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Dear Deb,
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The New Age Comes to the Girl Scouts of the USA
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For
nearly one hundred years, since 1912, the Girl Scouts of the USA has
existed. By 1920, over 70,000 girls had joined; and there are currently
about 3.6 million Girl Scouts and an alumnae of more than 50 million women.
The founder, Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low, believed in developing
girls "physically, mentally, and spiritually." While there have
been many wholesome and practical aspects of the Girl Scouts in the past
(teaching cooking, sewing, and outdoor skills), today the Girl Scouts has
become a place where potentially millions of girls will be introduced to
New Age spirituality. While the organization discourages the use of
Christian emphasis in its meetings, it seems to show no reluctance when it
comes to New Age spirituality.
For instance, on a 12 page brochure for their upcoming annual National
Council Session, to be held in Indianapolis in October, it states:
"Channel your inner being. Be one with your mind, body, and soul. Yoga
for everyone!" Yet, on their website it states: "Doxology is not an
appropriate Girl Scout event song, as it is easily identified as a
Christian church song."
References to Yoga can be found in Girl Scout literature and activities,
such as the Spring-Summer 2007 issue of Leader Magazine (the
official GSUSA publication) where it tells of a Charleston, W.V. GS chapter
participating in Yoga. 1 And then there is a program called Fit's Inn where
"[g]irls try sports and dance, and even learn yoga." 2 Yoga is also mentioned in a report titled "A
Report from the GIRL SCOUT RESEARCH INSTITUTE" in a favorable way (p.
29). 3 Yoga has been promoted by the GSUSA for at least five
years. In a 2003 article on the group's main website, the subheading reads Volunteering--From
Yoga to PR.4, and another article titled "Become the Best You
Can Be" encourages learning "how to meditate" and practicing
yoga. 5
While these references and promotions of Yoga are disturbing to say the
least, a recently formed partnership between GSUSA and a group called
"the Ashland Initiative"6 will take Girl Scouts to a whole new level of New Age
spirituality! The Girl Scouts will be incorporating the Ashland
Initiative's Coming Into Your Own program, saying the program's aim "is
to create a team of adult champions who will model a search for integrated
leadership that springs from a deep sense of self-knowledge." The Ashland Institute (located in Ashland, Oregon) is a
group that teaches Attunement (metaphysical energy healing) described as
"Creative Energy Practice," which "deepens" the
"connection with the Source of Life." 7
The Coming Into Your Own is a "personal development
program for women" who are going through "transition." An
opening quote in the program brochure is from lesbian poet May Sarton
(1912-1995); the program works in partnership with an organization called Dialogos, also a proponent and resource for Attunement.
A 75 page online book about the Coming Into Your Own
program reveals the New Age nature behind the program. Another partner of
the Ashland Institute is The Fetzer Institute, where a broad assortment of
mystical, New Age resources is offered. Thomas Merton, the Dalai Lama,
David Steindl-Rast, and other mystics are touted.
The Ashland Institute lists eleven resources for their participants, the
majority of which are other New Age/New Spirituality promoting groups, such
as Collective Wisdom Initiative, Co-Intelligent Institute, The Millionth
Circle (to "shift planetary consciousness" it says), and The
World Cafe.
The Girl Scouts' move to partner with the Ashland Initiative will help
create leaders within the GSUSA who will take the New Age agenda to
countless girls, and instead of just teaching girls sewing, outdoor skills,
and cooking, they will introduce them to meditation and the divinity within,
the basic message of the New Age. This is further evidence that today's
world has become a mystical New Age society; and much of this has been
accomplished by directing efforts toward children.
Related Article: The Girl Scouts New Radicalism
See other articles on Children and Meditation:
Washington Students Take Up Yoga
Focus on the Family's Adventures in Odyssey - Promoting
Contemplative?
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The
Shack's Wayne Jacobsen Resonates with Contemplative/Emerging Writers
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Lighthouse Trails has been posting
articles written by fellow researchers on The Shack. This report should be
considered supplementary to these other reports.
William Paul Young is
the official author of The Shack, but Wayne Jacobsen is one of its
editors. According to a New York Times article, Jacobsen spent
16 months helping to rewrite the first draft. This would leave the logical
conclusion that Jacobsen had some significant influence on the final
outcome of the book. And with that in mind, readers need to be aware that
Jacobsen is a proponent of emerging and contemplative books and authors.
It's an important thing to know because Christian figures are heralding the
book, helping it to remain on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Those that understand this book--its obvious and its not so obvious
messages--know that it's important to issue a warning. And the fact that
popular Christian authors like Eugene Petersen and Gayle Erwin (The
Jesus Style) endorse the book means that unsuspecting, well-intentioned
Christians will buy the book, and if they follow the advice at the end of
the book, will buy other copies of the book and give them away to friends.
On
Wayne Jacobsen's website, LifeStream, he carries a list of books he calls
"Favorite Reading," which he says have "most shaped"
his spiritual "journey."1 Of the twenty some books listed, there is a hodge
podge of both contemplative authors and emerging church authors. These
include Brennan Manning, Philip Yancey, Larry Crabb, Dallas Willard, Mike
Yaconelli, Don Miller, Jim Palmer, and Anne Lamott.
Many of our readers may not be familiar with Jim Palmer and Anne Lamott.
Palmer is the author of Divine Nobodies and is listed with Petersen
and Erwin on The Shack website as an endorser. Publisher's Weekly says Palmer is an "emerging church leader" ... that "touched
a nerve with readers who gravitate toward cutting-edge evangelical writers
like Brian McLaren and Donald Miller."2 On Palmer's blog, under his links section, he has a
link to contemplative activist Richard Rohr. Rohr's spirituality would be in the same
camp as someone like Matthew Fox (author of The Coming of the Cosmic
Christ) who believes in pantheism and panentheism. Rohr wrote the
foreword to a 2007 book called How Big is Your God? by Jesuit priest
(from India) Paul Coutinho. In Coutinho's book, he describes an
interspiritual community where people of all religions (Hinduism, Buddhism,
and Christianity) worship the same God. For Wayne Jacobsen to say that Jim
Palmer is one of the authors who "most shaped" his spiritual
"journey" is very telling.
Anne
Lamott is best known for her book, Traveling Mercies, and she
resonates with Oprah's New Age meditation author, Elizabeth Gilbert
(Lamott's endorsement of the book sits on the back cover of Eat, Pray,
Love.)
Jacobsen's
open affinity with these contemplative and emerging authors may well have
influenced the final draft of The Shack. The book refers to God as
"the ground of all being" that "dwells in, around, and
through all things--ultimately emerging as the real" (p. 112)--this is
the ripe fruit of contemplative spirituality. One can find this language
and definition of God in the writings of John Shelby Spong and Marcus Borg, and the concept overflows within the
contemplative/emerging camp. This description of God does not mean that God
upholds everything; it means that God is the essence of all that exists (in
other words, He dwells in all humans and all creation). New Age
sympathizer, Sue Monk Kidd, would agree with The Shack's definition
of God--in her book, First Light, she says God is the graffiti on
the building (p. 98), and so would John of the Cross who said God is the mountain, forest, rivers, etc. 3
The Shack's William Young also resonates with Anne Lamott. In the
back of the book in the Acknowledgements, Young says he is
"grateful" for Lamott.
Lighthouse Trails' concern is that the theology of The Shack is the Christianity of the future, a Christianity that has been defined and proclaimed by those
such as Brian McLaren, Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, and many many writers
who would share these spiritual propensities. For instance, Nouwen stated
that:
Prayer
is "soul work" because our souls are those sacred centers where
all is one, ... It is in the heart of God that we can come to the full
realization of the unity of all that is. (Bread for the Journey, Jan. 16 and Nov. 16
readings)
This
is just another way of saying what Young says in The Shack that God
is "the ground of all being" that "dwells in, around, and
through all things."
Other critiques on the Shack:
The Shack and Its New Age Leaven - God IN Everything? by Warren Smith
The twisted "truths" of The Shack & A Course
in Miracles by Berit Kjos
The Shack: Imagination, Image, and Idolatry by Larry
DeBruyn
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Bethel University New President: "Catholic Friends Taught
Me About Contemplative Prayer."
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Bethel
University in St. Paul, MN has elected a new president. James (Jay) Barnes III has
been chosen to fill the spot. Bethel University has been a proponent of
contemplative spirituality for some time. The new president may follow suit
as he states in his "Faith Journey" profile on the university
site, "My Catholic friends taught me about contemplative prayer."
Those who have researched contemplative spirituality know that the present
day contemplative prayer movement was brought to mainstream Christianity largely through Catholic contemplative monks Thomas Merton, Thomas
Keating, and Basil Pennington. If Barnes promotes this Catholic
contemplative prayer at Bethel, students will receive the spirituality of
these three men, each who believe[d] that eastern mysticism is an avenue
through which man awakens to his inner divinity. A search throughout
Bethel's website shows that many of the books being used at the school are
written by contemplatives, panentheists, universalists, etc. Some of those
include: Henri Nouwen, Anne Lamott, Marjorie Thompson (Soul Feast),
Thomas Merton, and Richard Foster.
For a list of Christian colleges, seminaries, and universities that are
going toward contemplative, click here.
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A New York Pastor Speaks Up: The Dangerous Direction of Rick
Warren
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by
Pastor Matthew Recker
Guest Writer
"The Dangerous Direction of Rick Warren"
Just before his death, Francis Schaeffer wrote The Great Evangelical
Disaster. In it he warned of mainline evangelicalism's accommodation
with theological liberalism and evolution. According to Schaeffer, the
evangelical church had become a disaster, namely, by fearing to stand on
the truth and contend for the faith! This trend continues as spiritual
peril and confusion spread throughout America and the world. Discernment
toward doctrinal error seems non-existent and the Biblical doctrine of
separation from unbelievers, false teachers, and disobedient brothers is
neither mentioned nor practiced.
It is my conviction that spiritual disaster is being currently promoted by
Rick Warren, sometimes called "America's Pastor." It is my
intention to look at God's Word in light of Warren's own words and actions
so that you can see for yourself the dangers of his pastoral direction to
thousands of others churches and pastors.
You might say, "Why is this important for us in NYC?" Well, for a
number of reasons. First, Rick Warren has influenced over 500,000 churches
with his Church Growth Conference and The Purpose Driven Church. He has
further influenced nearly every Christian home in America with The
Purpose Driven Life. His influence is now coming to New York City as he
partners with a new initiative called, "New York City Leadership Center" and is
speaking in a launching event by using his "Forty Days of
Purpose" ideology. This partnership includes mega church pastor Bill
Hybels and also a New Age promoter and sympathizer Ken Blanchard, along
with some of the most well known churches in New York City: Christian
Cultural Center, Calvary Baptist Church, and Bethel Gospel Tabernacle. It
is imperative that we consider Scriptural admonitions regarding such
cooperative efforts. I must issue a warning that the great evangelical
disaster Francis Schaeffer warned of is moving in fast forward, and I am
not going to be a part of it! I pray that you will stand firmly on the
truth as well.
Let me say that I am for unity and love, but this unity must be founded
upon doctrinal truth. Jesus Himself said, "To this end was I born, and
for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the
truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice" (John 18:37).
Jesus did not unify with the Jewish religious establishment of his day, or
with the Roman political power. Rather, they crucified Him. Jesus Himself
teaches us that His truth is paramount to any unity of man. Click here to read this entire article.
Related story on the launching of the New York City
Leadership Center
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The Shack: Imagination, Image, and Idolatry
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God
is Truth. That He is Truth distinguishes Him from idols which are false. Of
the Lord, the prophet declared, "There is none like Thee, O Lord; Thou
art great, and great is Thy name in might," and explained of those who
create idols, "But they are altogether stupid and foolish In their
discipline of delusion--their idol is wood!" The prophetic commentary
which follows then states, "Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,
And gold from Uphaz, The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a
goldsmith; Violet and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of
skilled men. But the Lord is the true God . . ." (Jeremiah 10:6-10). .
. .
But idols arise out of human imagination. Humanoids make god however they want
him/her/it to be. In the description of the declension into idolatry, the
Apostle Paul wrote, "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified
him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their
imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves
to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible
God into an image made like to corruptible man" (Romans 1:21-23a).
Imagination creates images--even idolatrous images--and the images can
either be material or mental, actual or verbal. Click here for links and to read this entire article.
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The Bride
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from More Books & Things
As
the bride anxiously awaited the arrival of her fiance, she read and re-read
the tattered love letters he had sent her. There were enough to make a
book. She had gotten to know him very well through pen and paper during
these past few months and could hardly wait for his return. She could think
of none other than her beloved and the day they would be wed. Soon he would
carry her off to the safety of his Kingdom, far from the danger of the
great dragon that stalked villagers who strayed, seeking whom he may
devour.
As she lit her lamp in the twilight, a rider on a dark horse rode up and
handed her a letter. Another one? At this hour? The rider trotted away to
deliver his sack of letters to every house in the village. Her anticipation
quickly faded as she broke the unfamiliar seal and saw the strange
handwriting. Her heart raced as she read how the author claimed to know her
beloved, but was saying things about him that she knew were not true. She
gasped at the realization that everything she knew was being cleverly
reworded . . . the agreed price of her dowry, how she had been found by her
fiance and rescued from the wicked fate at the slave market. But now their
story was being twisted on this paper she held in her trembling hands, as
even the promise of his return and the planning of their wedding banquet
were now being challenged and denied!
Hot tears rolled down flushed cheeks as the bride closed the door behind
her, sank to the hard marble floor and wept. Not for herself, because she
knew her groom. But she wept for all those who would surely believe this
well crafted new tale that was being spread with the echo of each hoof beat.
She wondered if there would be any guests prepared to come to the wedding
supper now. There had already been rumours that she, a poor adopted peasant
girl, was not worthy to be betrothed to the King, and that the people must
begin building and preparing their own kingdom before He would even think
of returning. To make things much worse, no one had sighted the sly dragon
for some time now, but she had seen tracks beside the village fence every
morning.
How many were already believing the false murmurings of peace? Would her
groom find anyone left ready to accompany them into the new Kingdom where
they would dwell in safety forever? She needed go quickly and warn the
people! They must hear the truth before it was too late! Her groom was due
to arrive any day now, her white linen dress was ready to go, her lamps
were filled with oil...but perhaps there was still time left...
Day light was fading. Suddenly she felt very tired. Sighing heavily, she
held the letter above the flame of the oil lamp. As she watched the fire
consume the lies, she was startled by a knock on her door...From More Books and Things Blog
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CNN: Brian McLaren, Advisor to Obama - Obama Seeking
Emerging Church Voters
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Obama hopes to gain support of emerging church generation
CNN
July 1, 2008
(CNN) -- Democrats have usually conceded the evangelical vote during
presidential elections, but Sen. Barack Obama is trying to change that by
mobilizing what some call the "Christian left."
As part of his outreach to evangelical voters, the presumptive Democratic
presidential nominee will tour the Eastside Community Ministry in
Zanesville, Ohio, on Tuesday and give an address on how he plans to build a
"real" partnership between faith-based organizations and the
White House if he becomes president.
Obama's outreach to evangelical voters has also included private summits
with pastors, an effort to reach out to young evangelicals and a fundraiser
with the Matthew 25 political action committee. It describes itself as a
group of moderate evangelicals, Catholics and Protestants committed to
electing the Illinois Democrat president....Brian McLaren, a former pastor
who spent 24 years in the pulpit and is now an informal adviser to the
Obama campaign, believes that a significant portion of evangelical voters
are ready to break from their traditional home in the Republican Party and
take a new leap of faith with Obama....
"I think there's a very, very sizable percentage -- I think between a
third and half -- of evangelicals, especially younger [evangelicals], who are
very open to somebody with a new vision," McLaren said. Click here to read this entire article by CNN.
Related:
Brian McLaren: Hoping Obama Will Be Our Next President
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Ray Yungen Coming to 8 Cities This Summer
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Lighthouse
Trails author, Ray Yungen, will be visiting 8 cities this August,
sharing his information about contemplative spirituality, the New Age
movement, the emerging church, and the impact these belief systems are
having on the church and our society. These seminars will all be free of
charge and are open to the public. Below are the dates and locations. If
you live near any of these cities, we hope you will get the chance to
attend one of these meetings. For updated information on Ray's itinerary
and for more information on the meetings below, visit his website at: A Time of Departing Ministries
1. Piqua, Ohio (near Dayton/Milwaukee)
Piqua Church of the Nazarene, July 27
Franklin Road Baptist Church, August 2-3
3. Johnson
County, Kansas (near Kansas City) with Warren Smith
Johnson County Calvary Chapel, August 7-9
Calvary Chapel of Clarinda, August 10 (call
for more information)
Cedarburg Cultural Center, August 16
Lake Country Bible Church, August 17
Twin City Fellowship, August 23
* Ray will be wrapping
up his August trip in Winkler, Manitoba. If you live near
there, email or call us for information if you would like
to attend one of the meetings there.
Ray will be in California during the
month of October. He will be speaking in Redding, San Diego, and other
cities. If you have a group that would like to have Ray speak, please let
us know.
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Summer/Fall 2008 Catalog
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The Summer/Fall 2008 Catalog is
now available online. We hope you will find our selection of books and DVDs
helpful and relevant.
If you are a Lighthouse Trails customer,
you will be receiving a copy of the catalog via U.S. mail in 2-3 weeks. If
you have never ordered from us before and would like to have a copy of the
catalog sent to your home, please send your name and mailing address to: catalog@lighthousetrails.com. Please
write "catalog" in the subject area of your email to us.
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Summer 2008 Book Release: Things We
Couldn't Say Has Gone to Press
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Our Upcoming Release, Things
We Couldn't Say, Has Gone to Press! Order your copy today and
receive it By August 10th.
Lighthouse Trails
Presents:
Things We
Couldn't Say by Diet Eman -
August 7, 2008
This is the true story of Diet Eman, a young Christian woman
who joined the Christian resistance movement in the Netherlands during
WWII. Together with her fiancé and other Dutch men and women,
"Group Hein" risked their lives to save the lives of Jews who
were in danger of becoming victims of Hitler's "final solution."
Things We Couldn't Say is an endearing and moving love story
that occurs in the midst of extreme danger and often unbearable
circumstances and loss. Before the war ends, Eman, her fiancé, and several
in their group are arrested and sent to concentration camps - many of them
lose their own lives.
This
story will help us remember a time in history that should not be forgotten
and will inspire us to live more courageously and stand for what is right,
doing so by the power and grace of God. Things
We Couldn't Say is a powerful illustration of II Corinthians
12:9, which states: "And he [the Lord] said unto me, My grace is
sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most
gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me."
Things We Couldn't Say
ISBN 978-0-9791315-7-8
Retail $14.95, 352 pages
August 2008
PRE-ORDER TODAY
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Publishing News
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THREE WAYS TO ORDER
DIRECTLY FROM LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS PUBLISHING:
2. Toll Free Order
Line: 866/876-3910
Quantity Discounts: 40% off retail for
orders of 10 or more copies, 50% off for international orders of 10 or more
copies
We ship both retail
and wholesale orders within 24 hours of receiving order.
BOOKSTORES AND OUTLETS
for small retail orders: Lighthouse Trails books are also available to
order from most bookstores (online and walk-in). If your local
bookstore isn't carrying one of our titles, you can ask them to order
it for you. While you may have to wait longer to receive your order,
the advantage of ordering through bookstores is that you will have no
shipping charges.
BOOKSTORES MAY ORDER DIRECTLY
FROM LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS OR FROM INGRAM OR SPRINGARBOR.
LIBRARIES MAY ORDER DIRECTLY
FROM LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS OR FROM BAKER & TAYLOR.
SAMPLE CHAPTERS OF
LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS BOOKS:
Lighthouse Trails Publishing now has
sample chapters available online for most of the books we publish. We
believe you will find each of these books to be well-written, carefully
documented, and worthwhile. Click here to read some of the chapters.
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Newsletter in Print - Coming Soon
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If
you would like to receive the Coming
from the Lighthouse newsletter in print form by mail, please
send an email to newsletters@lighthousetrails.com.
Be sure and include your mailing address in the email. We will be issuing a
printed newsletter several times a year for those who prefer that over the
email edition or for some reason need both.
Both email and printed editions
will be free.
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Book Spotlights
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Book Spotlights
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These two
important books expose the truth about contemplative spirituality,
spiritual formation, and the new age.
A Time of Departing and For Many Shall Come in My
Name |
HOLOCAUST: LEST WE FORGET
A true story that will change your life and challenge your faith ..
"Will
sweep you into 1930s Germany and back with your faith intact ... [Trapped
in Hitler's Hell] carries a stark message for today's Western Christian
... will refocus your priorities and recharge your spiritual
life."-Leo Hohmann, Read entire review at The Messianic Times Trapped in Hitler's Hell
See all books and DVDs on the
Holocaust |
The Other Side of the River by Alaskan Kevin Reeves
When mystical experiences and strange doctrines overtake his church,
one man risks all to find the truth ... a true story. Read more about this
important book, especially now in light of the Todd Bentley "revival"
in Florida. |
Find out the truth about the emerging church
and the avenues through which it is entering Christianity.
Faith Undone by Roger Oakland
Find out more about the book that tells it like it
is. |
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