Roll Over Menno

Last month, the floor of one of the largest Mennonite churches in Abbotsford, B.C. (Central Heights) caved in.

‘Angels’ prevented deaths, more injuries: concert-goer
Two remain in hospital after church floor collapse at Abbotsford concert
-Vancouver Sun

One of the concert-goers who survived a floor collapse at a Christian rock concert in Abbotsford Friday night said “God’s angels” ensured there weren’t more serious injuries and even deaths.

Bethany Blois was jumping up and down to the music of Starfield with hundreds of other young people at Central Heights church when she “felt the ground move.

“We were just jumping, and then it kind of felt like we were on a trampoline,” Blois told The Vancouver Sun in an interview outside the Mennonite church a day after dozens of people were hospitalized after a 600-square-foot area of the floor caved in….

Read it here:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=c4122bf6-63df-4060-bd12-affa6e517347&k=46105

Video:

Video of band playing minutes before floor collapsed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXPc334h5bM

After the floor collapsed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrU_uAYaBKc&feature=related

First hand account:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOqR_mlfMyk&feature=related

The Mennonite Brethren church is now facing a lawsuit:

Church sued for floor collapse
http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/news/18746159.html

In the May 2008 Mennonite Brethren Herald is a favourable review [on page 38] of a fiction book called The Shack (by William P. Young). The review concludes with this paragraph:

“Similar to writings by Tony Campolo, Brian McLaren, Donald Miller and Rob Bell, Young’s emphasis is not on afterlife, but on bringing about the kingdom of God right where we live, by obeying the New Testament commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbour as yourself.”

While it is somewhat surprisiing that the writer of this review, a retired school teacher/farmer/Mennonite, would be reading and promoting the dominionism theology of emerging church authors Campolo, McLaren, Miller and Bell, it is even more dismaying that the MB Herald would allow this book to be promoted.

The Shack, which is endorsed by Michael W. Smith and Eugene Petersen, is all about the God-head. Christians are saying it’s ‘amazing’ and ‘life changing’ because now they understand the Trinity. But is it a correct understanding? Or is it heretical doctrine?

Read the following reviews of The Shack and decide for yourself:

The Shack: Father-goddess Rising by John Lanagan
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=1065&more=1&c=1

Shaky Shack
Posted by Don Veinot
http://midwestoutreach.org/blogs/89/shaky-shack

The Shack Book by Hutleys Happenings
http://hutleyshappenings.blogspot.com/2008/01/shack-book.html

“The Shack” by William P. Young – Tim Challies Review
http://www.challies.com/archives/book-reviews/the-shack-by-william-p-young.php

Deceived by a counterfeit “Jesus”
The twisted “truths” of The Shack & A Course in Miracles -By Berit Kjos
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/08/shack.htm

Whats Wrong With The Shack Book?
http://www.squidoo.com/TheShackBook

It’s just a novel…
http://www.squidoo.com/ShackHeresy

In a 700 Club interview, William P Young talked about how we as Christians have bad theology and preconceptions about God that make us feel we can’t run to our Father when we are in pain, and so this is why he wrote this book. (This interview can be watched on youtube here.) But is the theology of William P. Young correct? His theology says that being a Jesus follower does not mean that He has come to give us the Holy Spirit to help us be like Him. Young says following Jesus is not trying to be like Him, but allowing Him to be Himself in the uniqueness of our personhood. The core question, according to Paul Young, is: is God good and is He involved?

Is this biblically sound?

Here is another youtube video; an expose on The Shack that reveals its heresy:

The Shack:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK65Jfny70Y&feature=related

Come on Mennonites! Don’t make Menno roll over in his grave!

The following article fits well with the concerns of Roll Over Menno:

Why Evangelicals are Returning to Rome
The Abandonment of Sola Scriptura as a Formal Principle
By Bob DeWaay

The February 2008 edition of Christianity Today ran a cover story about evangelicals looking to the ancient Roman Catholic Church in order to find beliefs and practices.1 What was shocking about the article was that both the author of the article and the senior managing editor of CT claim that this trip back to Rome is a good thing. Says Mark Galli the editor, “While the ancient church has captivated the evangelical imagination for some time, it hasn’t been until recently that it’s become an accepted fixture of the evangelical landscape. And this is for the good.”2 Chris Armstrong, the author of the article who promotes the trip back to the ancient church, claims that because the movement is led by such persons as “Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and living and practicing monks and nuns,” that therefore, “they are receiving good guidance on this road from wise teachers.” This he claims shows that, “Christ is guiding the process.”3

Apparently, contemporary evangelicals have forgotten that sola scriptura (scripture alone) was the formal principle of the Reformation. Teachings and practices that could not be justified from Scripture were rejected on that principle. To endorse a trip back to these practices of ancient Roman Catholicism is to reject the principle of sola scriptura being the normative authority for the beliefs and practices of the church. In this article I will explore how modern evangelicalism has compromised the principle of sola scriptura and thus paved smoothly the road back to Rome. [...]

The rest of this excellent article can be found at this link:
http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue105.htm

In a new Menno Weekly article called Author Connects Anabaptist and Emergent Movements, Brian McLaren says the following:

“There are increasing numbers of Muslim followers of Jesus and Hindu followers of Jesus, and they do not want to be identified with the Christian religion,” McLaren said.

The distinction is clear when he considers early Anabaptists.

“By refusing to be baptized as infants, they were, in a way, opting out of being affiliated with the Christian religion even if it meant they would be misunderstood and killed and persecuted,” McLaren said. “It was a sign of radical identification as followers of Jesus.”

What sort of twisted truth is this? A born again believer in Jesus that wants to remain Buddhist or Hindu? One might ask Mr. McLaren which Bible he is reading that backs up this theory. As far as the early Anabaptists were concerned, they wanted to be affiliated with true Christianity, thereby rejecting their affiliation with the false religion of Roman Catholicism.

The article also talks about a new Anabaptist movement called Submergent:

“A group of Anabaptists and Emergent leaders have formed a network called Submergent to share ideas. Congregations in several U.S. cities, as well as Perth, Australia, are calling themselves Submerged Communities.”

According to the Submergent website (http://www.submergent.org/), “the name “submergent” reflects the essence of two movements–one that is 500 years old and one that is only just emerging.”

Ancient and new? Would this have anything to do with ancient future heresies? If Brian McLaren and the emerging church have anything to do with this, it most likely does.

Brian McLaren’s “Everything Must Change Tour” will conclude his 11-city tour at Goshen College, May 9-10.

Dear Mennonites, please put your armour on and be on the look out for that which is ’submergent’ and ‘changing,’ and remember that the Bible says in Malachi 3 - “For I am the LORD, I change not”.

Recommended ROM reading:

Lessen focus on eternity, McLaren says at Willow Creek student ministries conference
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=27867&ref=BPNews-RSSFeed0418

Kindred Productions is a ministry of the Mennonite Brethren Churches in North America for both the Canadian Conference and the US Conference. One of the recommended resources for youth by Kindred Productions is Nooma by Rob Bell (see here).

Many Christian parents are very concerned about Rob Bell’s influence in church youth groups. Especially after the recent interfaith gathering this month in Seattle, Washington, called Seeds of Compassion where Rob Bell shared the stage with the Dalai Lama. His comments may be viewed at this link:

Rob Bell’s Comments at Seeds of Compassion
http://youthministries.wordpress.com/2008/04/15/rob-bells-comments-at-seeds-of-compassion/

Other Mennonite organizations that promote Rob Bell are the following:

Summer 2008 Reading Lists for Eastern Mennonite Seminary
http://www.emu.edu/seminary/courses/syllabi.htm
“Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality” by Rob Bell

Mennonite Church Canada
Resource Centre
http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/resourcecentre

There are also countless Mennonite churches who have purchased the Nooma series for their youth groups, such as Waterloo Mennonite Brethren Church, for example, in Ontario, Canada (see here).

These are only examples, as there is not enough time or space to list them all on ROM. There is no denying the fact that Rob Bell is very popular in Mennonite churches. Parents have every right to be very concerned about what their teenagers are watching and learning under the direction of their youth pastors (who seem to find it more convenient to pop in a top selling DVD than to study and teach from the Bible).

Much more information can be found about Rob Bell and his teachings on the links below:

Rob Bell, Mars Hill and Velvet Elvis—Repainting the Christian Faith
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/robbell.htm

Rob Bell’s Abstract “Elvis” - A Critique of Velvet Elvis
by Pastor Bob DeWaay,
http://www.crossroad.to/Excerpts/biblical-teaching/DeWaay/bell-elvis.htm