As Rick Warren moves ahead toward his global peace agenda, working with virtually anyone or any group who rallies behind him, he has moved to the forefront of evangelical leaders who are propagating the contemplative prayer movement (i.e., spiritual formation). In essence, he has become an evangelist for contemplative spirituality. For those who realize that … [Read more…]
The Foursquare Church will be presenting a conference this December that leaves little room for doubt that the denomination is saying yes to contemplative and emerging spiritualities. The NextGen Summit 07, taking place in Anaheim, California on December 29-31, will feature speakers who are evangelists for contemplative/emerging spirituality. Some of these include Rick Warren, Erwin … [Read more…]
Update on the Exponential 2007 Conference On September 16th, Lighthouse Trails issued a report titled “Bob Coy Joins Contemplative Promoters Rick Warren and John Ortberg for Conference.” On October 12th in a telephone conversation, personnel at the Crown Financial Ministries office (the major sponsor for the event) said that originally Bob Coy was scheduled to … [Read more…]
October 5, 2007 – Today, on the Oprah show, Oprah’s guest will be 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 (i.e., meditation). Her journey … [Read more…]
On September 14th, Lighthouse Trails reported that Doug Pagitt would be the featured speaker at the Baptist State Convention North Carolina Wired2Grow 2007. We have now learned that Pagitt is no longer scheduled to speak. We spoke with personnel at the BSCNC office after learning that Pagitt’s name had been removed from the conference website. … [Read more…]
“Our aim is to call students to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, and our approach to reaching this goal is increasingly unique in the educational landscape.” (Briercrest Mission Statement) Briercrest College and Seminary in Saskatchewan, Canada is a Christian institution that claims to provide “Bible based education enabling Christ-like integrity in life, thought, … [Read more…]
Over the past year, Lighthouse Trails has written articles regarding Moody Bible Institute’s move toward contemplative. Today, Moody’s public relations person, Lindsay Crystal, telephoned Lighthouse Trails and said that they were sending us an email and posting a more detailed version of that email on their website in their News section. Their online email may … [Read more…]
Lighthouse Trails has been contacted by the family of a young Christian woman who was enrolled at Moody Bible Institute, where she hoped to obtain her nearly-reached degree. This week the young woman learned that the college (and at least one of the classes she was registered for) was promoting contemplative spirituality. Upon learning this, … [Read more…]
Prairie Bible Institute, a renown Bible college in Alberta, Canada, is showing strong signs that it is going in a contemplative direction. A concerned parent contacted Lighthouse Trails and told us about a Servant (the college magazine ministry) article that quoted New Age/goddess worshipper Sue Monk Kidd. Unfortunately, this is not the only indication that … [Read more…]
This summer Interbay Covenant Church, a 65-year old traditional church, joined up with Quest Church, an emerging church in the Seattle area. Calling the merger “a miracle,” Quest pastor and founder Eugene Cho admits the churches are very different but states: [I]n the midst of that difference, what we know without a shadow of a … [Read more…]
The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding is a non-profit organization that hopes to bridge the gap between parents and kids. However, the organization is pointing parents and teens to contemplative/emergent teachings. Walt Mueller, president and founder of CPYU states: If we take the time to understand and really know kids, then we’ll be able to cross … [Read more…]
by Ray Yungen LTRP Note: This past weekend, Lighthouse Trails author Ray Yungen visited believers in the Vancouver, BC area. Ray visited the Vancouver School of Theology and its Thomas Merton reading room. The pictures on this post are from the visit. Please note the one of Merton and the Dalai Lami, who resonated with … [Read more…]
In a Christianity Today article titled, “Shape-Shifting Leadership,” featuring Dan Kimball, Mark Driscoll, and Leith Anderson, Kimball states: I’ve read Nouwen’s In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership a dozen times. It convicts me to the core about motives and the heart of leadership. But Henri was shepherding and loving a relatively few … [Read more…]
In Rick Warren’s August 1st newsletter, there is an article by Presbyterian USA minister, Lynne Baab. Her book, Fasting, is also featured in the newsletter. In the article, Baab calls fasting “an ancient spiritual discipline” and when we fast we “clear away distractions.” She says, “We need all the help we can get to keep … [Read more…]
This week’s e-newsletter by Rick Warren (Issue 321)shows further indication that the Purpose Driven movement promotes and stands by the emerging/contemplative church. As has been reported and documented many times in the past, Rick Warren is one of the major catalysts of the emerging church movement as well as the contemplative prayer movement. Some of … [Read more…]
In a Christianity Today article titled, “Shape-Shifting Leadership,” featuring Dan Kimball, Mark Driscoll, and Leith Anderson, Kimball states: I’ve read Nouwen’s In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership a dozen times. It convicts me to the core about motives and the heart of leadership. But Henri was shepherding and loving a relatively … [Read more…]
In February of 2006, Lighthouse Trails issued a report titled “Awana: Are They Heading Toward Contemplative/Emergent?” The concerns were over the organization’s connection with Willow Creek, with Awana’s interest in Spiritual Formation and with a recommended ministry list that included a number of contemplative/emergent organizations, including Youth Specialties.1 A year and a half later, Awana … [Read more…]
The Pastors Retreat Network, founded in 1997, “offers five-day retreats to pastors and pastor couples.” On the website, it states: “Scripture reading and meditation are at the heart of the experience.” According to the ministry’s Recommended Book list, this experience being offered to pastors and their wives is going to be mystical and similar to … [Read more…]
“A lot of people see Jesus as just for Christians but I keep discovering that his teachings are really about what it means to be human.” – Rob Bell, Manchester Evening News (June 15, 2007) According to a news report from Manchester Evening News (Britain), emergent leader Rob Bell is “setting out on an … [Read more…]
In a June 3rd article called “NonDual Community: The Flowering of Intersubjectivity,” posted on a pro-mysticism, pro-New Age blog, the teachings of a woman named Beatrice Bruteau are discussed. The article states: [S]he has been active in articulating her own vision of an evolutionary spirituality and ecological ethics which integrates the best of ancient … [Read more…]
by Roger Oakland (from Faith Undone) In an article titled “Christ-Followers in India Flourishing Outside the Church,” the following statement is made regarding the research of Herbert Hoefer, author of Churchless Christianity: In striking research undertaken in the mid-eighties and published in 1991, Herbert E. Hoefer found that the people of Madras City are far … [Read more…]
The Bible says we live in a “crooked and perverse” world and that as believers we are to “shine as lights in the world”(Philippians 2:15). The closer we move toward the “end of the age” (Matthew 24), the darker and more perverse the world becomes. Global peace plans, inter-faith movements, emergent spiritualities, and other carnal-induced … [Read more…]
One year ago, Lighthouse Trails contacted Focus on the Family to share concerns about their promotion of contemplative author Gary Thomas in a FOF magazine. Shortly after, we received a letter from Mr. Tim Masters of the FOF Office of the Chairman, which stated: [We] found nothing within the pages of Sacred Parenting [by Gary … [Read more…]
The origin of contemplative prayer and its spread from catholic mystics into protestant circles was recently discussed in a revealing article published by a number of media outlets: While contemplative prayer has been taught over centuries by Catholic mystics like St. Bernard, St. Teresa of Avila and Thomas Merton, its most recent revival came through … [Read more…]
The Eighth Annual First Lady Conference will take place on June 7-9 in Dallas, Texas, and attendees should be on the look out for contemplative themes. Two of the speakers, Kay Warren (wife of Rick Warren) and Priscilla Shirer, have contemplative affinities. Lois Evans, wife of Pastor Tony Evans, will be hosting the conference. 1 … [Read more…]
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: The American Family Resource Center has been closed. Please e-mail any customer service questions to CustomerService@signaturewebsites.com. Thank you for allowing us to serve you. Lighthouse Trails placed … [Read more…]
From spiritual formation to the Eucharist to a paradigm shift, this tour has it all. The presenters of the Everything Must Change Tour, scheduled for 2008, are proclaiming that a Deep Shift is taking place, and they are encouraging seekers to become a part of it. In honor of Brian McLaren’s upcoming new release, Everything … [Read more…]
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 have both been 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 … [Read more…]
Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, is wrong. Oh not about his efforts to help prisoners. His work and passion to improve conditions for prisoners and their families is commendable. Being a former Prison Fellowship volunteer, I know how valuable their work is. However, it is because of this work and the huge influence and … [Read more…]
The Missional Matrix conference is being held this weekend at the Vineyard Community Church in Shoreline Washington. George Fox University (a strong proponent of contemplative spirituality) is sponsoring the event, and speakers include Scot McKnight (author of The Real Mary; see our related article below), and Todd Hunter, North American president of the Alpha course … [Read more…]