This is wrong on so many levels. Give me the fixed palette of the regulative principle.

This was spotted in The Wave: Quarterly Magazine of the Anglican Mission (June 2009). The caption on the picture reads:

"Deacon Lisa Schwandt, Pastor of Worship Arts, plays the character of the Parable Princess for children's worship."

The attached article, "Worship Arts at HopePointe" says it all in the first paragraph:

"Creative expression through the ministry of Worship Arts has been part of the DNA of HopePointe since the Rev. Clark Lowenfield became Lead Pastor five years ago. 'When you begin a new church, you have a blank palette and endless possibilities to work from. Our people were really open to the arts coming in,' shares the Rev. Lisa Schwandt, Deacon and Pastor of Worship Arts." [emphasis added]

Attached Images

princess2.jpg (39.1 KB, 158 views)

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Chris Coldwell, Lakewood Presbyterian Church (PCA), Dallas, Texas.
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The Regulative Principle: The Scriptures are the “only infallible rule of faith and practice, no rite or ceremony ought to have a place in the public worship of God, which is not warranted in Scripture, either by direct precept or example, or by good and sufficient inference” (Samuel Miller).

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Looks like my daughters playing dress-up.

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://inprincipiodeus.solideogloria.com
http://puritanwisdom.blogspot.com

"As God did not at first choose you because you were high, He will not now forsake you because you are low."
John Flavel in Keeping the Heart



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What the This is disgusting. Those flower sleeves totally clash with the pink tutu. ...Oh yeah, and the other stuff is bad too, whether or not you hold to the RPW.

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Andrew Thornquist My Photo Album
Calvinistic Baptist
Ukiah, California
To follow Christ was the best decision God made for me!

R.......
...o....
......f....
.........l.....

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Lee Johnston
Church of Scotland (Presbyterian)
Paisley, Scotland
Ephesians 1:4-5
"In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."

Let's see if we can dissect the multiple errors and compounded errors in this one sentence.

1) The office of Deacon is qualified as men (and, if married, their wives are examined as Deacon wives)
2) Deacons are not Pastors
3) "Lisa" is a good name, just not an authoritative sounding name
4) "Parable Princess" is not about God, and thus not a focus of true worship
5) The focus is on the music/acting talent of "Lisa's" impersonation, rather than our Triune God
6) "Worship Arts" is not a biblical function
7) Corporate worship is corporate worship, art is art
8) Children should not have separated "worship" (particularly under the pretenses "Lisa" is operating under)
9) God destroyed thousands in Israel for such abomination, though it seemed right "in their own eyes."

Pray for Lisa's repentance... that she will see how offensive this is to her God, and that she will find a biblical, reformed church to serve God in a way He has prescribed.

(I could not have articulated all this a year ago, praise God for Puritan Board)

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Scott
PCA
North Carolina


"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)"
Hebrews 10:23

The possibilities are endless!

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Ben Maas. . . . .Facebook
In college, attending First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), Ada, OH, and
Belle Center Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA), Belle Center, OH
When at home, attending Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC), Mansfield, OH

“Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life.”
-Jonathan Edwards-

Its a travesty....
Its a sham....
Its a mockery....





Its a traveshamockery.

But seriously, I agree Scott, this is a violation of Gods worship on so many levels. Where do you begin but to pray for the perpetrators.

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Michael P Doyle
Waukesha WI
Member of http://www.cornerstone-pca.com/
Attending http://www.lampseminary.org/

wow...

the church i left is having a 4th of July celebration this Sunday, i attended last year... it pastor talked about independence and our forefathers and being a christian nation... i think our scripture reading was replaced with the constitution reading.

thanks be to God i am now worshiping with the RCUS

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"Bible knowledge without repentance, will be but a torch to light men to hell. -Thomas Watson
United Through Christ
Ricky Heeb
Grace Reformed Church (RCUS) Lancaster, CA

Urk!

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Brad
Member- Eagle Heights PCA
Winchester, VA

Pro 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Eww

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Toni Cunningham, Wife of Bill (Theognome)
Parkwoods OPC, Overland Park KS

"Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, As, to be hated, needs but to be seen; Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace." ~ Alexander Pope

So, I envision this in N Ca presby some time soon. One ... ehem... church had a Beavis and ******** "worship" service a few years back in our presby... but I'm sure even B&B could easily see through Lisa the fairy god deacon/pastor/nutjob...

Cheers,


LOL, it didn't let me say Beavis's companions' name! ahahahahahah

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Adam B., Wine Country, California, PCA

"I fear not to hold with Junius, de Politia Mosis cap. 6, that he who was punishable by death under that Judicial law, is punishable by death still; and he who was not punished by death then, is not to be punished by death now."

At least it wasnt a man though.

Is that for real?!

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Josiah Lovett
Member of
Trinity OPC
Bothell WA
Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Westminster Standards

Oh my!

That church needs to read William Ames A Fresh Suit against Human Cereemonies in God's Worship.

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Diane
God is Good and we're not.
All Saints Episcopal
Anchorage, AK

Pretty in Pink.

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We shall not adjust our Bible to the age; but before we have done with it, by God's grace, we shall adjust the age to the Bible. - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Lawrence Underwood, Jr.
Pastor - Providence Family Fellowship / Mobile, Alabama
1644/46 LBC
My Blog - Imprimis

Oh, she had on a pretty fresh suit, alright!

"Don't Let This Happen To Your Church!"

OK...so what to do when it already has?

Someone asked me "Well, if the Arts have no place in the church, wouldn't it be wrong to engage in them period?"

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Donald P. Grubb
theol46@embarqmail.com

Berean Baptist Church, Mansfield, OH
Mansfield, OH

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

Yes.

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Martin - Reformed
Husband to the most godly, honorable and loyal wife Line
Searching for a Church
Webpage www.5solas.dk
Free Online Reformed Seminary - http://www.tnars.net
Soli Deo Gloria

God has given us all things richly to enjoy, in their place.
I'd change churches if this were to start in my church.

I richly enjoyed that picture here, for instance.

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Heidi
Indianapolis, Indiana

Patience must dwell with Love, for Love and Sorrow
Have pitched their tent together here:
Love all alone will build a house tomorrow,
And sorrow not be near. -Christina Rossetti

Hmm, I've not been there but that 'church' is about 1/4 mile from my house. It was formerly a bible church but sold out to the Anglicans, who do have female 'ministers'. Sad that so many choose to do their own thing and avoid scriptural guidelines.

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Nancy L./ www.foundersbaptist.org
Spring, TX

Your will, Lord Jesus Christ! Nothing more... nothing less... nothing else.

It would seem that this is purely a "Reformed" issue. Churches in general give it no thought. However, since it is a Principle of the Church, how can the myriad congregations call themselves "churches" when violations concerning this (and the Lord's Day) are so evident?

If you see worship as a blank slate to be filled by man (or woman as the case may be) then I suppose being open to the "arts" would seem innovative and refreshing. Sadly, this has nothing to do with honoring God.

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JWithnell
Member Bethel OPC
Virginia
http://learningyesican.blogspot.com/

Anyone thinking of taking the moniker "Parable Princess"?
Hear tell there's a great avintar handy too, if anyone needs one.

1) She didn't have a tambourine.
2) She wasn't slaying people in the spirit.
3) She wasn't imitating a dog or staggering drunk "in the spirit".

It was bad, but could have been worse.

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Rich Koster
1689'er
Browns Mills NJ USA
Often Goofy Reformed Eccentric
Romans 7:14-25

Wha?!?!?!?

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Adam J. Myer
Slated for the Jan. 10th Chaplains Basic Officer Leadership Course
Estacada Christian Church
Sandy, Oregon

Soli Deo Gloria

Thats what I said...

Wow... Scary.

Those poor kids. They're certain to be scarred for life...

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Alex - Orange County, CA - PCA

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galatians 2:20

Manton - "The sovereign dominion of God is a great prop to our faith."

Reminds me of my old church. Someone from my old church just put on her FB quote:

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Traci
Lynnwood OPC
"I have taken all my good deeds, and all my bad deeds, and cast them through each other in a heap before the Lord, and fled from both, and betaken myself to the Lord Jesus Christ, and in him I have sweet peace."--David Dickson

One way you might approach this is explaining there is nothing wrong with "arts", God gave people the gift of artistic expression. But they are not the center of corporate (public) worship. That may lead to a good engagement about the second commandment.

That congregation needs to get a clue.

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Curt Lovelace
Pastor, Covenant Baptist Church (CBA)
Acton, Maine
Director, Lifework Forum
Sermons at SermonAudio.com/CBCActon
Blogging at Coffee with Curt

I think a lot of churches would have problems with aspects of this. Many churches do not ordain women and among those that do officially, many local congregations do not. But there are other issues, too. Confusing the Pastorate with the Diaconate would violate most church polities. Others would not be comfortable with the fact there is not an effort to use biblical characters for children. There are others who might actually not like separating children to a separate "minister." Others are going to think, this is just plain weird.

What relationship?

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Norm
IA PCA

In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. Ephesians 1:4-5

It's also ludicrous....

traveshamockuliculous

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone

That is unspeakably reprehensible. God is not our homeboy. If you think He is, then you know not the God of the Bible.

(What a wonderful opportunity to practice being angry and yet not sinning! The not sinning part is where it's difficult.)

I was reading Michael Horton's book on covenant theology yesterday and he said something significant about hearing God speak: in the Bible, when God spoke to the people directly, they were afraid. Think of the Israelites and Moses. The Israelites didn't want to hear God speak to them. It was only when they made their own gods that they were comfortable with "god" speaking to them.

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Joshua F
Layman
Mountain View Community Church (Missionary Church Denomination)
Johnstown, CO

It is also tom-foolery!

It is a tomtraveshamockuliculousoolery!

Jonathan Edwards can be, though.

You know you're a presumptuous, blasphemous twit when you call God "dude"...

You're all a bunch of Pharisees!

Here's this woman just worshipping God in her own way. So it's strange fire, so what? It's still fire! C'mon! You can tell by the wince on her face that she really means it. Plus, I'm sure it blesses those little kids' hearts, not to mentioned gives some hearty laughter to the adults.

Bunch of legalists!!!

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Dad
Christ Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church, RPCGA
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It is God that multiplies our sorrows.... God, as a righteous Judge, does it, which ought to silence us under all our sorrows; as many as they are, we have deserved them all, and more: nay, God, as a tender Father, does it for our necessary correction, that we may be humbled for sin, and weaned from the world by all our sorrows; and the good we get by them, with the comfort we have under them, will abundantly balance our sorrows, how greatly soever they are multiplied. - Matthew Henry