THE CHURCH HAS BECOME A CIRCUS... LITERALLY.

1. Ecclesiology. These pastors believe that the Sunday church service is to be used to draw "seekers." For starters, only God seeks. Second, church should be an assembling of the saints, not a tool to gather people who want to see ChooChoo.
2. Holiness. These pastors must not understand that our God is a consuming fire. When Isaiah was in the presence of God, he said, "My mouth is unclean." Isaiah experienced first hand that God is high, holy and inapproachable light. What must Pastor Cornflake think God is like?
3. Sola Scriptura. The reformers believed that "faith came from hearing and hearing from the Word of God (Rom.10:17)." Modern church growth methods apparently forget that verse as they believe we must entertain people into the Kingdom. Clown pastors have a low view of Scripture.

By Todd Friel Email: todd@wayofthemasterradio.com Click here for bio and archived articles

Be Open to the Spirit Posted On: 03/20/09 11:49:04 AM Age 43, OR Apparently, you have never witnessed how a clown minister can touch the heart of a person who is deaf and has never "heard" the Gospel, but can see it in action in this type of ministry. Why are you so judgmental of allowing Christ to be made known? I guess I could also quote a few biblical passages about that as well. Peace in our Resurrected Lord, Pastor Al Jensen Re: The Church has become a circus...literally Posted On: 07/02/08 10:35:39 AM Age 53, NC In the statement that Paul warned the christian Corinthians to examine themselves before taking Communion, then you stated that some were sick and dying, was this due to them taking Communion that were not in Christ? Clown Communion Posted On: 06/19/08 05:17:33 PM Age 31, IL Is that clown wearing a chasuble? It least the organist (or Calliope player) would be able to easily identify the presiding clown. The Church Has Become a Circus...Literally Posted On: 12/14/07 04:47:09 PM Age 47, MN Why should mature Christians be surprised by such folly? Given the fact that 9% of true evangelical Christians maintain and defend a biblical world view (according to Barna poll) that would leave the other 91% in the Sesame Street - VeggieTale mentality, incapable of spiritual and scriptural discernment. That is exactly the demographic to which these "churches" attempt to appeal. How thoughtful of them to make the trip to Hell a little more enjoyable with a few laughs from Bobo. Take me to a vomitorium. Re: Re: The Church Has Become a Circus... Literally. Posted On: 11/28/07 07:28:09 PM Age 54, VA Friends--- I have waited until the end of the year to respond to your comments. I am Jim Lavender, the United Methodist pastor who used the elephant on April 29th. In fact, I have offered children's sermons for thirty three years using live animals as object lessons, most of the animals adopted from uncertain futures. I taught a grown lion to lay down with a live lamb, among other images that are Biblically authentic. For fifteen years, I provided Christian missions to other churches of every denomination nationally using animals to teach Christian truth to unchurched and irreligious children and their parents. To date, just over one and one half million children have come to Christ and His church through this sacrificial and volunteer ministry. Most every Sunday, each of our three services features a two minute message for kids using animals. I humbly offer to you that on April 29, 2007, twelve new families committed to Christ and to our church, one marriage was saved, and one person chose not to take their own life as a result of our special 25th anniversary outdoor service. We felt pretty good about the day since 2,200 people came. We humbly apologize to anyone who does not understand or who might be offended. Our church has always sought to reach those who Jesus sought...the irreligious, the lost, the hurting. We find that more important than the trappings of tradition. With deepest respect for everyone Jesus died for and also for all living things, I shall keep all of you in my prayers during the new year. Dr. Jim Lavender Senior and Founding Pastor Discovery United Methodist Church and former professional entertainer. Re: The Church Has Become a Circus... Literally. Posted On: 05/21/07 02:25:09 PM Age 43, AL Unfortunately it appears that from both the article and from the feedback that there are two camps of thought. 1)anything and everything is available as avenue for the Gospel and 2)only the methods that have been employed in the past are exceptable ways of communicating the truths of God's word. I believe what we need is balance. I feel that even though we are called to judge the fruit of men, we are not called to judge their hearts. We DO need to be all things to all people so that all me may be saved. Our churches are simply brick and mortar. The Holy Spirit lives in our heart. I do not have a problem with having a circus in "church" to reach, teach, disciple. Our church has used every part of our building, including the sanctuary,to have Halloween alternatives and Easter dramas that have even included live tigers to depict the Roman games. God has directed our fellowship to be bold and to draw our society that is overstimulated. But there are some things that need to have some reverential limits. God is holy and should be feared and I do feel that celebrating communion in a clown suit lessens the importance and reverence just as doing the same thing while officiating a Christian wedding would, in my opinion, lessen the importance of the event. Again, we are back to balance. And heart. What was this pastor called by God to do? Was he obedient? Did he do more than what God called him to do? Did he do less? Only God knows. Just like Ezekiel. I hope he never calls me to prophesy naked or to eat dung! Re: The Church Has Become a Circus... Literally. Posted On: 05/15/07 08:02:52 PM Age 67, CA This is almost the most ludicrous exibition I have ever seen in the name of worshipping the Lord! The most ludicrous was when I was a young woman back in New England and a "church" rented a movie theatre for their services and a young woman was "stripping for the Lord". People buy into this garbage! Those pastors need to remember that they will be judged more harshly than the rest because they are teachers and shepards who are leading their flocks astray. Whatever happened to the good old fashioned "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand."? Re: The Church Has Become a Circus... Literally. Posted On: 05/15/07 06:27:35 AM Age 54, ENGLAND I'm speechless! Where will it all end? Surely this is not "doing things decently and in order". Who ever said the church should be attractive to the world? I can only find scripture that says the opposite. I have just been reading Peter, James and John, they would have been horrified. People who join the church through such stunts are in danger of trying to enter the Kingdom with fake tickets. God holds those who do not proclaim His warnings truthfully responsible and their end is awful. I pray these men will repent while they still can. Re: The Church Has Become a Circus... Literally. Posted On: 05/14/07 12:45:00 PM Age 51, VA I thought your readers would like to know that Rev. Lavender hired "Minnie" the Elephant from Commerford & Sons out of Goshen, CT. Commerford has NUMEROUS VIOLATIONS against the Animal Welfare Act(AWA). These include, abuse, neglect, dangerous (unsupervised) animals to name a few. Simply Google Commerford Goshen, CT or Wildpimps.com and access their factsheet. Rev. Lavendar also houses exotic, captive animals on his personaly propert in Goochland County, VA. He has been cited for violations as well. Not a very good example of loving all creatures great and small! Re: Re: Re: The Church Has Become a Circus... Literally. Posted On: 05/12/07 09:38:25 AM Age 76, AL You are exactly right. Lead us back to the truth. People need to hear the truth, not some easy believism; a feel good religion; if it feels good, it isn't conviction. We need preachers who preach the infallible, inerrant word of God, not try to intertain us, we are intertained by television, though I haven't been recently. There is nothing but filth on the tv. But in church we need to say as God said to Moses, "Take off your shoes you are standing on holy groung." If it is holy, we need to treat it as holy, not make a mockery of it. If God is there it IS holy, so act accordingly. Would you stand in front of a holy God and act or dress like a clown? I think not. The Bible says we will not be able to stand in the presence of a holy God. He is so awesome and so magnificent we will be knocked off our feet. I am waiting for that day when we will be on our faces before Him.