May 21, 2006 Special Report
May 21, 2006 Special Report: Calvary Chapel Rejects Contemplative Spirituality and the Emerging Church!
Follow Up on Calvary Chapel Book
May 5, 2006
Many
people have been asking if the Calvary Chapel book
(When Storms Come) that had been altered (unbeknownst
to the author) will be pulled from circulation. We
spoke with Ramona Richards, the book's editor at Thomas
Nelson publishers, on Wednesday. Ms Richards told
us that as of that date no decision had been made
to pull the book. She informed us that it can be a
costly decision and had to be carefully considered.
We explained to her the dangers of contemplative spirituality,
and she agreed to read a book on this controversy,
which we have now sent to her. Ms. Richards said she
had been under the assumption that the author of the
book, Pastor Chuck Smith (founder of the Calvary Chapel
churches), had okayed the final edition of the book.
Ms. Richards was unable to tell us how many copies
of the book had been printed or were in circulation.
We also discussed with her a new book published by
Thomas Nelson called Yoga
for Christians. Ms. Richards told us that
the book, and others like it, would help to bring
practices from the "East" into the lives of Christians
as "spiritual disciplines."
Whether Pastor Smith's book is pulled from the market
or not does not change the fact that the book is well
into circulation now, having been released several
months ago. An online
bookstore describes the book like this: "From
the ability to discern spiritual warfare and how it
can affect our emotions to the realization that God
is intimately aware of everything we are going through,
these messages will restore hope and peace to the
weariest of believers." Unfortunately, these weary
believers will also be exposed to contemplative references
and favorable mention of mystics (Anthony De Mello
and Lawrence Hoffman) who teach un-biblical prayer
practices.
We prayerfully beseech Pastor Smith to rectify this
serious situation as soon as possible with a public
statement that would denounce contemplative spirituality
as a way of knowing God.
Read May 2, 2006 news article on When Storms Come.
This follow up has been issued because of the high interest and concern by many who have contacted us this week.
Sincerely,
Editors at Lighthouse Trails Publishing
Lighthouse Trails Research Project
