When I reflect on my life and my childhood there are many special moments that come to my mind. As a small child I can recall sitting outside my house and being able to hear the singing and shouting at the Pentecostal/Holiness church that my grandparents pastored. I remember my aunt letting me sit with her on the organ bench during services and I remember a summer night in 1998 when I received the Holy Spirit.
I love Pentecost and all that it offers, yet I also feel that us who grew up in Pentecostal/Holiness churches missed out on the beauty and history of religion that was passed down for thousands of years through other denominations. Since I was taught that Pentecostals (those baptized in Jesus' name) were the only ones making it to heaven, learning about other traditions was irrelevant.
As I have grown older and explored various religions and their beliefs, traditions and customs I can see the attraction that people have towards them. I see a validity in some of their practices and see adherents who are very satisfied with their precious faith. It has made me realize that not everyone wants a church that has high energy music, not everyone wants a church where extremely expressive acts of worship occur and that most Christians do not feel that their churches are "dead".
In 2010, I want to expand my mind even more and be able to gain a greater understanding of why various Christian denominations believe and practice as they do. I love Pentecost and will never deny the gift and work of the Holy Spirit, but I also have come to enjoy the solemn atmosphere of a Catholic mass.
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