Puppets

Did you have a puppet show at your wedding? How about at a funeral? Why not? Because it wouldn't be appropriate. There is a seriousness at a wedding or funeral that demands a certain level of somberness. A certain level of respect and dignity. Puppets are made to lighthearted, non-serious, even if the message is serious. They are designed to be irreverent. That's why they are fun and funny.

The scriptures command reverence and awe (among other things) when we approach God . Godly Fear. Puppets can not meet that requirement.

As far as insulting me, someone likened me and others who oppose puppets to stubborn and lazy preachers who don't care people are dying around us without Christ.

You said, "'Well said', so-n-so" meaning you were in hearty agreement with his statement. That is high-handed, insulting, and very ugly.

peace to youraying:

 

Sounds like your heart is hurt and needing of a little peace.

peace to you. raying:

 

First of all, puppets are not "appropriate" for events, such as, weddings and funerals because the general audience would be adults NOT children. Secondly, and more importantly, lighthearted does not equate to irreverent. When we are told to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord" there is not a "somberness" clause.

 

Worship is an "event" we should be teaching to our kids. We should be teaching them how to worship according to God's commands in scripture.

I am all for making a joyful noise. Just don't do it with puppets, because they are irreverent by design, and therefore unable to meet the requirement of reverence and awe given by God Himself.

peace to youraying:

 

God wants a broken and contrite heart. God wants the little children to come to Him.

You explained what you meant by irreverent by design to you.

What you consider irreverent by design may or may not be what God considers irreverent. Children crawling up on the lap of the Christ was irreverent to the Disciples. It was not irreverent to the Christ.

Peace

 

Maybe I am splitting hairs, but I do not believe we need to teach children "how" to worship. It is more important to teach our children "what" to worship. The how will come naturally.

You are entitled to you position, as am I. I do not feel puppets are "irreverent by design", nor that you have proven your point. I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

As far as I can tell in scripture, no one was there with puppets when the children crawled up on His lap.

peace to youraying:

 

OK, peace to you and good luck with the Filmraying:

 

Worship is not an "event," it is a daily lifestyle. You never answered what I wrote about Sunday "worship services" not being in the Bible.

And once again (I'll leave my ministry out of it and speak hypothetically for your sake) I'll ask. If Joe Blow has a puppet on the design of a person or an animal, both designed by God, how then is the puppet "irreverent by design?" Please explain what you mean by "design." I know what you mean by irreverent, and we both agree that irreverence is wrong.

If Joe Blow makes a sacriligious comment through his puppet, that is irreverent. How, though, is the very existence of a physical item irreverent?

Sorry for sounding like a broken record, but I sincerely do not understand your statement "irreverent by design." Call me dumb, I don't care, just explain it.

 

Thank you! I really appreciate that. :wavey: raying:

 

Fine, this explains why puppets would be wrong at a Sunday morning service, but not in Ss.

I sincerely apologize. I will have to go back and read that post. I remember glancing at it and liking it, but I don't remember that statement about "stubborn and lazy preachers." So I didn't conciously call you that, but I am sorry for agreeing to such a statement.

 

Someone decides to design a puppet. Do they make a puppet with life-like qualities? No. The puppets features are exaggerated. It only looks "somewhat" like the character it is representing.

It is "designed" to evoke a certain response. By just looking at a puppet, what kind of response to you think it was designed to evoke? Funny? Lighthearted? Serious? Reverent? What do kids do when they first see the puppet? Do they laugh? Sure they do, because they look funny.

They are not designed to be reverent (which means Godly Fear) are they? Of course not. They are puppets. The puppets are not meant to be taken seriously, even if the message is serious. They are irreverent by design.

peace to youraying:

 

I accept your apology. Let the brotherly love fly:thumbs:

peace to youraying:

 

Fair enough.

peace to youraying:

 

Canady

I don't use puppets. I might use drama. I might use video clips.

No two people revear God the same. If we did, Church would be a lot easier.

The OP, and I believe most of the responses, have dealt with using puppets for children and not for adults. Personally, I think that puppets are pretty stupid. However, I am not a 5 or 6 year old child. And I know that most 5 year olds and 6 year olds react well to puppets. I have only met a few, very few children that react negatively to puppets.

I thank God for your zeal. I pray that your zeal might be better directed.

Now I do not know why you react to puppets like you have. It almost seems as if you have a phobia to puppets.

Peace to you raying:

 

When I was about 5 or 6 my mother made me watch Sesame Street for 40 days and 40 nights :smilewinkgrin: That Cookie Monster is soooooo scary!

I am not "reacting" to puppets. My only desire is to worship God in accordance with His will as revealed in scripture. Nothing more or less.

peace to youraying:

 

Perhaps you wish to say that just because someone opposes puppets they are not lazy in trying to reach the lost for Christ. Perhaps those of us who differ in our method of preaching and proclaiming would like for you to realize that this does not mean we are dependant upon the wisdom of man and the world. That was also insulting and ugly.

I am sorry to have offended you. If you are not lazy in your work to reach the lost, then my post does not apply to you. I do believe that this is the basis for many, many similar positions, but this board is certainly not worth offending anyone over. We have a command towards love and unity and that outweighs what we discuss here, eh?

Mia culpa.

 

No, don't do that. Stick to your own words...gets way too confusing to try to adjust anyone else's