Pentecostal Power

Tens of thousands of Christians from around the world have flooded into Los Angeles to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Azusa Street revivals, a series of prayer meetings that helped launch the modern Pentecostal movement. Until about two years ago, I knew virtually nothing about this Catholic based faith. As I've written several times before, I am a huge fan of Joel Osteen, the young charismatic orator at Lakewood Church. He too is a Pentecostal. No, not the speaking in tongues fanatic type, nor does he part take in the stereotypical touch on the head and fainting theatrics (and there are many among this sect). Amazingly enough, today, it's estimated that nearly one quarter of all the Christians in the world are part of the Pentecostal movement, which emphasizes the power of the Holy Spirit. Pentecostal talk about what Jesus does for them, they talk about how he can bless them. It's clear that kind of message can sometimes be perverted to become a very selfish one. There is great controversy around the teaching of a prosperity gospel that says God will give health and wealth to the faithful. Rightfully so. No one wants to hear about a religion that is based on greed and self importance. This is why many Bishops and evangelicals, upon this anniversary, are gathering to discuss the need to lose that grasp of the past, address the misconceptions, and ultimately concentrate on improvements that would lead to the continuing success of their movement.