Hello…
Like Brother Paul, I also understand your dilemma. It isn’t that I see anything wrong with puppets – but the rationale behind them. In the past, I have helped out with puppet ministries that were meant to illustrate Biblical truths in a way in which children might learn via such “visual” help. I suppose that puppets can be used to extrapolate or illustrate a message. I suppose that they can be used like parables to express truths. However, they are often used simply as a form of entertainment.
We have a real problem in the Body of Christ. The church has taken certain forms of entertainment and attempted to use it as a primary method of evangelism. In fact, in many larger churches, the ONLY form of church-sanctioned evangelism come from various “shows” that are meant to draw people into the “fold” – such as plays, dramas, music or comedy. Many churches take out large advertisements in order to explain just how “different” their churches are – that they aren’t “boring” since they have so many of these sort of activities integrated into the church’s weekly objectives (unaware that they have equivocated other forms of Christian living – such as agonizing prayer, Bible study and simple worship – as “boring”). In fact, I think that entertainment is the first and most important precept in Mega-Church Growth 101. Church growth experts often “guarantee” that your church will grow if you provide such things to your congregation on a regular basis. It is effectively pouring chocolate on the plates of children and youth hoping that they will somehow learn to eat their vegetables. It is as if the church is admitting that the Gospel itself is boring and unable to reach the people of this earth WITHOUT resorting to such gimmicks.
Now, it isn’t that “entertainment” is evil in and of itself. I am “entertained” when I read the Word of God – in the sense that I find myself consumed and gladdened by it. I enjoy reading, walking, running, spending time with my wife and involvement with some sports. But the Word was so clear that even physical activities as such “profiteth little” (I Timothy 4:8). In other words, they do have some value. Similarly, activities that are meant to educate, strengthen knowledge, and even impress upon our hearts and minds the things of God have value too. But whether the focus is on the things of God or mere entertainment is a sharply different matter. I don’t believe that we can simply “entertain” people into the Kingdom – because entertainment doesn’t convict the heart.
I once read about a large Mega-Church that actually has a “comedy club” during the late nights and weekends at its official “coffee house.” Again, it isn’t that humor is in and of itself a bad thing. There are some things that are just naturally funny! But many “church comedians” do their best to laugh people into the Kingdom. However, I don’t believe that a person can truly find Christ except through tears. They must weep over the realization of their own sinful conditions! We must approach the throne of God with reverence – and not with futile levity. Our eternal King doesn’t need any “court jesters.”
I certainly don’t know the ultimate conclusion of such a matter. I suppose that it comes down to deciding just what the puppet masters are trying to accomplish with their shows. Are they trying to help children by illustrating the Gospel so as they can unlock the “secrets of the Kingdom” (ala parables)? Or are they meant to simply entertain a generation of “church kids” who simply have a short attention span when it comes to the things of God? Like much of the contemporary Christian music industry, I fear that many of our efforts just cannot pass the test of Christ’s example for ministry.
I fear that, far too often, the Church and Christian parents are exchanging pacifiers for bottles of pure milk. They might help a child stop crying for a little while, but the child just isn't gaining any nourishment from a piece of plastic.
:-(
