The service began quite early from 8.30 am with a praise and worship session that went on for almost one full hour. Every attendee seemed to be so passionate throughout the service. There was a team of four ushers at the entrance of the Pentecostal church who were guiding people entering the chapel. The entire service was full of activities ranging from singing, giving testimonies, praying to offer sacrifices and giving worship presentations. By 11.30 am, the service came to a close with a patting word of prayer from the priest.
The service involved several liturgical elements. For example, sacraments, celebrations, observance, rites, and ceremonies were evident throughout the church service. As public Christian worship, these liturgical elements assisted the congregation in every bit of the program.
The congregation celebrated the Eucharist/Lord’s supper even though not every member took the Eucharist. Tiny glasses with wine and pieces of bread were passed along to members sitting in rows and only those who had repented their sins and felt prepared to take the Lord’s Supper took the glass of wine and bread.
After praise and worship, as well as testimony sections, were over, the priest took over and delivered the sermon that lasted about 45 minutes. I noticed that sermon time was a crucial part of the Sunday Service program in this Pentecostal church. For instance, there were no random movements around during the sermon hour. Everybody was sited quietly listening, taking notes and making references in their Bibles.
The sermon was about the importance of praising the Lord God Most High and never forgetting the benefits that come along with such worship. The priest read the book of Psalms 103. The verse also highlighted the need for God to forgive our sins and all manner of iniquities. Besides, this portion of the scripture highlighted the value of praise in any Christian service.
From the sermon, I learned several lessons. To begin with, Christian scripture emphasizes the significance of a positive relationship between a man and God. It also shows how a man should cultivate closeness to God by elevating His teaching and ideals in daily life. It is also crucial to mention that Christian scripture embodies love as the foundation of spiritual growth and development. The scripture acts as a guideline on how people are expected to live in harmony. Christians believe that the scripture is the foundation of all other laws practiced or valued by mankind.
The most unusual thing that struck me at the Pentecostal church service was the worship service that went on for almost one hour. The congregation was unrelenting with songs and prayers. Presentations were also numerous from different groups in the church service. For example, I witnessed worship presentations from the youth, home cell fellowships and women groups. There was also a dance worship experience by the Sunday school children.
The service met my expectations in the sense that the priest delivered a very touching sermon to the congregation. Second, the service was neither too short nor too long. It took a maximum of two hours to wind up the service. Finally, I was surprised at the lovely reception of the ushers stationed at the entrance of the church building.
The most unique aspect of the worship service was a presentation by the Sunday school children. From my observation, most of the children were young but very professional and articulate in their dance presentation.
The most outstanding thing that made the service Christian in my mind was the sermon delivered by the priest from the book of Psalms 103. He related the reading with real-life experience on how Christians are supposed to relate between themselves and God.