastorelas (community Christmas processions and nativity plays), quinceañeras (rite of passage for fifteen-year-old girls), and baptism parties among many others (Goff & Harvey, 2004, p. 186). The Mexican American Catholics’ sacred space was out in the communities where social and religious traditions

As affirmed in this essay, the Brazilian Baptist values and its worship practices tend to become more blended, which is a result of the diversity of religious groups with multicultural religious characteristics that are found in the Brazilian culture. Dan Wilt asserts that “the church’s interaction with culture are at the center of the worship discussion. The power of contemporary worship experience hinges on a philosophical view of human

“Because of social, political, and economic circumstances, people from Mexico are immigrating in unprecedented numbers. These immigrants provide an evangelistic and discipleship challenge which must be recognized. This is an opportunity for the church to exemplify love and compassion as the gospel is ministered to these newcomers. Therefore we resolve to receive these new arrivals with open fellowship, regardless of nationality, race, social or economic status; to create an awareness among the constituents of the Church of God of the needs of these immigrants, both physical and spiritual; to develop a liaison between sending and receiving countries, thus building bonds of respect and trust; to recognize the leaders among the immigrants and

I was tremendously moved by the service at NLC. Long story short: The leading pastor called a couple of black gentlemen on stage and apologized, on behalf of his race, for all of the ways that blacks have suffered injustice. Then proceeded to have everyone in the church go around hugging someone from another race. This truly touched my

I was honored to find out that Mount Calvary is the oldest established African American church in the state of Arizona. Overall, I felt that I benefited greatly from attending an African American Baptist Church. I am now more knowledgeable about my race’s religious culture and have fulfilled my want to experience a Baptist church. I am happy that I completed the extra credit. I might start making a habit of attending an African American Baptist Church more often in the year to mix up my experiences in

When it comes to religion, I generally find myself averting the subject and the pews within my center of faith. Yet in the months post moving to El Paso, I find my faith being encouraged and enriched. Surprisingly finding myself inspired by the writing of Reverend John Stowe. So, inspired that I chose to take part in the Border Mass offered this past weekend. Conceptualizing my attendance as way to increase my understandings and competences associated with the peoples, culture, and beliefs here on the borderland.

The religious language in the poem’s first ten lines appears a few times. One time would be in the opening of the poem and the narrator is comparing the calm evening to, “The holy time is quiet as a Nun” (2). Religious language is also referenced in, “Listen! The mighty Being is awake / And doth with his eternal motion make” (6-7). These lines could mean the narrator is describing the Being as God himself and his eternal motion as making the world still turn and how he is in control over every little thing. The religious language used by the speaker could imply that his attitude toward the subject matter is real and he believes God makes the beauty in nature and is with the girl in this poem.

Ancestor worship exists in several cultures around the world. Worshipping ancestors incorporates the person religious practices and beliefs containing prayers and offerings for their deceased relative spirits. They practice these rituals believing their ancestors’ spirits continue living in the natural world. Ancestors’ spirits tend to act as mediators amongst the living and the Creator. Therefore, presenting gifts, praying to them, and making offerings are done to gain favor from the spirits.

An ecumenical worship strives to unify people of a specific church. On campus, there is a group called Common Ground which offers a weekly ecumenical worship on Sundays at 8pm in the Clock tower lounge. The service that I attended lasted for an hour and included Communion. Also, two students read from the scriptures: John 20:19 to John 20:30 relating to “An Empty Tomb” and dealing with doubt. An activity being included during the service surprised me. I knew at some churches there was time for reflections and moments to speak with a neighbor, but the activity was connected to Matthew 26:36 to Matthew 26:56. The symbolism of taking a cup and helping to ease one’s troubles was especially calming at this time of year can be stressful.

Worship is a word that Christians use every day, sometimes multiple times a day. What is worship? The dictionary defines worship as “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.” Some synonyms include reverence, adoration, and exaltation. This definition is decent, but I believe there is so much more to worshipping the one true God. The word “worship” is derived from an old English word “weorþscipe,” which means worship, worthiness, or worth-ship. Essentially, it is to give worth to something. True worship depends on a right mental grasp of who God really is. Of course we cannot entirely comprehend God, but we can understand that He is true. Worship also depends on a right heart grasp of God’s supreme value. Since

women.” Not only does this demonstrate the necessity for the Vestals to remain in the temple to perform their duties, it demonstrates their elevated status within the republic.