Jeannette Rodriguez COMM 1318.

01 Professor Lori Peterson December 07, 2011

Radically Different
In the name of Jesus, I declare healing over your body said a preacher in the most profound and powerful voice ever. On October 26, 2011, I attended a youth revival service that took place in the San Marcos Apostolic Church. It was the first time I had ever attended an apostolic service, and it wasnt just any other service, it was a revival. Not knowing what I had gotten myself into, I proudly walked into the church like I was a diva or something, yet that feeling disappeared within the first ten minutes of the service. I attended this service with a friend who had constantly been advising me to attend one of their many youth events, yet I never said yes, until I was assigned to submit myself in a culture that is completely different from mine. A culture is defined as a learned system of knowledge, behavior, attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms that is shared by a group of people and shaped from one generation to the next (Beebe 150). With that being said, the religion we grow up in plays a big role in the culture we live in. In the case of my friend, an apostolic service like a revival was an essential part of how she was brought up. But I, on the other hand, came from a strong Catholic family with a completely different set of values and beliefs. Attending that apostolic youth revival service was a bit of a culture shock for me, since I had never experienced firsthand something as radical as that.

Rodriguez 2 The first thing I automatically noticed was the dress code in which the members of the church were dressed in. I had no profound knowledge of the apostolic practices. So as ignorant as I was with the many beliefs, values, and behaviors that the apostolic community practiced, I automatically stood out from the rest of the crowd. I was wearing a beautiful black skirt that may have been a little too short for the occasion, but that wasnt the only thing that stood out. In fact, my entire outfit had a stage of its own. I had a nice maroon v-cut shirt that went well with my skirt and a pair of beautiful, exotic, black dressy shoes with sparkling, diamond-looking gems that made them look gorgeous. I had my shoulder length hair loose, with a slight partition that made it look voluminous with my natural curly hair. I also had gleaming red lipstick, a luscious chocolate brown with hints of red eye shadow, along with very dark eyeliner. I truly did feel and looked sensational when I first entered the service, but that feeling faded as I noticed that I was the only one within the church that was dressed in such a way. In my point of view, what I was wearing was a somewhat appropriate Sundays best outfit. But in an apostolic point of view, what I was wearing was not appropriate, and may have even been seen as offensive to their disciplines and practices within their structured culture. I wish it was just an exaggeration of words, but its not, I really was not dressed appropriately. At the time of the service, I had no knowledge of the dress code disciplines, but it didnt require words of explanations for me to catch on and realize that I had chosen the wrong attire for such an event. I looked around me and I saw the females, every single one of them, little girls, young teenage and college students, as well as mothers, and even grandmothers, they were all wearing a somewhat similar theme in clothing. Long knee length skirts, no make-up, long ever-growing hair, and a cute stylish

Rodriguez 3 looking veil over their heads. That is what I saw amongst the female population within that church. The males were all dressed up decently as well. I didnt pay much attention to the male attire, but I did notice every detail from the womens attire. As a Catholic, I noticed the many differences between my beliefs, practices, values, and attitudes in comparison to that of the apostolic community. The apostolic faith has a belief that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is also a common belief within my faith as well. Yet they enforce this belief by having the discipline of not wearing any make-up whatsoever. Wearing make-up, which my friend explained later that night, was like a way of saying that we are not happy or pleased with the natural features that God gave each one of us. Therefore, as an apostolic practice of embracing their fearfully and wonderfully made bodies, which God made to the very last detail, one must not wear make-up. Not only did they have a belief in not wearing make-up, but also in not cutting a womans hair. In order to not be of temptation to the male population, women wear long skirts along with well covered up shirts. The veil that they wear on their long hair also has a great symbolism. Although I did not fully understand the meaning behind the veil as well as the long hair for women, I did grasp that it is a symbol of honor towards God, which stems from a biblical verse. As a Catholic, I was also taught that our body is a gift from God and should be respected. But I am not required to let my hair grow, wear long skirts, covered up shirts, and veils. This is one of the many differences that I noticed between the Catholic and Apostolic customs. Even though both, Apostolic and Catholics, praise the same God, their way of expressing it is very different. Not only do they express it differently with the form they dress, but also in the way they go about their church service. The apostolic church was

Rodriguez 4 very vivid. From the way they praised God with their worship songs to the way the message was delivered. The songs were full of upbeat music with instruments such as the electric keyboard, drums, guitar and bass guitar. The congregation would dance out of joy, not caring what other people may think. They raised their hands wildly as they praised God, and shouted out many Hallelujahs, as well as Amen with loud voices full of joy. When the preacher came and delivered the message, he was also very vivid. At the end of the message, the altar was open for people to go upfront and pray and get prayers from the preacher as well as other people with strong faith. What stayed with me the most was when a lady went up saying that she was sick and needed prayer. The preacher, along with other church members surrounded this lady in a circle. Together they prayed for that womans healing. Thats when the preacher gets a little more intense with his prayer and shouts out in a powerful voice IN THE NAME OF JESUS, I DECLARE HEALING OVER YOUR BODY! Instants after the preacher declared healing over the womans body, the lady collapses to the floor. As a spectator in the benches, I was left shocked. In my mind, I feared that the lady had fainted or had a medical reason for collapsing. Yet my friend reassured me that the lady was ok, that she had fallen to the floor not due to a sickness, but because of the sudden power of the Holy Spirit overflowing through her body. Whatever it was, I was left with no words. As a Catholic, going to mass was always a somewhat peaceful experience in comparison to that of an apostolic service. I would routinely sit down on the benches, and the priest would give his sermon. The singing and worship normally involved an angelical choir along with the heavenly notes of a piano. The differences between the way these church services are brought about is obvious. And to me, going to an apostolic

Rodriguez 5 church when I had gone to a Catholic church all my life was a great shock to me. Because I grew up in a home where Catholic values, practices, and beliefs that were instilled in me since the beginning of my life, I did not know how exactly I should approach people, or even the situation itself. Everything was so radically different. I felt uncomfortable with myself, since I was wearing apparel that was not suited for such a congregational event. I felt like a sinner amongst holy saints when it came to the dressing attire. Because I felt out of place and did not have familiarity with the beliefs and practices of the Apostolic community, I did not dare to approach other people. My body language showed that I was feeling uncomfortable as well. The gestures of a good number of church members expressed their disapproval over what I was wearing. Although that was the initial reaction, as the service went on, people warmed up to me and began to be friendly by initiating conversation. Once this occurred, the barriers of my misguided perceptions diminished, allowing me to embrace and respect this whole new culture. Once the service was over, and I had already made acquaintances with some of the church members, I now viewed the Apostolic community and its many beliefs, values, and practices with much respect. Attending this service was a big culture shock for me, but I do not regret any moment of it. I got a glimpse of a religion that is completely different than my own Catholic background. It also helped me be more appreciative and accepting towards the many religions that there are in this world. This experience made me more open to visit more religious centers from scientology to apostolic. Each religion carries its great influence upon the culture we are raised in,

Rodriguez 6 therefore, becoming more aware of the many diverse faiths around the globe would be a form of embracing other cultures as well. Work Cited Beebe, S.A., Beebe, S.I., & Ivy, D.K. (2004). Communication principles for a lifetime. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.