I'll bet most every reader of this post had their idea of the regulative principle of worship as a background noise in their head as they immersed in your experience at Mars Hill.
For me, the regulative principle of worship has been one of the hardest things to nail down. I agree in principle of course. But the application of the principle in churches seems to be as broad as it is long. You're liable to see everything from exclusive a capella psalmody to rock music, Power Point and videos to churches without even a cross displayed, and everything in between.
Personally, I believe that the means of grace and congregational singing satisfy our worship needs visually, emotionally and intellectually, and simpler is better, as all focus is on our Triune God.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the doctrine of the regulative principle, this Wikipedia article explains the doctrine rather well:
The substance of the doctrine regarding worship is that only those elements that are instituted or appointed by command or example in the Bible are permissible in worship, or in other words, that God institutes in the Scriptures everything he requires for worship in the Church and that everything else is prohibited.
The regulative principle is often contrasted with the normative principle of worship which teaches that whatever is not prohibited in Scripture is permitted in worship, as long as it is agreeable to the peace and unity of the Church. In short, there must be agreement with the general practice of the Church and no prohibition in Scripture for whatever is done in worship.
The normative principle of worship is the generally accepted approach to worship practiced by Lutherans, Anglicans, Evangelicals, and Methodists.
The regulative principle of worship is generally practiced by the conservative Reformed Churches, Restoration Movement and in other conservative Protestant Denominations, and it finds expression in confessional documents such as the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Heidelburg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the London Baptist Confession of Faith.
I closed my comment to J. Hendryx's post by stating that I believe that our worship needs are completely satisfied in the elements of a traditional worship service adheering to the regulative principle of worship. What I meant by that is that all of our faculties are engaged in the simple, biblically-regulated worship service. We worship with our emotions in prayer and singing; we worship with our intellects in the reading and preaching of God's word; we worship with our physical senses by participating in the Lord's Supper and Baptism. There is no need left un-met in God's ordained worship practices.
So what's the point of rock bands, dramatic plays, light shows, videos, movies, background 'mood' music, flags, fancy paintings and sculptures, and the like? It's pretty simple, and if you're honest you will admit it. That's entertainment! If you give people a pleasing and entertaining experience, they will keep coming back. I'm sure the idea is to attract people who find God-centered worship boring and stuffy and maybe even foolish. So that perhaps they might eventually 'get saved'. But who are we to think that we mere fallen, finite, foolish humans can improve upon God's own methods? Is God too weak to acomplish his ends through his own ordained means?
The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 (modern English version) outlines well the elements of the simple, bible regulated worship service that honors God, is gospel centered, and through which the Holy Spirit may work powerfully to bring lost sheep to Christ:
CHAPTER 22 - RELIGIOUS WORSHIP, AND THE LORD'S DAY
1. THE light of nature shows that there is a God who has dominion and sovereignty over all. He is just and good, and He does good to all. He is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, invoked, trusted and served by men with all their heart and soul and strength. But the only acceptable way of worshipping the true God is appointed by Himself, in accordance with His own will. Consequently He may not be worshipped in ways of mere human contrivance, or proceeding from Satan's suggestions. Visible symbols of God, and all other forms of worship not prescribed in the Holy Scripture, are expressly forbidden. Exod. 20:4-6; Deut. 12:32; Jer. 10:7; Mark 12:33
2. Religious worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to Him alone. It is not to be given to angels, saints, or any other creatures. Since man's fall into sin, worship cannot be rendered to God without a mediator; and the only accepted mediation is that of Christ. Matt. 4:9-10; Matt. 28:19; John 5:23; John 14:6; Rom. 1:25; Col. 2:18; 1Tim. 2:5; Rev. 19:10
3. God requires all men to pray to Him, and to give thanks, this being one part of natural worship. But to render such prayer acceptable, several things are requisite: it must be made in the name of God's Son, it must be Spirit-aided, and it must accord with the will of God. It must also be reverent, humble, fervent and persevering, and linked with faith, love and understanding. United prayer, when offered, must always be in a known language. Psa. 65:2; Psa. 95:1-7; John 14:13-14; Rom. 8:26; 1Cor. 14:16-17; 1John 5:14
4. Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for men of all sorts now living or as yet unborn. But prayer is not to be made for the dead, nor for those who are known to be guilty of 'the sin unto death'. 2Sam. 7:29; 2Sam. 12:21-23; 1Tim. 2:1-2; 1John 5:16
5. The reading of the Scripture, the preaching and hearing of the Word of God, the instructing and admonishing of one another by means of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with heartfelt thankfulness to the Lord, the observance of baptism and the Lord's supper-these are all parts of divine worship to be performed obediently, intelligently, faithfully, reverently, and with godly fear. Moreover, on special occasions, solemn humiliation, fastings, and thanksgivings ought to be observed in a holy and reverential manner. Exod. 15:1-19; Esther 4:16; Psa. 107; Joel 2:12; Matt. 28:19-20; Luke 8:18; 1Cor. 11:26; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; 1Tim. 4:13; 2Tim. 4:2
6. In present gospel days neither prayer nor any other aspect of religious worship depends for its efficacy on the place where it is performed or towards which it is directed, for God is everywhere to be worshipped in spirit and in truth; as, for instance, in the daily worship carried on in private families, in the worship in which individual Christians engage in secret, and in the worship of the public assemblies. Such assemblies are convened in accordance with God's Word and providence, and believers must neither carelessly neglect them nor willfully forsake them. Psa. 55:17; Mal. 1:11; Matt. 6:6; John 4:21; Acts 2:42; Acts 10:2; 1Tim. 2:8; Heb. 10:25
7. As it is a law of nature, applicable to all, that a proportion of time, determined by God, should be allocated for the worship of God, so, by His Word, He has particularly appointed one day in seven to be kept as a holy Sabbath to Himself. The commandment to this effect is positive, moral, and of perpetual application. It is binding upon all men in all ages. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ the Sabbath was the last day of the week, but when Christ's resurrection took place it was changed to the first day of the week, which is called the Lord's day. It is to be continued to the world's end as the Christian Sabbath, the observance of the seventh day being abolished. Exod. 20:8; Acts 20:7; 1Cor. 16:1-2; Rev. 1:10
8. Men keep the Sabbath holy to the Lord when, having duly prepared their hearts and settled their mundane affairs beforehand, for the sake of the Lord's command they set aside all works, words and thoughts that pertain to their worldly employment and recreations, and devote the whole of the Lord's day to the public and private exercises of God's worship, and to duties of necessity and mercy. Neh. 13:15-22; Isa. 58:13; Matt. 12:1-13
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