Week 4 Preview: Hope Ressurrected Church- will this Pentacostal church be just like in the movies?

Hello again!

Last week was more of a serious and peaceful affair. The Catholic parish left a positive and lasting impression on me. I enjoyed the culture, the art, the tranquility and the feeling of being immersed in tradition and history. However this week I will be seeking out something a bit more eccentric. Something to boisterous and energetic. Something to pique the curiosity and to tease expectations. Tomorrow I set out to observe a Pentecostal church!

For those of you who have not heard of this sect, it is most known for such eccentric (and some might say wacky) practices as speaking in "tongues" or gibberish that is like a coded language of the spirit trying to communicate through the speaker, being touched by "the holy spirit" and being thrown into bouts of erratic convulsions and odd behaviors such as wailing and screaming, walking upon all fours and barking like some form of beast or another, running about the chapel with arms flailing around. This is what we see see on YouTube, in movies and television, this is the predominant image shown to the general public. But is it an accurate representation of the sect? And is this common practice?

(This is a clip from the documentary "Jesus Camp". It was a very well done film and  I highly recommend it. Here is a clip explaining speaking in tongues. NOTE: this video is about an Evangelical Bible Camp that has since been shut down. This is not to my knowledge a Pentecostal gathering, see video below for a glance at a Pentecostal sermon)

Now, I know there are churches out there that may venture into these assumptions and regularly practice these wild, spiritual fits, but is that an accurate representation in general? I hope to find out. the video above is the commonly received perception of what one might find within their halls of worship.

Hope Resurrected is a newer church and is found on Washington Boulevard in Ogden City, Utah. They don't call themselves a traditional church and claim to be family based and focus on community service. But they don't mention anything about speaking in tongues and the like, so I won't expect it though I do hope I get a chance to see it in person.

"We don't see ourselves as a traditional church. We are a family of believers, focused on creating a family atmosphere by developing deep relationships with Christ and each other. We are here to build-up each other and help you with your journey through life; during the good times and the bad.

We are not focused on religious rules about how to act or dress; what kind of Christian music is acceptable; putting on a smile to cover-up pain and hurt; or what your family needs to look like. We are a church family of real people, serving a real God, and we are looking for real people like YOU!"

Their website seems pretty standard for what i have seen in the other churches that I have visited. They don't leave me with much idea as to what I can expect so it should be a pleasant surprise.

I have never attended a Pentecostal service so I am excited to see if it is like what we have come to expect from what I have heard and seen through secondary sources. Viral videos circulate the internet displaying these curious rituals, I want to witness this first hand and take this opportunity to flirt with madness. I don't want to expect too much though, I will look at this all as objectively as I can. I am not expecting to see the wild stuff for sure, but I am hopeful that I will get to experience something interesting and different.

Here we go!