by Eastern Regional Watch Ministries
As I read Dan Kimball’s book, The Emerging Church, I realized the book opened up a Pandora’s Box of concerns for what Kimball was communicating to this new generation of churches about vintage Christianity. Reading the book, I became impressed with a very disturbing sense that Kimball is attempting to take today’s youth back into an experience-based relationship with God much like the Catholic mystics have revealed to us through their writings. And now through contemplative prayer and contemplative spirituality we are to come into a deeper relationship with God. On the Internet, countless sites promote the Emerging Church experience with its myriad forms of worship and prayer-and on most of these sites Kimball’s book is heartily promoted.
When I discovered Kimball’s article on labyrinth prayer on his website (now on Christianity Today site), I was almost sickened. As a former occultist, I learned such practices many years ago and even now, I have talked with former occultists who are shocked to see a demonic practice revived within the churches in the body of Christ.
More than thirty years ago, as an occultist, I was deeply involved in mysticism and the practice of contemplative prayer. I learned this meditation technique from studying Catholic mystics who said then, and even teach now, that one does not have to believe in Jesus Christ to enter into the contemplative experience but that all roads would take us to the same destination. I went even further by becoming a disciple of Transcendental Meditation, which was identical to the Catholic contemplative prayer techniques I had already learned. Those I walked with into this
journey of mysticism experienced a much deeper spiritual realm leading many into relationships with seducing spirits rather than with God. These same techniques are encouraged by today’s new mystics and especially New Age advocates-such advocates feel encouraged to see Christians moving into this type of prayer experience. Read more….
For more information on the teachings of Dan Kimball, click here.
