criticized the act of shouting and dancing at that time. Appropriate prophe-
cies emanating from the speaker ’s place of worship that were heard over the
voice of worshipers during praise, relayed uplifting messages to the congre-
gation in an imploring or joyful tone. In this case, the speaker ’s message and
tone broke with these expectations. She cried out: “Why aren’t you praising
me? There is no high praise here. I will not send my Spirit if there is no high
praise. Why do you not praise me?” Both her message and tone were critical.
Criticism is not considered to be orderly because it is not uplifting. The
congregation became quiet. Another woman moved away from her pew into
the aisle and shouted out praises loudly and danced in place. While the sec-
ond woman’s public spiritual expression was delivered at an apparently
appropriate ritual moment (in a pause after a prophecy), she was physically
out of place (in the aisle), the message had an inappropriate tone for a pub-
lic expression of the spirit (dancing and shouting), and the prophecy she was
amplifying was inappropriate. Appropriate public and corporate spiritual
expressions in this church were expected to be delivered from one’s pew.
Shouting and dancing were not accepted as appropriate public expressions
of the spirit.
The congregation and the pastors responded negatively to the prophecy
(criticism), the shouting, and the dancing. Rather than increasing their praise
in response to a message from God, the congregation’s praise declined, indi-
cating that they reacted quickly to the inappropriateness of the expression.
There seemed to be a sense of confusion. The congregation was not uplifted
by the message. The head pastor responded to the situation by saying, (para-
phrased): “A time for shouting and dancing is coming. We will be able to
give high praise when the divisions in the congregation are healed and when
more people get right with God.” The pastor ’s words explained that high
praise was important. But indicated that he did not accept the legitimacy of
the prophecy. From interviews we understand that such comments refer
directly to those who have produced inappropriate tongues.
In this case, by delivering inappropriate expressions of the spirit, the two
women demonstrate that they are “not right with God.” They are the prob-
lem – not a lack of high praise by the congregation. The pastor was able to
bridge the gulf between the message and the congregation’s behavior by say-
ing that the congregation would be able to give high praise when they filled
their deeper spiritual needs: “getting right with God” and “healing the divi-
sions in the church.” “Getting right with God” involves asking for forgiveness
Speaking in Tongues: A Dialectic of Faith and Practice • 277