Dear Lighthouse Trails:
Thank You for your article on Richard Rohr. I look forward to reading Ray Yungen’s book, A Time of Departing. These well-thought-out exposés on Rohr and those at the forefront of the “spiritual formation” movement have very personal relevance for me. I’m also grateful to have been introduced to Lighthouse Trails just today. Thank you, Lord!
In 2018, my spiritual journey took an unexpected turn, and I found myself in intimate fellowship with men who were teachers and practitioners of Rohr’s work. I was introduced to Brian McLaren and conversed with him personally and through e-mail. I was in fellowship with Mike Morrell (co-author with Rohr on The Divine Dance) and several other prominent leaders. Initially, I had no clue how significantly influential these individuals were in the “Emergent Church,” never even having heard of such a thing. I soon discovered I was in a prime position among the “top dogs” to learn quickly and have personal training in contemplative (centering) prayer,* the enneagram process, and other practices.
Coming from a lifelong conservative Protestant background, there were many red flags along the way. I quieted my fears and the nagging scriptural discrepancies I encountered, believing I was on a new path that would transform my broken heart in a new and living way. My 30-year marriage had dissolved in divorce a few years before, and I had wandered alone looking for a new spiritual home. I had found “believers” who accepted me and invited me to fellowship. I dove in with vigor.
After several years, I could no longer ignore the screaming evidence before me. The Scriptures were not at the heart of spiritual inquiry but simply a jumping off point into someone’s subjective dialogue, cleverly disguised as some deep mystical “secret” waiting for those of us who would abandon our limited, immature, and misguided scriptural understanding of things. We needed to disregard our primitive ideas and learn from the ones who knew better. Not only was I being directed to embrace beliefs that violated my conscience in moral matters, but the men I was in fellowship with were teaching that these compromises were the progressive unfolding of love’s acceptance. I too was accepting things into my life that were self-destructive and clearly contrary to God’s revealed standard. The “spiritual practices” left me empty and resulted in no reformation of my heart and mind into the image of Christ. It was Empty; and still brokenhearted, I got out.
These past years I have surveyed Richard Rohr’s work from a distance (his book, The Universal Christ was a big one) and listened to countless interviews and podcasts. I have been stunned at how anti-Christian his message is. And I have seen him show up in unexpected places with great disappointment.
Thank you at Lighthouse Trails for sounding a True and Clear warning. I will be maximizing your resources to help shine the light of God’s true beauty and the Majesty of our dear Savior.
T.G.
*Contemplative Spirituality: A belief system that uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states of consciousness (the silence) and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but often wrapped in Christian terminology. The premise of contemplative spirituality is interspiritual (all paths lead to God) and panentheistic (God is in all). Common terms used in this movement are “spiritual formation,” “the silence,” “the stillness,” “ancient-wisdom,” “spiritual disciplines,” “spiritual directors,” and many others.
(photo from istockphoto.com; used with permission)
I was well on my way to becoming a New Age Christian until God led me to Ray Yungen’s book, A Time of Departing. I pray someday in heaven to be able to thank him. I was reading the wrong authors, listening to the wrong teachers and slowly slipping into spiritual darkness. That book opened my eyes to the New Age mysticism that surrounded me. I have faith today as a result of Mr Yungen’ book. Thanks be to God.
Amazing what some “Christians” are attracted to. They are searching so hard, maybe with good intentions, for what they perceive is that new deeper thing. They miss/overlook/put aside the sufficiency of the Bible alone. Instead of placing themselves in God’s hands, they are sucked into perilous diversions masquerading as light. Woe to those promoting these satanic serving diversions!
Scriptures that come to mind after reading this letter are 1 Timothy 4:1 and Hebrews 4:12. So glad the author of this letter realized the deceptions and got out. Thank you Lighthouse Trails for all your work to inform and warn of the dangers of straying from God’s Word.