Coming From the Lighthouse

Printer Friendly Version October 8, 2007

In This Issue -

The Avalanche of Spiritual Formation

Oprah Show: Silence is the Only True Religion - What Do Christian Leaders Think?...

Chuck Swindoll and Henri Nouwen's Silence

President Bush: All Religions Pray to Same God

Contemplative/Emerging in the Church in Japan

Southwest Baptist University Holds Yoga Classes

Do Christian Leaders Understand the Contemplative Prayer Movement

October 14th - Holocaust Survivor Anita Dittman to Speak in Minneapolis

Publishing News

Oakland, Yungen in BC, Canada Conference

The Other Side of the River - Gone to Second Printing

Quick Links

The Avalanche of Spiritual Formation

"When I first began writing in the field in the late 70s and early 80s the term "Spiritual Formation" was hardly known, except for highly specialized references in relation to the Catholic orders. Today it is a rare person who has not heard the term. Seminary courses in Spiritual Formation proliferate like baby rabbits. Huge numbers are seeking to become certified as Spiritual Directors to answer the cry of multiplied thousands for spiritual direction."1 Richard Foster

What is spiritual formation and what is its premise? According to Roger Oakland, spiritual formation came upon the church like an unsuspecting avalanche:

A move away from the truth of God's Word to a mystical form of Christianity has infiltrated, to some degree, nearly all evangelical denominations. Few Bible teachers saw this avalanche coming. Now that it is underway, most do not realize it has even happened.

The best way to understand this process is to recall what happened during the Dark Ages when the Bible became the forbidden book. Until the Reformers translated the Bible into the language of the common people, the great masses were in darkness. When the light of God's Word became available, the Gospel was once again understood.

I believe history is repeating itself. As the Word of God becomes less and less important, the rise in mystical experiences escalates, and these experiences are presented to convince the unsuspecting that Christianity is about feeling, touching, smelling, and seeing God. The postmodern mindset is the perfect environment for fostering spiritual formation. This term suggests there are various ways and means to get closer to God and to emulate him. Thus the idea that if you do certain practices, you can be more like Jesus. Proponents of spiritual formation erroneously teach that anyone can practice these mystical rituals and find God within. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ is not a prerequisite. In a DVD called Be Still, which promotes contemplative prayer, Richard Foster said that contemplative prayer is for anyone and that by practicing it, one becomes "a portable sanctuary" for "the presence of God."2 Rather than having the indwelling of the person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, spiritual formation through the spiritual disciplines supposedly transforms the seeker by entering an altered realm of consciousness.

The spiritual formation movement is widely promoted at colleges and seminaries as the latest and the greatest way to become a spiritual leader. It teaches people that this is how they can become more intimate with God and truly hear His voice. Even Christian leaders with longstanding reputations of teaching God's word seem to be succumbing. In so doing, many Christian leaders are frivolously playing with fire, and the result will be thousands, probably millions, getting burned.

It isn't going into the silence that transforms a person's life. It is in accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and allowing Him to change us, that transformation occurs. (Faith Undone, pp. 90-92)

Just how widespread is the spiritual formation movement. Well, as research analyst and author Ray Yungen points out, even Rick Warren is behind the movement:

In [Purpose Driven Church], Warren praises a number of parachurch movements he believes God has "raised up" to remedy a "neglected purpose" in Christianity. One of these he mentions is the spiritual formation movement, which promotes contemplative prayer through the "Spiritual Disciplines." Warren names Richard Foster and Dallas Willard as leaders of this movement.3

It is interesting that as far back as the early 90s Rick Warren connected Richard Foster to the spiritual formation movement. This is an accurate assessment on Warren's part (Warren's guilt doesn't lie in identifying Foster - it lies in calling the movement "vital" and "needed" and then promoting it ever since.)

To understand spiritual formation, all one needs to do is understand the spirituality of Richard Foster. Lighthouse Trails has documented his beliefs through A Time of Departing , and Faith Undone, as well as through numerous articles on the Lighthouse Trails Research site. In this particular article, let us turn to a small book Richard Foster wrote called Meditative Prayer. Foster says that the purpose of meditative prayer is to create a "spiritual space" or "inner sanctuary" through "specific meditation exercises" (p. 9). Foster references several mystics in the book who can point the way to these exercises: Madame Guyon, Teresa of Avila, Francis de Sales, Henri Nouwen, and Thomas Merton. Foster breaks the contemplative process down into three steps. He says:

The first step [into meditative prayer] is sometimes called "centering down." Others have used the term re-collection; that is, a re-collecting of ourselves until we are unified or whole. The idea is to let go of all competing distractions until we are truly centered, until we are truly present where we are.

Foster suggests that practicing visualization methods help us center down (p. 17). In the second step of meditation, Foster suggests that mystic Richard Rolle experienced "physical sensations" (see kundalini info) during meditation which perhaps we may or may not experience as well (p. 18). Step three of meditation, Foster says, is that of "listening" to God. Once the meditative exercises have been implemented and the "spiritual ecstasy" is reached, this entered realm is where the voice of God can be heard (p. 23). However, as any New Age meditator knows, this ecstatic state is an altered state of consciousness where everything is supposed to be unified and one with God. Foster acknowledges the interspiritual attribute linked to contemplative prayer when he states: "[Jesus] showed us God's yearning for the gathering of an all-inclusive community of loving persons" (p. 5). Foster defines more of what he means by "all-inclusive" in his book Streams of Living Water when he says this "all-inclusive community" includes everything from a "Catholic monk" to a "Baptist evangelist."4 In other writings, he says that contemplative prayer (and its results) are for everyone and anyone (see Be Still DVD).

Interestingly, Foster discusses the practice of lectio divina in his book, which is being heralded in many Christian settings as a Christian, biblical practice. People are persuaded to believe that repeating phrases and words of Scripture over and over again is a deeper way to know God. They believe that since it is Scripture being repeated (and not just any words), then this validates the practice and that this sacred reading is sacred because it is the Bible being used. But Foster himself proves that it has nothing to do with Scripture. It's the repetition that is effective, not the words. He states: "[L]ectio divina includes more than the Bible. There are the lives of the saints and the writings which have proceeded from their profound [mystical] experiences" (p. 25). Foster obliterates the supposed premise of lectio divina by saying this. That is because as a meditation proponent he knows that meditation has nothing to do with which words are repeated over and over; it is the repetition itself that puts one into an altered state. Thus whether you say Jesus, Abba, Buddha, or OM, it produces the same effect.

Just in case there is any doubt in the reader's mind, Richard Foster tells readers to study Thomas Merton for a deeper understanding of meditation, calling his book, Contemplative Prayer a "powerful analysis of the central nature of contemplative prayer."

Spiritual formation is contemplative spirituality, and it is sweeping quickly throughout Christianity today. If a college, a seminary, a church, or an organization (like Focus on the Family) wants spiritual formation, may they keep in mind, they will get eastern meditation and the occultic realms that accompany it.

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. (Colossians 1:21-23)

As Roger Oakland states:

We are reconciled to God only through his "death" (the atonement for sin), and we are presented "holy and unblamable and unreproveable" when we belong to Him through rebirth. It has nothing to do with works, rituals, or mystical experiences. It is Christ's life in the converted believer that transforms him. (Faith Undone)

Notes:
1. "Spiritual Formation: A Pastoral Letter"

2. Richard Foster, Be Still DVD (Fox Home Entertainment, 2006), section titled "Contemplative Prayer."

3. From chapter 8 ("America's Pastor") of A Time of Departing, citing Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Church, op.cit., p. 126.

4. Richard Foster, Streams of Living Water (San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1998), p. 273.

Oprah Show: Silence is the Only True Religion - What Do Christian Leaders Think?

 On the October 5th Oprah show, Oprah's guest was the author of the best-selling book, Eat, Pray, Love. Elizabeth Gilbert's book is the story of how she left her husband and her life behind and found what she came to call "the only true religion": the silence. Her journey took her around the world, where she learned to meditate in an India ashram.

Oprah, who openly resonates with the New Age and meditation techniques, said she is very excited to have Ms. Gilbert on her show. Calling it a "phenomenon" and "a life-changer," Oprah expresses her excitement for the book and the author.

Gilbert explains that the first step in her journey was to go on an eating binge in Italy. "I would not have been able to physically do the yoga, the meditation, the hard rigor of spiritual work. So I went to Italy first and I ate my guts out for four months."

From Italy, Gilbert traveled to India where she learned to meditate: "There was something about that yoga path that really appealed to me--and you do that through silence and the discipline of meditation -- and I really wanted to go pursue that full out." "None of this works without stillness," Liz says. "One of the great teachings that I learned in India is that silence is the only true religion."

During her time at the ashram, Gilbert had a meditative experience where she says "the scales fell from my eyes and the openings of the universe were shown to me."

Oprah's promotion of Gilbert and her book will likely cause millions of women (and many men too) to go out and buy the book. And once again Oprah, who has become a prophet and an evangelist for the New Age message, will help lead so many over the cliff of spiritual lostness through meditation (i.e., the silence).

Is it any wonder why ministries like Lighthouse Trails show such concern when Christian leaders tell followers, You can't really know God without the silence.

Different than finding a quiet place away from noise and distractions, the silence is referring to a stillness of the mind.

Ray Yungen, author of A Time of Departing, says it is like putting the mind in neutral. Contemplatives say it is like tuning into another frequency. New Agers call it different things like a thin place, sacred space, ecstasy; whatever it is called, both New Agers and Christian leaders are telling us we must practice silence and stillness if we really want to know God.  Click here to read the rest of this report.

Chuck Swindoll and Henri Nouwen's Silence 

As we continue our journey toward intimacy with the Almighty, Psalm 46:10 calls us to the discipline of silence.... What happens when you and I commit ourselves to periods of absolute, uninterrupted silence?6

Swindoll refers to an interview between Mother Teresa (a contemplative and interspiritualist) and former anchorman Dan Rather where she explains to Rather the concept of the silence. Swindoll then exhorts his readers to "discover its secrets for yourself."7 Yet he avoids describing the actual method of contemplative prayer, saying, "You're on your own with this one," referring to it as "the mystery of godliness"8 (which actually is a reference in the Bible to the deity of Jesus Christ, not the silence, I Timothy 3:16). He brings the proverbial horse right to the water by favorably quoting [Richard] Foster, Nouwen, and [Dallas] Willard throughout the book.

Swindoll goes so far as to imply that without the silence we cannot really know God, [stating]:

Sustained periods of quietness are essential in order for that [becoming like Christ] to happen ... I encourage you to experience this for yourself.9

He finally quotes from Henri Nouwen's, The Way of the Heart and then reflects, "I do not believe anyone can ever become a deep person [intimate with God] without stillness and silence."10

This is really quite a misleading statement. It is not the silence that draws us closer to God and allows us to become a "deep person" as Swindoll and the contemplatives insist. Scripture clearly teaches that it is only through the blood atonement of Jesus Christ that we can gain access to Him. We cannot add or take away from that. When we are born again, we are as united to Him as we will ever be. Atonement by the blood is the only direct and truly genuine means of meeting with God. The Old Testament speaks of the "mercy seat" wherein the Lord says "there I will meet with you" (Exodus 25:22). How awesome! A Holy God meets with man, but only when there is blood to atone for man. Hebrews 10:19-22, a clear reference to the Old Testament passage says that Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb, is the fulfillment. When Jesus died, the curtain was torn apart, signifying that now in Christ (the new covenant), the Holy Place, God's presence is open to ALL who believe. We do not need to go into a meditative, self-induced state [as Nouwen suggests in his writings] to be in God's presence.

Some may say that Swindoll is only referring to a quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of life when he speaks of silence. If that were the case, then why does he differentiate between silence and solitude? He refers to solitude as getting away from it all, an external quietness, and makes it clear that silence is an internal stillness like Henri Nouwen described in The Way of the Heart.

While at this point, Swindoll does not actually teach mantras or altered states, his promotion and extensive quoting of contemplatives gives every indication that he is moving toward the contemplative camp. Typically, those who begin following the teachings of the authors I have warned about, and begin promoting the silence, continue steadily on a downward spiral into outright mysticism and deception. It is vital to understand that Nouwen's book The Way of the Heart is a virtual primer on the practice of contemplative prayer. For instance, in the 2005 radio broadcast, Swindoll read a portion of The Way of the Heart where Nouwen makes reference to the silence of the mind contrasting it with regular silence as in not speaking. (This has been an excerpt from A Time of Departing, 2nd ed., pp. 190-192)


QUOTES FROM SWINDOLL'S BOOK:

"So you want to be like Christ? Me too. But that kind of godliness won't just happen ... Disciplining ourselves will require the same kind of focused thinking and living that our Master modeled." Introduction

"Let's commit ourselves to these eight spiritual disciplines." Introduction

"Henri Nouwen ... longed to get away from all those words ... So how do we pull it off? How, in a world bent on distracting us from growing deeper? ... How do you and I become more godly? ... The word is discipline. The secret lies in our returning to the spiritual disciplines." p. 9, 10.

"I have sensed a genuine need--in my own life--for the cultivation of intimacy with the Almighty.... God requires spiritual disciplines ... essential in our pursuit of godliness. ... I came across Dallas Willard's excellent work The Spirit of the Disciplines." p. 12

"Richard Foster's meaningful work Celebration of Discipline ..." p. 15

"Discipline. This is the means for having intimacy with God. ... Discipline is control gained by enforced obedience. It is the deliberate cultivation of inner order. So how are intimacy and discipline connected? ... Discipline is the means to that end." p. 21

LTRP Note: In September 2005, we were informed that Chuck Swindoll was favorably quoting Henri Nouwen and Richard Foster on his Insight For Living program. We contacted Insight for Living and spoke with Pastor Graham Lyons. We shared our concerns, then later sent A Time of Departing to him and also a copy to Chuck Swindoll.

In a letter dated 10/3/05 from Pastor Lyons, we were told, "With his schedule I doubt he will read it." We are sorry that Chuck Swindoll has time to read Henri Nouwen and Richard Foster but no time to read A Time of Departing, especially in light of the fact that thousands of people will read Chuck Swindoll's book, listen to his broadcasts, and now believe that the contemplative authors are acceptable and good.

Other Important Related Stories:
Rick Warren Says He Practices Silence and Solitude

Christian Leaders Network Together in a Dangerous Venture

Notes:
1.Charles Swindoll, So You Want To Be Like Christ? (Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, a div. of Thomas Nelson, 2005), p. 12.
2. Ibid., p. 14.
3. Ibid., p. 21.
4. Ibid., p. 55.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid., p. 61.
7. Ibid., p. 62.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid., p. 63.
10. Ibid., p. 65.

President Bush: All Religions Pray to Same God.

Contemplative/Emerging in the Church in Japan

LTRP Note: We received the following by a missionary in Japan. He describes the situation in Japan and how contemplative, emergent, and Purpose Driven are infitrating the Christian church over there. He has asked that his name remain anonymous.

False Teaching and the Japanese Christian Scene
By a missionary to Japan
October 1st, 2007

The Japanese Christian scene seems to follow closely at the heels of the American church. This is to say that many of the bad influences currently widespread in American Christianity are finding their way to Japan through the influence of missionaries and Japanese pastors trained in US seminaries and Christian colleges. Also, some of this is coming in by way of Korean missionaries in Japan, who are often influenced by popular false teachings. A case in point is the ____ Church, in the city where I live in northern Japan. The church's Korean pastor has aggressively promoted The Purpose-Driven Life and other trends, especially those of the seeker-sensitive movement.

Added to our problems is the widespread popularity of the writings of Henri Nouwen, which have been translated into Japanese. The translator, a man named Ota, is also a popular church speaker and has a Christian growth center which teaches contemplative prayer. His trademark word is "Shizumari," which means "Quietude." I heard him speak twice in my former church. The last time was the Sunday before Good Friday, when his message centered on Jesus's prayer in Gethsemane. He presented Jesus as a kind of guru modeling how we should learn quietness and submission to God. There was absolutely no mention of Jesus's atoning work on the cross or the meaning of his death. That was my last Sunday at that church. The pastor of this church considers this man a mentor and also brings this sort of thing into the Hokkaido Bible Institute, a Bible college here in Sapporo, where he teaches. He also belongs to a Postmodernism study group for pastors and has been showing this kind of influence in his teaching.

The situation does not seem to be much better in the rest of Japan. Many large, growing churches are lorded over by dictatorial pastors. At one time I worked for one when I lived in Osaka who often punched and kicked his subordinates. Fortunately, I escaped any physical abuse but suffered some psychological abuse before I quit. Recently the Korean pastor of a very large charismatic church in Osaka was also arrested and convicted for molesting many children in the church. Needless to say, this became a well-known scandal through the media. Culturally Japanese people tend to submit without protest to authority figures and decline to disturb the harmony of groups, so such abusive individuals find it easy to stay in control.

All this is very regrettable, especially since Japan has also produced some wonderful Christians, such as the popular novelist and essayist Ayako Miura [author of Shiokari Pass], who was well-known and respected throughout Japan. Through the influence of her books many have been brought to faith in Christ. There have been many fine pastors and leaders of church congregations too, such as the pastor of my current church. Unfortunately, though, pastors of typical small churches naturally feel tremendous pressure to imitate the methods of people like Rick Warren, and they are very shy about criticizing apparently successful pastors and churches. We would greatly appreciate the prayers of brethren around the globe for greater discernment among Christians here and also that the true Gospel of Christ will be boldly preached and people authentically converted through its power.

From Summer 2007

SBU offers 'Yoga with Sarah' on campus
By Allen Palmeri
Associate Editor - The Pathway

BOLIVAR, Missouri-Southwest Baptist University (SBU) is offering a yoga class that is said to be "very popular and well attended" at the Ken Meyer Wellness and Sports Center.

J.D. Lynch, who directs the center, explained that yoga is one of several fitness classes at SBU. The class, "Yoga With Sarah," is advertised as being "a time for stretching and strengthening the body in a relaxed atmosphere." There is no mention about yoga being a Hindu-type exercise.

"Yoga and Pilates are offered as low-impact workouts in comparison to cardio jam, cardio step, and others that stress the joints and ligaments," Lynch wrote in an email. "Yoga is currently commodified nationally as a program element by the fitness industry and is an integral part of a high percentage of commercial and institutional formats. The yoga classes are very popular and well attended by our constituents. The class 'Yoga With Sarah' is offered by an instructor named Sarah, and the term 'yoga' is the more politically correct term with students rather than a 'stretching class.'"

Yoga is from the Vedic, or Hindu, cultures. Historians say it is 5,000 years old; as such, it is not Christian. The practice of yoga is designed to unite the individual with the Infinite, according to an article by Dennis McGuire on yoga.com. Subhas R. Tiwari, professor at the Hindu University of America, has also explained that the American process of calling yoga "just exercise" is an insult to yoga purists who seek to guard their form of worship.Click here to read more of this news story.

LTRP Note: SBU is listed on the Southern Baptist Convention Colleges and Universities page.

Related Story:

Southern Baptist Convention's 'List of Colleges and Universities

Do Christian Leaders Understand the Contemplative Prayer Movement

by Chris Lawson

The 2008 National Pastors Convention, which is being Brought to you by: Zondervan and Inter-Varsity Press, also has Presenting Sponsors: Vida, World Vision and Christianbook.com. The purpose of the 2008 National Pastors Convention is stated in their banner sentence for the convention: nourish your soul. engage your mind. connect in meaningful conversation

Along with the Christian Yoga classes which will be offered by Shelly Pagitt (Wife of Doug Pagitt from Solomon's Porch) at this "Pastor's Convention," people will have the opportunity to attend the National Pastor's Retreat.

CONVENTION RETREAT: EXPERIENCE A DEEPER CONNECTION WITH GOD
The link to the National Pastors Retreats page informs Church leaders that they can "Experience a Deeper Connection with God" by attending this overnight retreat. According to the advertisements, the main speakers for this retreat will be Joe Sherman and Ruth Haley Barton:

This National Pastors Retreat provides leaders with a safe place to be honest about the challenges of sprititual leadership, to experience spiritual rhythms of solitude, prayer, and community, and to deepen their understanding of leadership that flows from one's authentic self. Led by The Transforming Center leaders Ruth Haley Barton and Joe Sherman ... Ruth Haley Barton is a Spiritual Director, teacher and retreat leader trained through the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and the Pathways Center for Spiritual Leadership in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sherman and Barton are both co-founders of The Transforming Center. Barton, president of The Transforming Center, is a teacher, spiritual director, and retreat leader. She has served on the pastoral staff of several churches including Willow Creek Community Church.

It is well known that Ruth Haley Barton is a promoter of Contemplative Prayer. She is the author of numerous books and in the 1999 Discipleship Journal (Vol. 113) she is quoted as saying:

Ask for a simple prayer to express your willingness to meet God in the silence ... a simple statement ... such as "Here I am." ... Help yourself return to your original intent by repeating the prayer that you have chosen.

Click here to read this entire article and for links and references.

On October 14th, Holocaust survivor and Jewish believer, Anita Dittman, will speak at the Bless Israel meeting, a ministry of Twin City Fellowship in Minneapolis.

Publishing News  - FAITH UNDONE 2nd Printing

Oakland, Yungen in BC, Canada Conference

November 9-11, 2007

The Other Side of the River - Gone to Second Printing

The Other Side of the River by Alaskan Kevin Reeves has gone to a second printing. This Spring 2007 release chronicles the 12 years that Reeves was part of the River movement.

 When mystical experiences and strange doctrines overtake his church, one man risks all to find the truth ... a true story.