Any Given Sunday:

How falling back moves you forward.

In Springfield, Massachusetts there exists a small community of Latinos, mainly Puerto Ricans that attend the Hispanic Baptist Church of Springfield, which is located in the center of the city. The church is composed of different types of Puerto Ricans, Peruvians, Guatemalans, and Dominicans. They are different in many ways like in the way they talk, dress and what they eat but, what they all share is faith and how they go about it.

        Although not biblical, a small group of the elders at the Hispanic Baptist Church of Springfield (HBCS) believe in performing certain routines and attitudes establishing a person as “Spiritual”. These elders are said to come from “La vieja Guardia” (the old school), their beliefs come from the Pentecostal Protestant movement in Puerto Rico or the countries mentioned above. Their traditions are steeped in African traditions, which they have successfully passed somewhat to the next generation. They are usually the oldest people in the church, and some have a college education.

Some of the things they believe make you spiritual are when a person:

  • Responds to the preacher’s preaching by yelling (call response) “Amen”, “Alleluia”, “Gloria a Dios” (Glory to God) and many other words of praise and approval to the preaching.
  • Waves their hands in the air during a preaching or a song as a form of worship.
  • “Speaks in tongues.” (This is when the Holy Spirit manifest himself in a person and they begin to speak in a language unknown to those around them and sometimes to themselves.)
  • Falls back while others pray for them. (This means the Holy Spirit has descended upon them.)
  • Has a “Spiritual fit”. (This is when the Holy Spirit manifests itself in them and they begin to act uncontrollably).
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These are just few of the norms that are believed to make a person “Spiritual”.

        

        One of the performances that identify a person as being “Spiritual” that is most interesting is when a person falls back while being prayed for. The person appears to have lost control and in a still trance they lay down for a while. The question I pose for my research is, “What role does falling back play in a charismatic-church prayer setting?”

        In search for an answer for my research, I interviewed several members of the church and asked them how ...

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