The problem is deepened when Anderson-Smith proceeds to explain that Jesus was not interested in hierarchy at all.  Jesus, she would have us think, was a modern egalitarian.  The absurdity of this is breathtaking.  Jesus -- the Lord -- called His disciples to follow Him.  He did not follow them.  He commanded them to obey His words.  He did not obey theirs.   Jesus castigated those who called Him Lord but did not obey Him [Luke 6:46].  He was not a mere "mentor" and "companion." 

Deacon Thomas Lindell's comments add the icing to Rev. Anderson-Smith's cake.  He boasts of having removed all the "power imagery" from the church's worship services.  That, we might imagine, is rather hard to do.  If God is not all-powerful, why worship?  Without an acknowledgment of God's power, we are left with little to say.  A God who is not powerful cannot help, much less save.  What can you then sing?  "O God our [well-intended but less-than-sovereign Spirit of helpfulness] in ages past?"

There is more:

St. Philip's isn't the only local church to re-examine its language. Other local religious leaders already are eschewing the use of "Lord" for similar reasons.

First Congregational United Church of Christ in Midtown even has a different name for The Lord's Prayer. They call it "The Prayer of Our Creator."

"We do still use the word 'Lord' on occasion, but we are suspicious of it," First Congregational pastor Briget Nicholson said. "Inclusive language is important. Our United Church of Christ hymnal does have hymns that will say 'Father' and 'God.' but the next verse will always then say 'Mother' and 'God.' It's gender-balanced."

Pastor Briget Nicholson is "suspicious" of the word "Lord" but will use it sparingly, so long as other terms -- terms not found in the Bible as divine names -- "balance" the use of "Lord."

As one might suspect, other doctrinal changes are afoot in these churches as well.  Deacon Lindell explains that his church doesn't stress "the blood and gore of the crucifixion."  The St. Philip's congregation appears to play to the liberal wing of the Episcopal Church USA while Pastor Briget Nicholson is identified on her church's Web site along with her female "spouse."

When you replace the biblical names for God with those of your own choosing, you create a new religion.  The evidence for this flows directly from the rejection of the Bible as the authoritative revelation of God's names.  If the Bible cannot be trusted to name God correctly, then why accept its verdict on homosexuality?  If the biblical names for God can be updated and renovated, then why not do the same with the doctrine of atonement?

Reporter Stephanie Innes, describing the "Come & See" worship service at St. Philip's, noted:  "There's not much Lord in this church service."  It may well be that more accurate words have never been used in such a report -- or more damning.

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Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary — the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world. He is a theologian and ordained minister, as well as an author, speaker and host of his own radio program The Albert Mohler Program.