Archive for October, 2006

 
In an email brief titled A Night of “Spiritual Naturalism,” sent out on October 31st from Focus on the Family, FOF Institute President Del Tackett warns parents about the increase of mysticism in our culture. He says:

The night of fun [Halloween] has become a mainstream part of our culture. The messages of popular songs, movies and television are increasingly “dark.” New Age and Eastern mysticism thought are pervasive, found even in our kindergartens. The spiritual animation of the material world is a growing phenomenon. Wicca attracts more and more young women into its covens…. [W]e are seeing a rapid rise in what I call “spiritual naturalism.” This is not a movement toward the transcendent God of the universe, but simply adding “spirit” to the matter and energy of the natural realm. I would argue that it is not a movement toward the “supernatural,” but more toward the “sub-natural” for it draws people ever deeper into the darkness of the spiritual forces of hell, not heaven…. Parents, beware. The messages we allow our children to hear often carry a virus.

Hearing this from Focus on the Family seems almost preposterous. Why? Because this Christian ministry is promoting contemplative spirituality, which is as “sub-natural” as “spiritual naturalism” and draws people just as deeply into “the darkness of the spiritual forces of hell.”

We contacted Focus on the Family to warn them about the dangers of contemplative spirituality and to tell them that they were promoting it by endorsing such teachers as Gary Thomas, who teaches mantra meditation, and FOF’s own H.B. London who has a CD set on Spiritual Formation. In the set, London extols Richard Foster, who said “we should all without shame enroll in the school of contemplative prayer” (Celebration of Discipline). London says that Foster is an “expert” on the subject and includes contemplative promoters John Ortberg and Larry Crabb in the set, calling them experts also.

Focus on the Family strengthens their stand for contemplative in a four part article on the TrueU website (FOF website), written by J. P. Moreland (professor at Talbot School of Theology), who espouses the spiritual disciplines (i.e., contemplative spirituality). Moreland says, a “Christian spiritual discipline is a repeated bodily practice” and leaves one to view the Christian life as regimented rituals that just might eventually make us holy if we practice them enough. Moreland adds: “People are coming to see that repeated bodily practice in the form of spiritual exercises/disciplines is at the heart of spiritual transformation.”

Just in case anyone would still question Focus on the Family’s true affinity toward contemplative, an article on FOF’s Boundless magazine, writer Sarah E. Hinlicky not only talks favorably about lectio divina but goes so far as to favorably quote and discuss panentheist Thomas Keating. Lighthouse Trails told FOF about this article, but months later, it remains on their site. No one can know how many people have read that article over the last six years and no one knows how many of those have been led away from the gospel message of Jesus Christ and into the spirituality of Thomas Keating.

How can Focus on the Family partake in this type of controlled opposition, saying they are against mysticism but yet promote it. In a way, it is even worse, because the mysticism they promote is hidden within Christian terminology. So if a warning is to go out to parents, it must include a warning about Focus on the Family, who by their own admission (in a letter to us), “believe that there is and always has been a strong tradition of contemplative prayer in the Christian church that has nothing to do with mantras and Eastern meditation.” But the men they are promoting (Thomas, Crabb, Keating, and Foster) do believe in mantras and Eastern style meditation! And for that Focus on the Family leaders should apologize to the body of Christ and turn from contemplative spirituality.

For more on Focus on the Family and their promotion of Contemplative Prayer:

• Focus on the Family Promotes Contemplative Authors
• Focus on the Family Defends Contemplative Author
• Christian Leaders Network Together
  in Dangerous Venture
• Spiritual Formation – How Widespread Has it Become?
• Brio Magazine and Thomas Merton
• FOF, Dallas Willard, Henri Nouwen and the Silence

by Understand the Times with Roger Oakland 
LTPC Note: Roger Oakland is an evangelist and Bible teacher who has ministered to pastors around the world for over twenty years. A few years ago he noticed that some evangelicals were introducing Christians to the Catholic concept called the Eucharist. For many non-Catholics (and even some Catholics), this is a foreign term. The belief is that during communion, the bread and the wine actually become the very body and blood of Jesus Christ, thus when taken the partaker supposedly experiences the presence of God. These transformed elements are placed in what is called a monstrance and can then be worshipped as if worshipping God Himself. Oakland is now seeing the Eucharist being brought into Christendom through the emerging church. What is taking place is alarming, especially as we begin to understand the implications, which are tied in with salvation itself. With the Eucharist, salvation then becomes sacramental (participation in a ritual) as opposed to justification by faith in Christ alone.

EUCHARIST IN THE EMERGING CHURCH
by Roger Oakland

One of the common beliefs circulating amongst the supporters of the Emergent Church is a concept called “Vintage Christianity”. According to this view, experiences effective in attracting Christians to come to church in the past should be reintroduced today in order to attract the postmodern generation who are hungry for experience.

Dan Kimball, author of the book The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generation is one of the key proponents of this idea. He firmly believes that worship must play an important role to attract post-moderns into Christianity. In a section of his book subtitled “Truly worshipping in a worship gathering,” he writes:

We should be returning to a no-holds-barred approach to worship and teaching so that when we gather, there is no doubt we are in the presence of God. I believe that both believers and unbelievers in our emerging culture are hungry for this. It isn’t about clever apologetics or careful exegetical and expository preaching or great worship bands. … Emerging generations are hungry to experience God in worship.

Rob Redman, author of The Great Worship Awakening: Singing a New Song in the Postmodern Church agrees with Kimball. He has noted that churches that provide a liturgical vintage form of worship are attracting the postmodern generation. He writes:

Liturgical churches, particularly Episcopalian, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, report increasing interest in traditional liturgical worship among young adults.

Redman notes that as the result of this renewed interest in liturgical worship, a “worship awakening” is now underway and Protestant worship services are beginning to incorporate liturgical worship practices. He states:

A common approach to the worship awakening among Protestant churches is to create a blended service combining older and newer liturgical elements and musical styles.

Click here to read this entire article.

Definition of Preterism – The belief that all Bible prophecy (including Matthew 24) has already happened, including the second coming of Jesus Christ. Also called Covenant Eschatology or Fulfilled Prophecy. It is worth noting that many with the Dominionist and/or Preterist view point seem sympathetic to and accepting of contemplative spirituality.

The following is an interview that took place between Brian McLaren and the “Planet Preterist” website.

Excerpt from the interview:

Interviewer: I think many Christians within the Preterist movement are being deeply affected by your work and by what Emergent is doing across the world. Why do you think that your message appeals to so many of us?

Brian: First, it’s encouraging to hear you say that it does. Theologies work as systems, don’t they … and they have a beginning, and middle, and an end, and the three are integrated into a single system. I think many of us are realizing that if we have one part mixed up, it will affect our understandings of the other two parts. I didn’t start with any interest in rethinking eschatology, but of course eventually I had to realize that if I rethink one area, it will lead to rethinking other areas. I think many of us are in this kind of rethinking process – some starting from the beginning part by rethinking, perhaps, the relation of faith and science in relation to evolution and young-earth creationism … some starting from the middle, as they re-examine what the gospel of the kingdom of God is supposed to mean, or the idea of integral or holistic mission … and some starting from the end, re-examining eschatology. Wherever you start, you end up looking into the other areas too, I think….

Interviewer: As we are also trying to also put a new face on our own movement and transform it into “a new kind of Preterism,” and move beyond the theoretical fundamentalism into the practical, tangible aspects of Christianity and the realized presence of Christ, we are encountering the same friction and opposition that perhaps you have already encountered when dealing with a target audience that sees all things in black and white. Do you have any advice for us on how to better build bridges and construct better channels of communication with other believers?

Brian: Again, I wish I did. I think you are very perceptive to put the focus on “the realized presence of Christ,” because that is key. I also think you’re perceptive to identify the underlying problem not as mistaken eschatology but as “theoretical fundamentalism” and “black and white” thinking. Sometimes I think that people who are thoroughly indoctrinated and habituated into this kind of system will not be able to break free from it without experiencing both psychological and social dislocation and disorientation.

Click here to read more of this interview.

See also:
Dominionism, Global Peace and Mysticism
Ignoring Eschatology

Rick Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. Plan isn’t for everyone – only for those who sign up for it. If your church has signed up for the Purpose Driven Peace Plan, please study the facts and make sure this is the direction you really want your church to go. Warren says that his peace plan, which will bring about a second reformation, includes those from other religions. This means that Jesus Christ cannot be at the center of Rick Warren’s Peace Plan, at least not the Jesus of the Bible. Check out the documentation. It speaks for itself:

• Log on page for Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. Plan
• Rick Warren’s Second Reformation
  
• Rick Warren Announces Global Peace Plan (audio)11/2003
• Research on Global Peace Plan

Quotes about the P.E.A.C.E. Plan:
“Who’s the man of peace in any village – or it might be a woman of peace – who has the most respect, they’re open and they’re influential? They don’t have to be a Christian. In fact, they could be a Muslim, but they’re open and they’re influential and you work with them to attack the five giants. And that’s going to bring the second Reformation.”Rick Warren, May 2005, Pew Forum on Religion

“I am praying for a second reformation of the church that will focus more on deeds than words. The first Reformation was about beliefs. This one needs to be about behavior. … We’ve had a Reformation; what we need now is a transformation.”” Rick Warren, July 2005 at the Baptist World Alliance with Tony Campolo and Jimmy Carter

“I have two goals in my life. One is a reformation of the church in America and the other is a return of civility to society when people who disagree can still get along and like each other even if they disagree.” Rick Warren on Larry King,12/2/05

The following is an excerpt from the promotional description on Rick Warren’s website about the upcoming global P.E.A.C.E. Plan Seminar:”Rick Warren has said repeatedly, ‘This is why God made me. Everything else I have done was simply preparation for the P.E.A.C.E. Plan.’ If you choose to lead your church to participate in the P.E.A.C.E. Plan it will be a wild ride and an amazing spiritual adventure for your members as they get God’s heart for the world, as God uses them to change lives, and together we bring global glory to God!” Read entire description.

A Quote from today’s Orange County Register:

“Saddleback does control the PEACE platform. Although Saddleback says it will make training materials available to the general public at some point in the future, for now, the site is proprietary, which means that Saddleback does not permit nonmembers to view the site. (The Register was allowed to see the site only once, and in the company of a church staffer.)

“Church teams who want to use the materials must register (and attend a conference) under the PEACE program umbrella. Saddleback can, consequently, track and lay claim not only to the 142 PEACE teams that have gone on mission so far, but also to the potentially thousands that will do so in the future and that will become, in the process, indirect partners in the PEACE ‘movement’ — and brand…. Saddleback may create a platform for both the kingdom of God and for itself.” From New-media missionaries

by Paul Proctor 
America is absolutely awash in “Christian” leaders, pious politicians and pro-family groups whose apparent goal is to save it from self-destruction. Many seem to believe this can be accomplished by Christianizing the culture – by rallying people of pride, principle, patriotism and perseverance to shake their collective fists at the enemies of Christ with legions, letters, lawyers and legislation – that America can be saved from itself if enough people get indignant and involved.

But friends, this is not Christian evangelism. This is religious environmentalism – an earthly and erroneous idea borrowed from secular society and the liberal left that says man can save himself and the world he lives in if we all just get onboard the Vain Train To A Better America and apply ourselves. But when did Jesus or any of His apostles ever endeavor to make Rome sacred ground by organizing its inhabitants into action groups, protesters and boycotters to fight the forces of evil with carnal Christian weaponry? Jesus was not a zealot and neither were his true followers. Click here to read more of this article.

by Understand the Times with Roger Oakland

The Roman Catholic Church’s belief that the “presence” of Jesus Christ becomes manifest by the mystical process of transubstantiation during Mass has been foundational to their faith for centuries. According to the Roman Catholic Church, a Roman Catholic priest supposedly has the authority and the power to conjure up the presence of the Creator of the universe from a wafer. In order to be a Roman Catholic, the church requires members to accept this belief and be obedient to it. There are no exceptions.

While it is true that during the Reformation and Counter Reformation, many who refused to believe in the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist died or were tortured for their disbelief, time has a way of allowing the facts of history to be forgotten. It is also a fact there are even practicing Roman Catholics today who do not abide by the Church’s proclaimed standard that they must believe the consecrated wafer is God and not just a symbol of remembrance.

This, of course, was one of the major reasons for the “New Evangelization” program implemented by Pope John Paul II during his time of leadership. In April of 2003, the pope wrote an encyclical promoting the “New Evangelization” program for the purpose of “rekindling amazement” focussing on the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. From that point on, I have been following the Roman Catholic agenda to win the world to the Roman Catholic Jesus.

However, it is apparent that many evangelical “Protestant” Christians are not aware of this agenda. Nor do they recognize that the Roman Catholic Jesus is a Jesus that requires a human priest to manifest his presence and offer each mass as an “unbloody sacrifice.” The Roman Catholic Eucharistic Jesus is not the same Jesus, who said “it is finished” when He died upon the cross at Calvary.Please click here to read the entire article.

Note: We are reposting this article because of the continuing growing influence this book has on Christendom. We think if you check your church library shelves, most likely you will see a copy of this book. And there is no way of knowing how many unaware readers partook of Foster’s spirituality throughout the years.

First published in 1978, Celebration of Discipline has had a massive influence on Christendom. Unfortunately, the influence has helped to saturate the church with mystical contemplative prayer and the New Age. Most likely, your pastor has a copy of this book sitting on his library shelves. He may even have it sitting on his desk for easy reach and reference. Richard Foster, a Quaker and the founder of an organization called Renovare (meaning renewal), wrote the book and even he, I’m sure, had no idea the impact this book would have. But 27 years later, it is still being read, and in fact, Christian leaders and organizations are promoting the book like never before.

Foster said in the book, that we “should all without shame enroll as apprentices in the school of contemplative prayer.” (p. 13, 1978 ed.) In other books and writings he makes it very clear that this “contemplative prayer” is the eastern style mantra meditation to which mystic monk Thomas Merton adhered. In fact, Richard Foster once told Ray Yungen (author of A Time of Departing) that Thomas Merton tried to awaken God’s people.

Thomas Merton, who said he was impregnated with Sufism and wanted to “become as good a Buddhist” as he could be (David Steindl-Rast, “Recollection of Thomas Merton’s Last Days in the West”), believed that “God’s people” lacked one thing … mysticism and this is to what they needed “awakening.” Of Merton, Foster says: “Thomas Merton has perhaps done more than any other twentieth-century figure to make the life of prayer widely known and understood.” (Spiritual Classics, p. 17) And yet, Thomas Merton once told New Age Episcopal priest Matthew Fox that he felt sorry for the hippies in the 60s who were dropping LSD because all they had to do was practice the mystical (contemplative) stream to achieve the same results. (Interview) We couldn’t agree with him more. Both altered states are the same, and neither lead to God.

Listed under “excellent books on spirituality,” in some editions of Celebration of Discipline, Foster says of Tilden Edwards’ book, Spiritual Friend that it helps “clear away the confusion and invites us to see that we do not have to live the spiritual life in isolation.” And yet, Tilden Edwards, founder of the Christian/Buddhist Shalem Institute in Washington, DC, said that contemplative spirituality was the “Western bridge to Far Eastern spirituality”(A Time of Departing, p. 49). On the Shalem Institute website you can find numerous quotes, references, articles, and recommendations to pantheism, universalism, New Age, and Eastern thought.

In Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster tells us “we must be willing to go down into the recreating silences, into the inner world of contemplation” (COD, p.13.) He goes on to say that the “masters of meditation beckon us.” Just prior to that remark, he quotes Carl Jung and Thomas Merton.

Celebration of Discipline has helped to pave the way for Thomas Merton’s pantheistic belief system. It has opened the door for other Christian authors, speakers, and pastors to bring contemplative spirituality into the lives of millions of people. The late Henri Nouwen, a popular contemplative who also followed the teachings of Thomas Merton, made a telling statement towards the end of his life:

I personally believe that while Jesus came to open the door to God’s house, all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her own way to God (emphasis added – Sabbatical Journey).

Today, countless ministers and ministries are promoting and endorsing Celebration of Discipline. If they really knew what Foster’s “celebration” was all about, we think many of them would race away from the teachings of Thomas Merton and Richard Foster and back to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Those that Foster quotes favorably in Celebration of Discipline:
Thomas Merton
Morton Kelsey
Madame Guyon
Evelyn Underhill
Elizabeth O’ Connor
Thomas Kelly
Fyodor Dostoevski
Soren Kierkegaard
George Fox
Agnes Sanford
Brother Lawrence
Dallas Willard
Those Who Quote, Promote and Endorse Richard Foster:
Focus on the Family
Chuck
Swindoll
Christianity Today
YWAM
C.S. Lewis Institute
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship
Youth Specialties
More on Celebration of Discipline

Quotes by Richard Foster:
From Renovare’s Perspective Newsletter: “Spend some time this week listening to contemplative music designed to quiet you, settle you, deepen you. (Compact discs and tapes from the Taize community, John Michael Talbot, and the Monks of Weston Priory are especially helpful).”

“We now come to the ultimate stage of Christian experience. Divine Union…. Contemplatives sometimes speak of their union with God by the analogy of a log in a fire: the glowing log is so united with the fire that it is fire …” (Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, p. 159)

“Christians … have developed two fundamental expressions of Unceasing Prayer. The first … is usually called aspiratory prayer or breath prayer. The most famous of the breath prayers is the Jesus Prayer. It is also possible to discover your own individual breath prayer…. Begin praying your breath prayer as often as possible.” (Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, p. 122)

The following article, from the Miami Herald is about New Age sympathizer and meditation promoting Marcus Borg. While Borg makes no apology, or secret, about his non-biblical views, his books are sold in Christian bookstores, and he is admired and promoted by popular Christians such as Brennan Manning (in Ragamuffin Gospel) and Brian McLaren. Online Christian bookstores like Lifeway Stores (Southern Baptist) and ChristianBook.com carry his books. And now the news article:

“A Radical Spin on the Life of Christ”
BY ALEXANDRA ALTER (Miami Herald)

“Marcus Borg, a professor of religion and culture at Oregon State University and renowned Jesus scholar, advocates a radical reinterpretation of the Christian faith — one that rejects traditional views of Christ’s virgin birth and resurrection.

“Revising the popular understanding of these key Christian tenets is essential to the future of the church, says Borg, who will speak about moving beyond Biblical literalism during a three-day lecture series at Coral Gables Congregational Church next Friday-Sunday. Read more…