The charismatic movement contains particular characteristics which are not common to the established traditional churches. Charismatic worship is free and led orally; easily accessible to all participants; provides the possibility for active personal participation; and allows much room for spontaneous contributions (Suurmond 1995: 21-23). Charismatic worship also often includes falling to the ground, rolling and screaming, barking like dogs, laughter and dancing (Cartledge 2006: 91); running around, jumping, whirling, making strange and indistinguishable sounds, speaking in tongues (Cox 2006: 20); leaping up from the ground, clapping hands with utmost violence, shaking heads, throwing hands and legs to and fro, rolling and roaring (Middlemiss 1996: 13); and sheer childlike delight in praising God in a spontaneous and almost irrepressible expressions (Baer 1976: 158; cf. Smail 1995: 159; Csordas 1997: 163 - 69). The prayer practices of the SCS charismatic movement certainly assume all these characteristics.
As indicated previously (see section 3. 1), charismatic worship meetings are not confined to regular Sunday worship, but frequently held in the week, either in the church’s cell groups or through the ECFE group meetings, wherein participants enjoy the depths of free worship. In addition to the ECFE trans-denominational worship meetings, conducting annual refreshment conferences has become a common part of the yearly pattern for the young people of the SCS congregations. Such annual conferences often contain healing prayers. Individuals who are recognized as being able to conduct healing prayers, gifted preachers and solo singers would be sought throughout the country, across denominational borders, and invited to those conferences. Such conferences bring together traditionalists and charismatics, as well as non-believers interested in physical healing. The conferences also host charismatic celebrations in which many kinds of spectacular verbal and physical movements take place (see section 3. 1).
In discussion concerning the nature of charismatic prayers, a non-partisan respondent reported that when prayers are conducted in charismatic worship, especially during the conferences, the leader of the programme welcomes the assembly and declares the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit among them. The leader then asks for repentance and self-surrender to God, preparing their hearts to see the power of the Holy Spirit moving among them, touching them and manifesting his works. Thereby, the respondent noted, the leader announces time for personal prayer, saying: ‘Now everybody feel free ... talk to God ... sense his presence ... praise him ... communicate
manifestations if anyone receives them during the prayer time, and then offers an extended time for personal prayer. Then when everybody goes on to personal prayer, different kinds of spectacular physical and vocal movements take place (NPRAA 17- 07-09). Another non-partisan respondent, who demonstrated some of the events in action, reported the nature of the movements of charismatic prayers as follows:
As everybody goes on to personal prayer, humming and strange babbling sounds are heard throughout the hall. The prayer first begins with repentance, then turns to praise and shortly turns to celebration which is accompanied by various physical movements and spontaneous verbal utterances. Some people stand up with stretched hands and bent neck looking up straight at the roof of the building; some kneel down, lift their hands and hum; some slip down from their seat, sit straight up leaning back in the chair; some fall straight forward with their chest down on the dusty floor and beat the floor until the dust blows up; some fall back down, roll and roar; some walk around, bounce, prance, bang the chairs moving with angry noise; some remain seated, hum, sob, groan and weep with definite tears; some stand up and just tremble; some cackle and laugh in loud voice, etc. Shouts of joy (Halleluiahs, Amen, Praise the Lord, etc.), rebuking of evil spirits in the name of Jesus again and again, cries of grief and relief, etc., are heard throughout the village. Within this atmosphere, some demonstrate prophecy, revelations and healing manifestations (NPRYL 23-07-09).
The above mentioned non-partisan respondents unanimously reported that having given an extended time for such kinds of personal prayers and experiences, the leader claps his/her hand and announces, ‘Now let us pray together’. Subjects of the prayer
can then be introduced. Most often such prayers, the respondents noted, focus on two issues. First, they focus on matters of common concern such as physical health, economic situations and peace. Second, they focus on the descending of the power of the Holy Spirit in a fresh manner, and bringing spectacular changes in the worship, ministry and the whole life of the congregations. The leader of the prayer cautiously addresses the introduced prayer subjects and the assembly accompanies this with several ‘Amens’ to confirm togetherness on the subjects. When the prayer is concluded, according to the respondents, the leader says, ‘Glory be to God! Praise the Lord! Jesus is the Lord!’ Then, the assembly commonly responds with ‘Amen’, ‘Halleluiah’, clapping of hands and ululations. Finally, the assembly embrace one another and share blessings and encouragements. The respondents concluded that these experiences are appreciated by charismatics as they create a good atmosphere for the participants to communicate with God directly and to express their feelings to God freely. Such experiences are viewed, by charismatics, to be receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit (NPRAA 17-07-09 and NPRYL 23-07-09).
As indicated previously such conferences usually contain prayer for physical healing as a priority. Christians and non-Christians alike attend the conferences on account of physical healing (see section 3.1). The older members of the congregations also attend the conferences on account of physical healing. These chaotic worship experiences have become highly shocking and confusing to them.
chaotic experiences, a traditionalist respondent reported that every sound they (the older people) hear and movement they see in such worship experience is puzzling and frustrating for them. He stated two main reasons for the older people’s puzzlements and frustrations. First, older people have never seen or heard anything like this since their conversion. Second, they are aware that such kinds of experiences were traditionally associated with the African traditional religious experiences (TRGB 09-08-08). Accordingly, the older people used to associate these experiences with two different events of the African traditional religious practices:
First, the older people associate the calling upon the name of Jesus again and again with the traditional religious experience of the calling upon the name of a particular person from a given family’s or clan’s ancestral line that is believed to have carried special power to mediate between the living and the supernatural power. A traditionalist respondent, who had been converted from such traditional experiences thirty years prior, reported that he was the thirteenth descendant in the family line since his ancestors began to manifest themselves and communicate with the living. He stated that he used to speak with the last seven ancestors spiritually, but mostly with the fifth ancestor who was believed to have carried more power than others. He stated that his ancestors used to manifest themselves and join the living families, through him, from time to time. He said that the ancestors functioned as the guardians of family life and were regarded as the intermediaries between an incomprehensive God and the living families. The ancestors manifest and act through the ancestral spirit traditionally known as Zar. According to the respondent, Zar is
falls upon someone, empowers and takes control of the person in order to perform the concerns of both the ancestors and the living. In order to accomplish this, ancestors, as traditionally believed, choose someone from among the living families in order to descend and execute both the concerns of the ancestors and the living families through the chosen person. The respondent stated that when the living person, who was chosen and empowered by Zar from among the living, calls upon the name of a particular powerful ancestor, like his own fifth ancestor, and asks for the matter of concern over and over again, then the spiritual power (Zar) makes the required things happen. He asserted from his own experience that whatever thing the living person may ask for in the name of that particular ancestor, was believed to be given, but an immediate reciprocal sacrifice is required for its fulfilment. The respondent concluded that when this ancestral spirit descends to act its concerns, it controls, empowers and moves the chosen person from amongst the living. Thus, the controlled and empowered person moves and acts in the same manner that the charismatics move and act in church during the course of the conference prayers (TRHA 23-08-08). This is disturbing for those who have converted from ancestral worship practices.
Second, the older people associate the whole chaotic practices of the charismatic prayer sessions with the traditional practices of the evil eye spirit and witchcraft. Another traditionalist respondent explained that when the evil eye spirits and witchcraft spirits are due to act their concerns, they possess or dominate the mind of
mentally dominated individuals fall flat on their face or their back, shake, convulse, roll, scream, roar and speak in different kinds of unknown tongues, similar to those used by the young people in the church during conference prayers. He stated that those spirits first speak in an unknown language but shortly change into an understandable language of the possessed individuals and make their messages clear commanding their worshipers to do what they wanted to be done. The respondent then offered his criticism that many young people speak in an unknown language during the conference prayers, but none of them interpret it into an understandable form. He referred to the biblical Word ‘... no wonder! Satan can disguises himself as an angel of light’ (2 Cor. 11: 14, (NRSV)) and expressed the older people’s belief that those traditionally practised Satanic powers might have changed their approach and entered into the church through these emotional experiences (TRGB 09-08-08).
Another traditionalist respondent, who was extremely frustrated at the early stages of the movement, referred to biblical texts such as ‘Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools’ (Ecc. 5: 1-2, (NRSV)), ‘... those who listen to me will be secure and will live at ease’ (Pr. 1: 33), and ‘... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’ (Phil. 2: 12, (NRSV)). He then expressed his persepectives on the charismatic prayer experiences as follows:
twittering like birds, roar like lion or ox, bleat like sheep, roll like donkeys on the dusty or muddy floor, etc., in church in the presence of God, we were embarrassed and puzzled. The whole brawl and acclaim puzzled us to discern whether it was Christian worship or chanting of war songs, whether it was the movement of the Spirit of God or the spirit of devil, whether it was spirituality or insanity. Young women fall down on the ground and roll with bare body and laugh or weep out of control as demonic spirits do and behave like mindless animals in the presence of God. Their behaviour certainly indicates that they are out of their mind. After such uncontrolled movements, some remain unconscious to the extent they are carried out to the prayer rooms again to be prayed for. Shame isn’t it? For the best of my knowledge, such practices belong to the demonic possessions, evil eye spirits, witchcraft activities and ancestral spirits. Besides this, if such are supposed to be Christian experiences, then they should the practices of apostasy Christians. Otherwise, to practise such things in the presence of God, in my view, is a consummated devil-directed audacity against God (TRSH 24-08-08).
The later traditionalist respondent went on to state that particularly at the early stages of the charismatic movement and their own early days of encounter with such experiences, the older members used to associate these experiences with demonic activities. Many older people were thoroughly dubious about whether these practices belong to Christian worship or local traditional religious rituals, because most of the movements they watch in the charismatic prayer sessions were comparable to the traditional African religious practices of the community. Thereby, they attempted to resist and get rid of the experiences particularly from the regular Sunday worship (TRSH 24-08-08). For charismatics, however, such experiences meant the presence of moving power of the Holy Spirit (CRZA 30-06-09 and CRTL 30-06-09). Thus,
silence and composure. These two contrasting views of worship caused tensions and disruptions with regard to traditional worship prayer and led the congregations into confrontations. This indicates how the charismatic movement has impacted on the traditional worship.