“Too Much Drama”

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

      Are dramatizations of Bible stories acceptable forms of teaching in a worship service?

Sincerely,
Acting Up

Dear Acting Up,

It would seriously depend on a lot of factors.  In order for something to be acceptable as part of a Sunday worship service, it must fit into the pattern found in the New Testament.  There are several principles to consider:

• The pattern we see in the New Testament says that men are to be leading the worship service, and women are to remain silent (1 Cor 14:34).  That means that any “dramatization” that involves women would be forbidden.
• Everything must be done decently and in order (1 Cor 14:40).  The goal is to teach, not to entertain.  Many church activities that we see in the denominational world are about thrumming up enthusiasm at the expense of teaching.
• Though the Bible is full of teaching that uses examples, illustrations, and parables, it is a bit of a stretch to say that acting out Bible stories was a regular part of worship found in the New Testament.  That alone should make us wary.
• The pattern of teaching that we see is men standing before the congregation preaching – like Paul in Acts 20:7.  We must always remember that the pattern we see in the Bible is not only the safest; it is what God shows us to be the most effective.  Solid Bible preaching has always been the tried and true method of teaching found in the early church’s worship.

When you consider all these things, most “dramatizations” that we can think of would be at best unwise and at worst outright sinful.  But, it is best to lay out the principles and make a decision on a case-by-case basis in such matters.

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