Who prays like this? (loud & aggressive)

April 5, 2007 7:56 AM

Who prays like this? (loud & aggressive)

This last weekend I called the cops because neighbors were being attacked. Having worked in personal security in rough areas I thought I recognized the VERY loud howling, wordless screams and thumping as an all out brawl where someone(s) were getting messed up. My g/f freaked out badly, she thought someone was getting a severe beating.

Cops showed up but it had quieted down. As they walked towards us the whole thing started again causing the cops to order us inside, draw their guns, bang on the door and attempt to kick it in. Didnt see how it was resolved since I was indoors but everything got quiet. Later as cops were leaving one came by to humorously tell us that they checked the place out, spoke to the folks there and there was no violence, it was just how they prayed.

Turns out the prayers werent my neighbors but a couple of friends house sitting over the weekend. The neighbors noticed their door has a big dent and are just as curious about what went on.

Who prays like this?

posted by Pasa la bola chetu to society & culture (13 comments total)

Some Pentecostals....and others who are encouraged to feel "moved by the Holy Spirit" while worshipping.
posted by availablelight at 7:59 AM on April 5, 2007

See The Apostle. Or perhaps there was some sort of exorcism? Alternatively, maybe they were lying to the cops?
posted by billysumday at 8:06 AM on April 5, 2007

It is also possible they were tin-eared orthodox Jews and what you're hearing as wordless is just muffled Hebrew or Yiddish. My wife used to live below a couple who had folks over for Shabbat dinnner every other Friday or so. After dinner they would get pretty wasted and start making a joyful noise unto the lord for a couple hours, including foot-stomping and pounding on the table.
posted by mzurer at 8:06 AM on April 5, 2007

Pentecostals or Charismatics is most likely.

There is also tradition in Korean churches as well of "expressive" out loud prayer.
posted by MasonDixon at 8:17 AM on April 5, 2007

There are a lot of non-Christian religions with wild (running around, spinning, screaming, etc) rituals/prayer. Whirling dervishes come to mind, but maybe that example is out of date.

It seems like the neighbors would know their housesitters well enough to not be confused, though.
posted by DU at 8:28 AM on April 5, 2007

Pentecostals, charismatics, and some other Christian varieties will occasionally "speak in tongues", which sounds very odd if you've never heard it before.
posted by leapfrog at 9:05 AM on April 5, 2007

Is it not possible that someone WAS getting the snot kicked out of them, but when the fuzz showed up they were told a lie? I guess there are things that the police could have seen that could have convinced them (ceremonial robes, altars, etc.), but it sounds kind of like "she fell down the stairs" to me.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:28 AM on April 5, 2007

It's highly likely that the neighbors were Charismatic Christians (you're in the U.S., right?) - you might want to read up on the Toronto Blessing phenomena and the Justice House of Prayer, for examples (Although the Wikipedia articles aren't the greatest). The guy that runs JHOP is featured in the documentary Jesus Camp.

I used to have this CD when I was involved in such groups - there are some audio samples that will probably scare you just as much as the housesitters did last weekend - it's a CD of prayers with musical accompaniment.
posted by puddleglum at 9:38 AM on April 5, 2007

Who prays like this? This person might pray like this.

"I'm a god warrior!"
posted by frogan at 10:14 AM on April 5, 2007

Sounds like the type of prayer called "travail." Some intercessors kinda go a bit overboard with it. The comparison is that of a woman giving birth-one is actually "giving birth" to something in prayer.

And yes, that would be a charismatic/Pentecostal practice. Most folks in those camps would be a bit freaked out by the genuine article. Which I have seen personally (and actually participated in, albeit usually more quietly. *smile*)
posted by konolia at 11:45 AM on April 5, 2007

Not usually practiced outside of a group, but Subud's Latihan can potentially be loud and 'disruptive'.
posted by sunshinesky at 11:13 PM on April 5, 2007

Earlier this year I had a very similar experience in my dorm.

I heard aggressive, loud shouting and sobbing coming from down the hall and was convinced that one of my neighbors was having some kind of horrible fight.

It turned out to be a combination of loud prayer and tongue-speaking in what sounded like some kind of exorcism (lots of shouts of "...and LEAVE her body in peace! And we will PRAY until the evil is CAST out!" and so on in between the episodes of tongues) coming from the room of the some-kind-of-Charismatic girl down the hall.

So that's one more vote for that theory.
posted by bubukaba at 11:32 PM on April 5, 2007

Pentecostal, speaking in tongues is a common part of service in my wife's church. It can unnerving if you haven't encountered it before.
posted by arcticseal at 8:00 AM on April 6, 2007