For many years, Lighthouse Trails has tried to warn the church about evangelical publishing houses that are releasing countless materials which promote and teach contemplative spirituality. One of the publishing companies that is at the forefront of this effort to bring the New Age/new spirituality practice of contemplative prayer into the church is InterVarsity Press which has a particular focus on young evangelicals. In light of this, our concerns have only heightened upon learning of InterVarsity’s “2030 Calling,” especially when we consider how contemplative spirituality is one of the most robust vehicles that lead young evangelicals into an anti-biblical, anti-moral, “progressive,” pro-emergent outlook.

What is Contemplative Prayer?

For those unfamiliar with the term “contemplative prayer,” it is a mystical prayer practice which uses repetition of a word or phrase to enter the “silence,” “stillness,” or so-called “sacred space” in order to, supposedly, hear the voice of God. In fact, contemplative proponents like Beth Moore say you cannot even be close to God without this inner stillness. However, as author and researcher Ray Yungen points out, it is a great deception for Christians to believe this is a safe and legitimate method of communing with God, and no where in Scripture are we admonished to do this. In actuality, though one’s intent may be to seek the Lord, practicing something that is virtually identical in method to eastern meditation practices such as Transcendental Meditation is dangerous and will get the same result as TM practitioners—and that is to reach a spiritually demonic realm. And as Yungen explains, the “fruit” of practicing contemplative prayer is interspirituality (all paths lead to God), panentheism (God is in all), and universalism (all are saved).

InterVarsity Press—A History of Promoting CP

Lighthouse Trails began tracking the contemplative propensities of InterVarsity Press (IVP) about 15 years ago.

In 2006, we examined the connection IVP had developed with the now defunct Conversations Journal (a “Forum for Authentic Transformation”). The Journal, founded by three contemplative advocates (Larry Crabb, Gary Moon, and David Benner) and promoted by many contemplative emergents such as Dallas Willard, John Ortberg, Richard Foster and Catholic mystic Basil Pennington, hoped to “transform” Christian believers into Christian mystics through contemplative prayer.

Also in 2006, we wrote an article that listed some of the books contemplative publishers had recently (at that time) published. InterVarsity’s list contained The Garden of the Soul by Keri Wyatt Kent, Sacred Companions by David Benner, Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton, Meditative Prayer by Richard Foster, and Solitude and Silence by Jan Johnson. These authors are some of the major heavyweights in the contemplative prayer (aka Spiritual Formation) movement, and IVP was right in the middle of this all-out effort to transform the church.

Over the next 14 years, Lighthouse Trails often included InterVarsity Press in articles and reports on contemplative spirituality in the church as IVP consistently continued publishing these materials. Today, Meditative Prayer by Foster and Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Barton are still on IVP’s book list. The following is from our booklet Is Your Church Doing Spiritual Formation? just to give a small snapshot of what contemplative figures in the church today teach:

[In his book] Meditative Prayer, Foster says that the purpose of meditative prayer is to create a “spiritual space” or “inner sanctuary” through “specific meditation exercises” (p.9). Foster references several mystics in the book who can point the way to these exercises: Madame Guyon, Teresa of Avila, Francis de Sales, Henri Nouwen, and Thomas Merton. Foster breaks the contemplative process down into three steps. He says:

“The first step [into meditative prayer] is sometimes called “centering down.” Others have used the term re-collection; that is, a re-collecting of ourselves until we are unified or whole. The idea is to let go of all competing distractions until we are truly centered, until we are truly present where we are.”(p.9)

Foster suggests that practicing visualization methods helps us center down. In the second step of meditation, Foster suggests that mystic Richard Rolle experienced “physical sensations” (p.17) (kundalini) during meditation which perhaps we may or may not experience as well. (p.18) Step three of meditation, Foster says, is that of “listening” to God. Once the meditative exercises have been implemented and the “spiritual ecstasy” is reached, this entered realm is where the voice of God can be heard. (p.23) However, as any New Age meditator knows, this ecstatic state is an altered state of consciousness where everything is supposed to be unified and one with God. Foster acknowledges the interspiritual attribute linked to contemplative prayer when he states: “[Jesus] showed us God’s yearning for the gathering of an all-inclusive community of loving persons.” (p.5) Foster defines more of what he means by “all-inclusive” in his book Streams of Living Water when he says this “all-inclusive community” includes everything from a “Catholic monk” to a “Baptist evangelist.” (p.12)

InterVarsity Press Today

Today, you will find that InterVarsity Press has not just continued on the contemplative publishing path, it has embraced it wholeheartedly to the nth degree. IVP books feature everything from Enneagrams to labyrinths to many forms of meditation practices, and as is the “natural” course for those practicing contemplative prayer, IVP also includes a growing number of books and authors that promote social justice and all that goes with it including Critical Race Theory.

Thus, when we read about IVP’s goal for the year 2030 (“2030 Calling”), knowing that the main target is young evangelicals, we shudder. Here is the description of “2030 Calling”:

Longing for revival, we catalyze movements that call every corner of every campus to follow Jesus [the mystical contemplative “Jesus”] For over 75 years, InterVarsity has worked to establish witnessing communities on almost 700 campuses. But did you know that of the 2,500 US college campuses (with 1,000+ students), more than half have no known campus ministry presence? God has given InterVarsity the 2030 Calling, to reach all 2,500 campuses by the year 2030. To do this, we will start ministries on new campuses, mobilize millions to pray, and partner with other ministries and churches. (source, emphasis added)

The Mystics of Tomorrow

Catholic mystic and panentheist Richard Rohr (who is praised on the IVP website) said once that one of his publishers told him his biggest audience is young evangelical men. That would suggest that the future pastors, fathers, and leaders of the “Christian church” are going to be mystical meditators! So mystic Karl Rahner was right (as Ray Yungen often pointed out) when Rahner said, “The Christian of the future will be a mystic or he will be nothing.” Did we mention that one of IVP’s authors, Ron Highfield wrote a book titled Great is the Lord: Theology for the Praise of God, Barth and [Karl] Rahner: Toward an Ecumenical Understanding of Sin and Evil, God, Freedom & Human Dignity?

In the last chapter of Ray Yungen’s book, A Time of Departing titled “The Christian of the Future,” Yungen states:

Within the evangelical world, contemplative prayer is increasingly being promoted and accepted. As a result, it is losing its esoteric aspect and is now seen by many as the wave of the future. . . .

Contemplative advocates propose that there has been something vital and important missing from the church for centuries. The insinuation is that Christians have been lacking something necessary for their spiritual vitality; but that would mean the Holy Spirit has not been fully effective for hundreds of years and only now the secret key has been found that unlocks God’s full power to know Him. These proponents believe that Christianity has been seriously crippled without this extra ingredient. This kind of thinking leads one to believe that traditional, biblical Christianity is merely a philosophy without the contemplative prayer element. Contemplatives are making a distinction between studying and meditating on the Word of God versus experiencing Him, suggesting that we cannot hear Him or really know Him simply by studying His Word or even through normal prayer—we must be contemplative to accomplish this. But the Bible makes it clear that the Word of God is living and active, and has always been that way, and it is in filling our minds with it that we come to love Him, not through a mystical practice of stopping the flow of thought (the stillness) that is never once mentioned in the Bible, except in warnings against vain repetitions. . . .

Mysticism neutralizes doctrinal differences by sacrificing the truth of Scripture for a mystical experience. Mysticism offers a common ground, and supposedly that commonality is divinity in all. But we know from Scripture “there is one God; and there is none other but he” (Mark 12:32).

In one book that is sold on IVP’s website (of which they are distributors, not the publishers) titled The Teenage Prayer Experiment Notebook by Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, it states, “Each chapter of the book introduces a prayer practice, eg using labyrinths, Lego Bible modelling, prayer beads, prayer walking.” The book also includes a chapter titled “Breathing Meditations” and one on the meditative prayer exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Jesuits).

As InterVarsity Press races to reach millions and millions of young people by 2030 with its mystical message, please do what you can to educate and equip your children and grandchildren before they pick up an IVP book or attend an IVP meeting in college and have their lives and their spirituality turned upside down.

By Bill Randles

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ( Romans 8:28)

Could there be some silver linings on this dark and cloudy day? As a Christian, I do believe there are, as long as we have the courage to see them and rejoice for them.

For instance, now that Biden has taken office, we can now let go of our faith in “civic religion,” once and for all, and return to our true religion (Christianity). I don’t blame anyone for being happy when Trump was elected. I was because I so dreaded the corrupt and ultra-leftist Clinton presidency, I felt like we had been given a reprieve by God. But I knew it was only a temporary reprieve.

Furthermore, I was one of the 75 million who voted for another four years for Trump. Like a large number of other Christians, I was happy for the direction Trump was taking the country. I have no regrets whatsoever voting for Him.

But politics can often take on a religious dimension, especially in America which has two souls (that of a Puritan or Pilgrim i.e. Plymouth and that of a self-seeking prospector i.e. Jamestown). Even the leftists made a great show of religion at Biden’s inauguration, singing “Amazing Grace” and praying to the “Collective” Faiths.

I could see this plainly in the recent events in American public life. Trump has been publicly and unfairly reviled, indeed; and the hatred for him by the “powers that be” has exposed the vicious nature of our ruling elite. I think one of Trump’s callings, if you will, was as an exposer of hearts.

The persecution of Trump and his followers is to the extent where in some people’s mind, Trump almost takes on a messianic status—despised and rejected as in Isaiah 53. Furthermore, since the election, there have been false prophecies about his eventual triumph, invoking martial law, and so forth. These predictions will continue into Biden’s reign, a kind of “Trump Redivivus” myth, like Nero’s.

Now a good many false prophets have been exposed, and I suppose that is another silver lining. But remember that Jeremiah also warned that “my people love to have it so,” meaning that false prophets only cater to the false lusts in backslidden people.

A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? (Jeremiah 5:30-31)

As we watched the pseudo religious ceremony at the inauguration by the promoters of abortion, gay marriage, and even transgenderism, we see that they had to salt their ceremony with the trappings of faith because there is still a great residue of Christianity, even on the left, in this country. It has been hollowed out, and there remain only the fumes for the most part, but America is a largely religious nation.

Let us face it, We on the right have been defeated—deeply and profoundly in the earthly realm.

How could there ever be another “fair” election when nothing was done and there was no recourse about the flagrant theft of this last one? Every institution of recourse has utterly failed to show up, and the “Capitol Assault” will be used as Hitler once employed the Reichstag Fire to annihilate any resistance to his domestic “enemies.” If the election was already “close,” what will happen when the Dems baptize eleven million illegals who know they will receive handouts from them?

We were defeated in a worldly arena. So we can now see what John told us by revelation, that “the whole world lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19).

What we wanted was good, indeed: lower taxes, relief from oppressive government, freedom of speech, and support for the sanctity of life. We should always want and stand for good, as Christians.

But I have no faith in our system; it is worldly, corrupt, and rigged against righteousness. Perhaps, another silver lining is that we have been brought to this point of defeat so that we will instead put all of our faith in a “system” that will never fail us—the Kingdom of God!

The verse comes to mind:

But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. (Hebrews 10: 32-35)

We are now moving into company with most of the saints throughout the ages. We, in the West, have been living an anomaly, having lived under a system and government which hasn’t been overtly hostile to Christianity. Slowly and steadily that has been changing, as leftists have gained power to implement anti-Christian policies. One silver lining of this new coldness could be that some will become aware of the reality of the Gospel as they see Christians keep faith even under various pressures.

Another one that could possibly occur will be that Christians who are compromised and worldly will become more serious about their faith. Apathy has been the constant bane of those of us who plead for souls to wake up to their need for God and for their souls to be saved.

I pray that backsliders, compromisers, and even pseudo converts will wake up and realize how greatly we all need the Lord and to put our trust wholly in Him. I have to admit, that is more likely to happen when things in society don’t go our way, and when the darkness encroaches on our daily lives to a greater degree than before. Being a conservative is not the same as being a Christian. I pray that this becomes more obvious to more people.

It hurts, on so many levels. But sometimes pain is really helpful, and even heals. Let’s face reality and seek the Lord as never before. The respite was only a respite; I don’t believe that “better days” are ahead. We are, instead, heading into a labor of birth situation, and as the Bible says, the end of the world is as a woman who goes into labor and brings forth a trial after labor and transition. Let us take comfort in these words of Jesus:

A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. ( John 16:21-22)

Jesus is coming; we will see Him, and our hearts will rejoice, and the world cannot take that joy from us. That is the greatest silver lining of all!

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(photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission)

We live in strange times, with changes that took place to our way of life in 2020 which we would not have thought possible at the beginning of the year. Now we are wondering what 2021 will bring. We are being told that the arrival of the new COVID-19 vaccine signals the light at the end of a dark tunnel. In November Boris Johnson said, ‘Together we can get through this winter, suppress the virus until vaccines come to our aid, and then reclaim our lives and all the things that we love.’ He implied that this would happen by Spring 2021. 

Generally we find there are two main opinions about what happened so far: 

1. The majority opinion: The lockdowns are a necessary way of the government defending the health and safety of the people from a dangerous  virus which threatens us  all. The vaccines are the only way out. 

2. The sceptical opinion: The lockdowns and the vaccines are an intrusion on personal freedom, a burden on society put in place to protect us from a disease which  99.7% people recover from. 

Whichever view you hold, almost  everyone agrees that 2020 turned out to be a most horrible year. Apart  from the fear of catching the virus and  being ill or dying, people suffered  from the lockdowns. Businesses  shut down, meetings of friends and  family restricted, people stuck at  home, isolated, bored and lonely. In  many countries people faced extreme  poverty and starvation. In developed  countries most of life, work, school,  shopping, meeting people and so on,  was done from home by computer and  the Internet. We become dependent  on machines and lose human contact,  causing many to be depressed, suicidal  or alcoholic.  

Getting back to normal by early in  2021 does not look so hopeful now. . . . Many people are skeptical or resistant to the vaccine, and we are told that it won’t be available to everyone  before the end of 2021. We face what seems like a never-ending cycle of closing down, opening up for a while,  then closing down again as the virus continues to spread. Newspaper headlines read ‘Will this nightmare ever  end?’ 

The lockdowns have not eradicated  the virus. They reduce infections and  associated deaths while they are in force, but only to shift them down the  road for a later period. We are told we must follow the science, and science  has become the great god we must all  bow down to. But not all scientists  and doctors agree with the strategy.  44,000 scientists and doctors signed  the Great Barrington Declaration . . . Click here to continue reading.

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.—Jesus (John 17:15-16)

LTRP Note: The following is posted for informational and research purposes as we strive to live in the world, but “not of the world” in these days.

Source: Biden administration, Biden transition team

Subject	Type of action	Date
Re-engage with World Health Organization	End withdrawal process	Jan. 20
Create position of COVID-19 response coordinator	Executive order	Jan. 20
Rejoin Paris climate agreement	Sign an “instrument”	Jan. 20
Revoke permit for Keystone XL pipeline, pause energy leasing in ANWR	Executive order	Jan. 20
Ask agencies to extend eviction/foreclosure moratoriums	Request	Jan. 20
Ask Education Dept. to extend student-loan pause	Request	Jan. 20
Launch an initiative to advance racial equity, end “1776 Commission”	Executive order	Jan. 20
Revoke order that aims to exclude undocumented immigrants from census	Executive order	Jan. 20
Preserve/fortify DACA, which helps “Dreamers”	Memorandum	Jan. 20
Require masks/distancing on all federal property and by federal workers	Executive order	Jan. 20
Reverse travel ban targeting primarily Muslim countries	Executive order	Jan. 20
Stop construction of border wall	Proclamation	Jan. 20
Combat discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity	Executive order	Jan. 20
Require ethics pledge for executive-branch personnel	Executive order	Jan. 20
Modernize and improve regulatory review	Memorandum	Jan. 20
End “harsh and extreme immigration enforcement”	Executive order	Jan. 20
Extend protection from deportation for Liberians in U.S.	Memorandum	Jan. 20
Revoke certain executive orders concerning federal regulation	Executive order	Jan. 20
Freeze any new or pending regulations	Memorandum	Jan. 20
Fill supply shortfalls in fight vs. COVID-19 with Defense Production Act, other measures	Executive order	Jan. 21
Increase FEMA reimbursement to states for National Guard, PPE	Memorandum	Jan. 21
Establish “COVID-19 Pandemic Testing Board,” expand testing	Executive order	Jan. 21
Bolster access to COVID-19 treatments and clinical care	Executive order	Jan. 21
Improve collection/analysis of COVID-related data	Executive order	Jan. 21
Mount vaccination campaign amid goals such as 100 million shots in 100 days	Directives	Jan. 21
Provide guidance on safely reopening schools	Executive order	Jan. 21
OSHA guidance for keeping workers safe from COVID-19	Executive order	Jan. 21
Require face masks at airports, other modes of transportation	Executive order	Jan. 21
Establish a “COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force”	Executive order	Jan. 21
Support international response to COVID-19, “restore U.S. global leadership”	Directive	Jan. 21
Ask agencies to boost food aid, improve delivery of stimulus checks	Executive order	Expected Jan. 22
Restore collective bargaining power for federal workers	Executive order	Expected Jan. 22

(photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission)