“I’ve practiced centering prayer. I’ve contemplatively prayed. I’ve prayed liturgically….I’ve benefited from each, and I still do. In ways you’ll see, elements of each style are still with me.–Larry Crabb, The Papa Prayer, p.9
In following up our recent articles, “Radio Bible Class Promoting Contemplative/Emerging Philip Yancey in Easter Booklet – Implications Not Good” and “Radio Bible Class Reader Challenges Lighthouse Trails Article – RBC Not Really Going Contemplative, He Says, ” a Lighthouse Trails reader has written to us pointing out that Radio Bible Class is recommending Spiritual Formation from their home page: http://rbc.org/. And yes, it is true. On the home page, RBC Ministries (no longer calling themselves Radio Bible Class) is advertising in big bold letters “Certificate in Spiritual Direction Program Now Available!” By the way, “Spiritual Direction” means the same as “Spiritual Formation.” Well, spiritual directors (such as Larry Crabb who is being advertised here) are the folks who teach Spiritual Formation to people and help implement the Spiritual Disciplines into their lives.
If you click on the RBC home page today, February 15th, you will see this:
It’s ironic that the post underneath the announcement for Spiritual Directors is about the “Lukewarm Church.” That would almost be funny if it wasn’t so tragic.
Clearly, RBC is not hiding the fact that they are pro-contemplative/pro-spiritual formation. And, sadly, most RBC readers won’t even realize what RBC is really promoting because most of them have never heard of Lighthouse Trails and never could imagine that a once biblically-sound ministry such as Radio Bible Class would promote a mystical spirituality that has its roots in panentheism and interspirituality (which by the way negates the Gospel of Jesus Christ).
For those who are wondering what exactly Larry Crabb teaches and believes, you can read our book review on his book, The Papa Prayer – Trusted Evangelical Leaders Endorse The Papa Prayer by Larry Crabb! – which incidentally is endorsed (inside the cover of the book) by an interesting mixture of popular figures. On the one hand, you have endorsements by Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, Brennan Manning, Bob Buford, Chuck Smith Jr. and John Ortberg. And on the other hand, you have endorsements by people such as the late James Kennedy, Erwin Lutzer and the late Jerry Falwell.
You might be scratching your head right now, saying, “What in the world is going on? How can RBC and these other respected names promote a guy (actually uses him for teaching Spiritual Direction) who is admired by heavy-weight emerging church leaders. Skeptics may try to say that is just guilt by association. We say it is a downright shame.
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