Youth Specialties: Promoting Mysticism and Interspirituality
Youth Specialties FormerPresident: "Christianity is an eastern religion."
On Yoga:
"[Y]oga
is really just about stretching and slowing down. Sure, yoga,
I suppose, could focus on Hindi or Buddhist gods or something
- but it can also focus on Christ. We received a couple stomping-mad
complaints about the yoga at the National Pastors Convention,
saying 'putting your body in those positions invites Hindi
gods to enter your body.' I'm sorry - this just sounds like
heresy to me. If we don't believe Hindi gods actually exist,
then why are we concerned about them entering our bodies?"—A
response to the charge that YS is embracing eastern religion by Mark Oestreicher
On Eastern
Religion:
"Christianity
IS an eastern religion. It has all its roots in the East!
It's a bit baffling to me that people lose sight of this,
and insist on creating a false separation between eastern
religions and (apparently) western Christianity.—A
response to the charge that YS is embracing eastern religion by Mark Oestreicher
On Contemplative Prayer:
"If
a Buddhist is using a breathing exercise to bring some peace
to her life, well, bless her. But that should have no bearing
on whether or not I choose to focus on my God-created breath."—A
response to the charge that YS is embracing eastern religion by Mark Oestreicher
"On saying words over and over again: well that sure is taken out of context. It's not like we would suggest someone grab any word ('Tree!' 'Towel!' 'Beer!') and chant it over and over again-which is her implication. There is a wonderful spiritual practice, however, of repeating a phrase from the Bible and seeing what God reveals to you about it (or about Him, or about you). It's prayer: not a chant.—A response to the charge that YS is embracing eastern religion by Mark Oestreicher
Also
see Youth Specialties Featured Book: The Sacred Way by Tony Jones
See
the Table
of Contents:
Labyrinths, centering prayer, icons, stations of the cross, the sign of the cross,the Jesus Prayer
Youth
Specialties Recommends a book by Maggie & Duffy Robbins
.... Enjoy
the Silence. But did you know that Maggie was trained at
the pro-contemplative, pro Eastern mediation, Kairos
School of Spiritual Formation?
by Mike Perschon
An excerpt: "I built myself a prayer room—a tiny sanctuary in a basement closet filled with books on spiritual disciplines, contemplative prayer, and Christian mysticism. In that space I lit candles, burned incense, hung rosaries, and listened to tapes of Benedictine monks. I meditated for hours on words, images, and sounds. I reached the point of being able to achieve alpha brain patterns..."
in this month's issue (November 2004)— Yes they are promoting mantra-style meditation. Youth Specialties is a growing leader in discipleship training for youth workers and youth pastors. YS also sponsors the well attended National Pastor's Convention.
But did you know that Youth Specialties promotes and teaches contemplative prayer and the silence?
In the May 2003 Youth Specialties Update, they suggest their readers go to this web site - ALTERNATIVE WORSHIP.
Meditations, incantations, chants, guided fantasies, incense,
holding stones*
ANCIENT FUTURE YOUTH MINISTRY
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