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Coming From the Lighthouse
Newsletter
Jesus said, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever
believeth on me should not abide in darkness."
(John 12:46)
May 5,
2007
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The Other Side of the River by
Kevin Reeves
Topics this book addresses:
*Word Faith movement
*Holy Laughter
*"Slain" in the Spirit practice
*Emphasis on humanity of Jesus over Deity
*Gifts & Calling for the unbeliever?
*Experience versus Scripture
*Repetitive chanting & singing
*Paradigm shift
*Understanding true worship
Excerpts from the book:
1. Coming into Alignment
2. Chapter One
MORE INFORMATION
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The Roots & Truth
About YOGA
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Because of the widespread
epidemic of Yoga being practiced within the
walls of Christianity, and because the roots
of Yoga are New Age/pantheistic, Lighthouse
Trails is now carrying the book Yoga
and the Body of Christ and the
DVD Yoga
Uncoiled. With millions of people
throughout the world practicing Yoga, we believe
it is essential for every Christian family to
understand the roots of Yoga.
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Social/Political
Activism and the New Age
Although
the Social/Political arena may not be overtly
New Age in nature, it has served as a magnet
for bringing together transformed New Agers
and the socially concerned. Like the human potential
movement, this segment grew out of the tumult
of the 1960s when various civil rights movements
sprang up from the counterculture. Never before
had so many people demonstrated concern over
such issues as the environment or the treatment
of various minority groups.
In the 1970s and 1980s, many who had sought
purely political means for world betterment
in the 1960s became disillusioned with that
route and endeavored to link planetary betterment
with spiritual transformation. They saw simple
protest was not accomplishing their goal. They
were convinced that in order to perfect the
world, they had to perfect the people first.
Getting in tune with one's inner divinity was
seen as the key to effecting that change on
a wide scale. Meditation also seemed like an
easier commitment than marches and resistance.
They believed that any effort to save the world
and end social evil would fail without the element
of higher consciousness.
It would surprise many Americans to know that
they actually voted for a New Age sympathizer
for president of the United States in the 2000
election. In a Time magazine article
in 2003 called "Just Say Om," former
presidential candidate, Al Gore, said the following
about meditation:
We
both [he and his wife] believe in regular prayer,
and we often pray together. But meditation--as
distinguished from prayer--I highly recommend
it.1
One
might argue that perhaps Gore was not referring
to mystical type meditation and that he didn't
have any such proclivities, but this notion
would be put to rest by his endorsement of a
book (Marriage of Sense and Soul) by
Ken Wilber, a leading figure in the New Age.
On the back cover of the book, Gore proudly
proclaimed Wilber's book is "one of my
new favorites."2 New Ager Neale
Donald Walsch publicly revealed Gore's spiritual
sympathies in the following comments he made
at the Humanity's Team Leadership Gathering
in 2003:
You
know Al Gore. I know Al well and he says to
me, "Hey Neale, I used to be the next president
of the United States." Al has read my books
and loves them, but he can't possibly say that
publicly.... He should be able to, and in the
society we're going to recreate he will be able
to, but right now he can't.3
For
those not familiar with Walsch's work, this
may not seem that significant. But Walsch is
the author of the Conversations with God
books, in which millions of copies have been
sold. His books are the supposed conversations
between Walsch and "God." Walsch's
"God" proclaims:
The
twenty-first century will be the time of awakening,
of meeting The Creator Within. Many beings will
experience Oneness with God.... There are many
such people in the world now--teachers and messengers,
Masters and visionaries--who are placing this
vision before humankind and offering tools with
which to create it. These messengers and visionaries
are the heralds of a New Age.4
There is only one message that can change the
course of human history forever, end the torture,
and bring you back to God. That message is The
New Gospel: WE ARE ALL ONE.5
The
"tools" Walsch is speaking of is meditation.
The fact that someone who promotes and practices
New Age meditation could have (and still may)
become the president of United States, shows
clearly that this mindset plays an integral
role in today's world. This assessment can be
backed up by New Age teacher Marianne Williamson.
Williamson became popular, largely through the
Oprah show. Williamson wrote a book, A Return
to Love, (based on the channeled New Age
classic A Course in Miracles). When Oprah
brought Williamson onto her show--the book became
an overnight success.
A Course in Miracles could be referred
to as the New Ager's bible. One former New Ager
explains Williamson's interest in the political
field:
Over
the past decade, Williamson has continued to
champion A Course in Miracles in the
media and in her public appearances around the
country. A more recent book, Healing the
Soul of America, has enabled Williamson
and the Course to make a subtle transition
into the political arena. Hoping to inspire
a "new gospel" approach to national
and world problems, Williamson, along with bestselling
Conversations with God author Neale Donald Walsch,
cofounded The Global Renaissance Alliance.6
When
we comprehend Williamson's propensity towards
the New Age and meditation (as a vehicle for
world peace), it is astounding to know that
Williamson is working closely with Walter Cronkite,
a former CBS news anchor and public icon, once
referred to as "the most trusted man in
America."7 Williamson and Cronkite,
along with Congressman Dennis Kucinich, are
trying to convince the US government to start
a cabinet--level Department of Peace within
the executive branch via House bill HR808. The
fact that someone as mainstream as Walter Cronkite
would align himself with the openly metaphysical
Williamson bespeaks of the current spiritual
climate of our society. Incidentally, the campaign
to start the Department of Peace is gaining
momentum and currently has the support of over
60 U.S. Representatives and Senators and has
local grassroot chapters in over 200 congressional
districts.8
Williamson embodies, as few others do, the marriage
between political/social idealism and the embracing
of metaphysical perception. As the tone of modern
spirituality changes so will the various institutions
that comprise society.
This is an excerpt from Ray Yungen's book, For Many Shall Come in My Name, 2007, Lighthouse Trails
edition.
Notes: Click here for endnotes.
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Robert E.
Webber, Theologian of 'Ancient-Future'
Faith, Dies at 73
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LTRP Note: Robert
Webber was one of the major influencers of the
current emerging church movement.
From Christianity Today
Tabby Yang
May 1, 2007
Author of more than 40 books on worship,
Webber was criticized, then lauded, for emphasizing
early church practices.
Robert E. Webber, a theologian well-known for
his work on worship and the early church, died
of pancreatic cancer on April 27 at his home
in Sawyer, Michigan. He was 73. At the time
of his death, Webber was the William R. and
Geraldyn B. Myers professor of ministry at Northern
Seminary in Lombard, Ill. He was also the president
of the Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville,
Florida, and professor of theology emeritus
at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Click here to read more of this news article.
The following is an excerpt
from another Christianity
Today article, this one by Robert
Webber:
[I]n the Eucharist, the church
ascends into the heavens and experiences the
consummation of God's story in the new heavens
and the new earth. There is a personal dimension
to worship. Worship is the contemplation,
the delight in our own heart that comes from
hearing and enacting the story of how God
renews the face of the earth through his Son
and Spirit. The other response to worship
is the choice we make to participate in purposes
of God for the world that worship celebrates.
This is how song, Scripture, prayer, and Eucharist
nourish our spiritual life. -- Robert Webber,
in a Christianity Today article, talking about the Eucharist
(Catholic communion in which the elements
become the actual presence of Christ)
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National Day of Prayer
Featured Author Promotes Contemplative
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The
National Day of Prayer has chosen Heart's
Cry by Jennifer Kennedy Dean as one of this
year's featured books. Ms. Dean writes about
the "listening prayer" in chapter
11 of her book. Here are some excerpts:
"God calls us to silence, inner as well
as outer. He invites us to listening prayer
[contemplative prayer] ... in the inner sanctuary
of our souls.... Listening prayer is the ground
from which spoken prayer grows. Spoken prayer
will not reach its fullness unless it is born
in listening prayer" (p. 127).
"The place of His presence is within you.
You will find Him at the center of your being....
God has things to tell you.... Something you
didn't know before?.... When we learn the art
of silence, then we create the setting in which
God can reveal to us His secrets.... We are
not programmed for silence. It does not come
naturally to sit quietly in God's presence without
words. Listening to God is a learned discipline"
(pp. 128-129).
"[T]o find a way to center your thoughts
on God. As you visualize the presence of God,
visualize yourself in that presence .... In
His presence, I feel the need to empty myself.
I visualize placing things on His altar"
(p. 129).
In the back of Dean's book, she recommends two
other books she wrote for more information on
"listening prayer." In one of those
books, Riches Stored in Secret Places
2, Dean references panentheist Thomas Kelly about four
times. It is Kelly who said that within every
human being is a divine center, a holy sanctuary
(from A Testament of Devotion). Dean
quotes Kelly in his chapter called "The
Light Within," in which Dean refers to
the "secret sanctuary" (p. 43). This
"secret sanctuary" Kelly is speaking
of is the "abiding Light behind all changing
[life] forms." Kelly says: "In that
Current we must bathe. In that abiding yet energizing
Center we are all made one" (p. 38)."
In referring to this "secret sanctuary,"
which Kelly says is in all of life, Dean tells
readers to use "the meditative exercises"
in her book. Some of the techniques Dean refers
to are lectio divina and visualization (though
she does not call them this, but she describes
them).
There is concern that the National Day of Prayer will be influenced by contemplative
spirituality in other ways too other than Dean's
book. This year's Honorary Chairman for the
National Day of Prayer Task Force is Chuck Swindoll,
who in his book, So You Want to Be Like Christ:
Eight Essential Disciplines to Get You There
promotes contemplative prayer, and quotes
Henri Nouwen in the book from one of Nouwen's
most contemplative books. In Swindoll's book,
he tells readers that they cannot really know
God with out practicing the silence (what he
refers to as an inner stillness of the mind;
see Misguided Shepherds).
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Teen Mania Goes Contemplative?
"Millions of Young People" May Be
Influenced
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Ron
Luce's Teen Mania and meditation promoter Liz Babbs are resonating with each other, and the connection
is meditation. Luce is the "President and
Founder of Teen Mania Ministries, a Christian
youth organization that reaches millions of
young people worldwide." An October 2006
article, Teen Mania Introduces Kids to Contemplative-Promoting Speaker,
explains that Teen Mania was bringing contemplative
promoter Jack Hayford to speak at one of their
events.
Now, in a most revealing video clip, Ron Luce interviews meditation
promoter Liz Babbs. To understand the significance in this, read
this excerpt from a September 2006 article:
Liz Babbs is an "award-winning
author, performer, broadcaster and spiritual
mentor [who] travels extensively raising awareness
of issues of health and spirituality."
Her book, Into God's Presence, can be
found in Christian bookstores and through various
Christian ministries. Organizations like American Family Association (AFA), Christianbook.com,
Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, and LifeWay
Stores (Southern Baptist outlet) all carry Babb's
book, and the publisher, Zondervan, is considered
to be a Christian publishing house.
But just what does Liz Babbs mean when she says,
Into God's Presence? The answer to that
question can be easy to find. On Babbs' website,
she gives specific instructions (which she says
are taken from her book) on meditation. And
we're not talking about contemplating or meditating
on God's word. No, this is Eastern style meditation,
which she calls a "deep form of prayer"
that leads to "a wonderful pathway of intimacy
with God." With meditation practices like
breath prayers, one word meditations, the Jesus Prayer,
and others, Babbs reveals her spiritual affinities.
In the interview between Babbs
and Luce, she tells Luce how meditation can
be done and can include repeating the name of
Jesus over and over in order to rid oneself
of distractions and really hear God.
What this means is that Teen Mania's "millions
of young people worldwide" may ultimately
be introduced to mysticism. It is important
to note that Teen Mania some of the same
militant
undertone as Pete Greig's 24/7 ministry.1 This militancy/meditation mixture is going to have disastrous
effects, and the fruit of it will be
potentially harmful to the spiritual lives of
many people. This same militancy is found in
the emerging church movement as well as the
Purpose Driven program and is linked to the
New Age militancy against Bible believing Christians.
For other articles addressing this growing
attitude by those who promote mysticism, see
the following:
*EMERGENT MANIFESTO: Emerging Church Comes Out of the Closet
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Rick
Warren and Leonard Sweet Together Again
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The 2007
Catalyst Conference will be taking place this October,
and long-time colleagues Rick Warren and New
Age sympathizer Leonard Sweet will be speakers.
Warren and Sweet were both instrumental in helping
set the stage for the emerging church movement.
And even though Leonard Sweet has been an avid
promoter of New Age ideas for a long time, Warren
has exhibited continued comradeship
with him. In 1995, the two did an audio
series called The Tides of Change. In the audio, they spoke of "new
frontiers," "a new spirituality,"
and "waves of change." In more recent
days, with Rick Warren's New Reformation and
Global Peace Plan, those "new frontiers"
have begun to take shape.
A few years prior to The Tides of Change
series, Sweet wrote a book called Quantum
Spirituality.* This book reveals the nature
of Sweet's spiritual affinities as he talks
about "christ-consciousness" and a
"New Light" movement. Ray Yungen explains
further:
In it [Quantum Spirituality], Sweet thanks interspiritualists/universalists
such as Matthew Fox (author of The Coming of the Cosmic Christ),
Episcopalian priest/mystic Morton Kelsey,
Willis Harman (author of Global Mind Change)
and Ken Wilber (one of the major intellectuals
in the New Age movement) for helping him to
find what he calls "New Light."
Sweet adds that he trusts "the Spirit
that led the author of The Cloud of Unknowing."
In the preface of the same book, Sweet disseminates
line after line of suggestions that the "old
teachings" of Christianity must be replaced
with new teachings of "the New Light."
And yet these new teachings, he believes,
will draw from "ancient teachings"
(the Desert Fathers). This "New Light movement,"
Sweet says, is a "radical faith commitment
that is willing to dance to a new rhythm."
Throughout the book, Sweet favorably uses
terms like Christ consciousness and higher
self and in no uncertain terms promotes New
Age ideology:[Quantum Spirituality
is] a structure of human becoming, a channeling
of Christ energies through mindbody experience....
Sweet also tells his readers that humanity
and creation are united as one and we must
realize it. Once humanity comes to this realization,
Sweet says:
Then, and only then, will a New Light movement of "world-making"
faith have helped to create the world that
is to, and may yet, be. Then, and only then,
will earthlings have uncovered the meaning
... of the last words [Thomas Merton] uttered:
"We are already one. But we imagine that
we are not. And what we have to recover is
our original unity."
Leonard Sweet is what could be called an Alice Bailey Christian
because his views on the role of mysticism
in the church are evident. He states:
Mysticism, once cast to the sidelines of the Christian tradition,
is now situated in postmodernist culture near
the center.... In the words of one of the
greatest theologians of the twentieth century,
Jesuit philosopher of religion/dogmatist Karl
Rahner, "The Christian of tomorrow will
be a mystic, one who has experienced something,
or he will be nothing." [Mysticism] is
metaphysics arrived at through mindbody experiences.
Mysticism begins in experience; it ends in
theology. (from A Time of Departing, pp. 156-160)
A few years after Rick Warren
and Len Sweet did the audio series together,
Warren endorsed the front and back cover of
Sweet's book, Soul Tsunami. Of Sweet's
book, Warren said: "[S]uggests practical
ways to communicate God's unchanging truth to
our changing world." However, the "practical
ways" that Sweet shares in the book include
a labyrinth and visiting a meditation center.
Sweet also says in the book, "It's time
for a Post Modern Reformation," adding
that "The wind of spiritual awakening is
blowing across the waters." He says that
times are changing and you'd better "Reinvent
yourself for the 21st century or die" (p.
75).
If Rick Warren is no longer in agreement with
Leonard Sweet, then doesn't he have an obligation
to speak up publicly and warn people, especially
in light of his previous role in helping to
spread Sweet's message? And if he does not support
Sweet's message, why would he speak with him
at the Catalyst Conference, which will only
further paint a picture of mutual spiritualities
between the two men?
These occurrences between the two men are not mere examples
of guilt
by association. Doing an audio
series together and endorsing the cover of
a book is rather guilt by
promotion. Speaking at the same
conference is just a reminder of this. On
Rick Warren's website (another sign of Warren's
acceptance of Sweet), Sweet is quoted as saying:
"The essence of connectivity is, 'I can't
be me without we.'"1
Based on Rick Warren's consistent
record of promoting contemplative spirituality
(i.e., spiritual formation or mysticism),
Warren is as much in support of Leonard Sweet's
teachings today as he was in 1995 when The
Tides of Change came out. And Sweet's
reinvent or die theology is similar
to Warren's Resisters, Leave or Die.
The Catalyst Conference, incidentally, will
be promoting contemplative in other ways too.
Under the LAB called "Passion,"
Mark Batterson will be teaching. A recommended reading list on Batterson's website includes
some of the most staunch New Age/meditation
promoters like: Anthony Robbins, Jack Canfield,
Eckhart Tolle, Henri Nouwen, Daniel Goleman
(author of The Meditative Mind) and
Mormon New Ager Steven Covey.
Erwin McManus will also be speaking at the
conference. A recent article, Erwin McManus: The Secret Behind the Secret, revealed
that McManus resonated with the new channeled
film, The Secret.
On the Catalyst website it says the event
will be a convergence of leaders that will
shake you to the core. Unfortunately,
we believe this shaking will drop unsuspecting
participants (including thousands of young
people) into the hands of deception. We hope
the organizers of the event will come out
in the open and admit that some of the speakers
there have New Age proclivities and may pass
these on to those in attendance.
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Laurie Beth Jones on
Platform with Blanchard and McManus; Jones:
"Divine Connection in Myself and Others"
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Laurie Beth Jones will join Erwin McManus and Ken Blanchard
this fall at the Lead Like Jesus Leadership
Conference.
"My personal mission and vision is to Recognize, Promote
and Inspire Divine Connection in Myself and
Others."-- Jones, from her
website
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Mel Gibson Reveals True
Purpose of the Passion - Leading People
to Catholicism
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LTRP Note: In 2004, when Mel Gibson's
The Passion was released, few Christian leaders
spoke up against the film. Believers like
Roger Oakland did but not without a price.
Oakland and others who also tried to warn
people about the film's underlying Catholic
themes, were ostracized and scorned. Now,
a Definitive Edition has been released that
shows the true nature (and Gibson's real purpose)
in making the film - to bring people to Catholicism.
Below is the news release from Understand
the Times. A transcript of the DVD is being
prepared, and excerpts from that will be made
available soon.
The Passion of the Christ: Definitive Edition is now available.
This two DVD set includes a tract that presents
theological commentary by Mel Gibson, Father*
William J. Fulco, Father* John Batunck, and
Catholic apologist Gerry Matatics. The discussion
is an analysis of the film explaining the
Roman Catholic view that "Mary"
shares a role in redemption and that "Jesus"
is present in the Eucharist, along with numerous
other comments supporting Roman Catholic extrabiblical
dogma. (Note:* the Bible teaches that we should
call no man "Father" - Matthew 23:9).
In 2004, before the film was released, Understand The Times
posted a commentary by Roger Oakland and Jim
Tetlow titled "Passion Evangelism."
The purpose of this commentary was to send out
a warning that Gibson's film promoted a Roman
Catholic agenda to point viewers to the Roman
Catholic "Mary" and the Roman Catholic
"Jesus". This commentary is available
at http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/passi
onevangelism.shtml.
This commentary was also published as an appendix
to the book "Another Jesus: The Eucharistic
Christ and the New Evangelization" authored
by Oakland and Tetlow.
The comments made by Gibson, Fulco, Batunck and Matatics
in the new Definitive Edition confirm the warnings
made in the "Passion Evangelism" commentary.
Statements made by Gibson, Fulco, Batunck and Matatics
taken from this discussion showing that the
film was designed to promote Roman Catholicism
will be posted at www.understandthetimes.org at a later date.
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AFA Shuts Down Contemplative-Promoting
Bookstore
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American Family Association has shut down their online
contemplative-promoting bookstore. The website
is now gone (see cached file of store), and web visitors are redirected
to this message:
Lighthouse Trails placed two phone calls to AFA this week and
spoke with two different customer service
representatives. We were told that AFA had
been receiving a high number of complaints
about the store's New Age content and decided
to shut it down. One representative told us
that many people had called and complained
about the number of New Age books in the store.
The representative said that people calling
thought that AFA was promoting the New Age
by carrying these books. A second representative
gave us the phone number of Christian supplier,
Innovative, and said they were handling orders
now for AFA.
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Southern
Baptist Pastor: Jesus is "Founder of Liberalism"
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by Paul Proctor
A reader sent me an amazing
article over the weekend from the Religion section
of The Decatur Daily titled "An
emerging Christianity is reshaping faith."
It was written by the pastor of a Southern Baptist
church in Auburn Alabama, who just happens to
be a syndicated columnist, as well. His name
is James L. Evans. Addressing the Emergent Church
movement, as if to be introducing it to the
general public for the first time, he wrote
the following:
Even now a new form of the
faith seems to be taking hold within the broad
tradition of evangelicalism. Calling themselves
"emerging Christians," or in some
instances "the Emergent Church," a
movement of mostly younger believers are re-shaping
the traditional faith in ways that is creating
excitement among some, and deep worry among
more established Christian leaders.
Isn't that a little like reshaping an old clay pot into an
ashtray? Just how does one do that? Since you
can't remold hardened pottery into something
else, it seems to me the only course of action
is to smash it and then set your smoldering
stogy on one of the broken pieces. Click here to read the rest of this article and for links.
Some additional info on Auburn FBC and its links/ties to the
New Age and contemplative:
Auburn First Baptist Church as
listed on the Southern Baptist Convention's Church Search page
www.auburnfbc.org
Auburn First Baptist Church
Auburn, AL 36830
Go to the Auburn FBC home page. Click on College Ministry, scroll
down and click on Check Out These Sites. Notice
the following:
Methodx.org: "This year at MethodX
we're examining a number of Christian spiritual
practices that make up the kind of life we believe
God created us to live. Spiritual practices
are ways to take Christian faith seriously by
putting action to our beliefs -- by trying to
live out the message of the Gospel in daily
life. For many of us, it will be a challenge
to think of Christianity as a life that we live,
rather than a set of ideas we believe in."
I did a site-search on Methodx.org and came
up with 8 hits on yoga. Here are a few examples:
Upper Room Ministries
Spiritual Practices (encourages yoga and
Tai Chi)
Method-X is sponsored by Upper Room Ministries,
which not only encourages yoga and Tai Chi,
but centering prayer, icon prayer, and Lectio
Divina ( refer to http://www.upperroom.org/methodx/thelife/prayermethods/).
Method-X should be renamed Brand-X
(additional research is provided by Christian Research Service)
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Walk
to Emmaus
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The Walk to Emmaus is a program
put on by Upper Room Ministries. Upper Room promotes Spiritual Formation
(i.e., contemplative spirituality), and if you
want to understand the dynamics of Walk to Emmaus,
then understanding the spirituality of Upper Room will help you.
"The Walk to Emmaus is an adaptation of the Roman Catholic
Cursillo Movement, which originated in Spain
in 1949." from the Walk to Emmaus website
Walk to Emmaus is widely spread. It is estimated
that over half a million persons have experienced
a Walk to Emmaus weekend and today the Movement
counts more than 300 communities distributed
all over the United States as well as all over
the world.1
Mantra Meditation is promoted at Upper Room Ministries also:
"Mantra -- The word comes from Sanskrit. Its two-syllabus
mean: man or mind and tra or deliverance. A
mantra is sound vibration that is intended to
deliver the mind from distractions and a focus
on the material world. A mantra is repeated
like a chant and has a spiritual effect associated
with the physical vibration. A mantra can be
as simple as one syllable 'OM' or as more complicated
such as, 'OM SRI RAM JAI RAM JAI JAI RAM'."
From the Upper Room website
"The Walk to Emmaus is an adaptation of the Roman Catholic
Cursillo Movement, which originated in Spain
in 1949."2
Tres Dias is an offshoot of the Cursillo Movement and should be avoided
as well.
List of places that do Walk to Emmaus
The Walk to Emmaus (The Upper Room) website
Upper Room and Lectio Divina
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Publishing News - For Many Shall Come in My Name
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