Roll Over Menno

Speaking of Mennonites promoting ancient practices…how about this one.

Mike Perschon, part-time associate pastor of Holyrood Mennonite Church in Edmonton, AB, Canada, has some good advice about how the church needs to go about reaching its youth and the generations to come (here). Unfortunately, he says that Bible study is not one of those ways. Instead, he recommends ancient spirituality such as deep breathing, Lectio Divina, prayer labyrinths (see here), and spiritual disciplines, mystics, drum circles, and the “thin place” (here).

In the Dec. 3rd issue of Youth Worker was an article called Disciplines, Mystics, and the Contemplative Life by Mike Perschon in which he said:

“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…”

- The Issue of other Religious Practices as Worship in the Church
(http://www.letusreason.org/current74.htm)

The promotion of these contemplative practices (the names of which Mike Perschon calls “inside language”) in church youth groups is nothing new. While it is concerning that a part time pastor has no problem teaching contemplative spirituality to youth, there is something even more disturbing that he is okay with. In an article at The Ooze called ‘A visit to “Where Faeries Live’, Mike Perschon tells about his visit to have his tarot card reading:

“Finding a place to engage the “community of faith” with Wicca was a near impossible task, but one which I was determined to succeed in. As a young teen, I was fascinated by the concept of white magic, but being that it was the early 1980’s and preceded the greater acceptance Wicca has found in the late 1990’s and early 21st century, there was little information on the subject. It remained but a curiosity even after I became a Christian in 1985. As a young adult, I believed I sensed the call of God to minister to people caught up in the New Age movement and began to research the movement, but not as Evangelical Christians classically look at things they believe to be ‘deceptions of Satan’ or simply ‘cults’. This approach assumes the utter deprivation of the people involved in the movement, and that their beliefs have no value to us. At best, Evangelical Christians will tip their hat to the fervor with which Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses seek to proselytize, going door to door. But to actually admit that there would be something we could learn from the New Age movement, or worse yet, Wicca with its witches and pentagrams, would be heretical….”

After his (very descriptive) visit to a witch where he had a Tarot card reading done and his fortune told, his time was up…

“Our time up, we said our goodbyes and I thanked her deeply for her time and the experience. On my way out I stopped to buy some Sandalwood Incense and talk with Dorothy. She indicated interest again in how my Christian community would react to me having gone to a witch for a Tarot reading. We talked at length about tolerance and openness in the area of faith, and then I left.

As I sit, contemplating events only hours old, I am at a loss for what to think. I prayed extensively before and during my visit, and believe I have a sensitivity to demonic activity, none of which I sensed. And yet, there is a part of me, the part trained in Bible School and then Seminary, to think of this as ‘of the devil.’ This part isn’t getting much of a hearing though.

I do not understand everything in the universe. I do not know how ESP or telekinesis works. I have never seen an angel, or for that matter a devil. So as a seeker of God’s face, I can only say that I believe that tonight I participated in a numinous event where I connected with something Divine and was enlarged for the experience.

As I was working on this paper, a friend I went to Bible School with in the early 90’s was on MSN chat. When I told him of my experience, he asked, “Why can’t I go to a pastor and have him be that insightful into my life?” My reply was, simply, “I guess we have some things to learn from these people.””

-A visit to “Where Faeries Live, The Ooze, September 1, 2003
(http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=621)

As Christians, the Bible is clear that we are to stay far away from the ancient practice of witchcraft. But even when given the opportunity, instead of sharing the gospel, Mike Perschon mistakenly thought he could connect and learn from these witches.

What are we to think of a part time Mennonite church youth worker/worship leader who speaks at youth camps and retreats, writes articles for Youth Specialties, meditates to change his alpha brain patterns, and visits nice friendly witches on the side to experience something Divine? What does this tell us about the discernment of Youth Specialties, the major distributor of materials to church youth leaders, who carries Mike Perschon’s articles?

Who is teaching the lambs? Could there be a better sheeps clothing costume for a wolf to wear? Meanwhile, the Mennonite Brethren Conference is promoting the Canadian Youth Worker’s Conference which is put on by Youth Specialties (see here).

Whether Menno is rolling over in his grave or not over this one is irrelevant.

Lord have mercy.

Some recommended reading pertaining to this topic might be:

“Pragmatic Evangelicalism” Has Peaked
by Orrel Steinkamp
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/orrel26.html

What is Wicca?
http://www.carm.org/wicca.htm

What Does the Bible say about Wicca?
http://www.carm.org/wicca/bible.htm

What Do Witches Believe?
http://johnankerberg.com/hp-articles/hp-believe.htm

Youth Specialties:
Promoting Mysticism and Interspirituality
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/youthspecialties.htm

Christian Colleges That Promote Contemplative
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/Colleges.htm

If you are a member of the Mennonite Brethren denomination and have no idea what is being taught to your new pastors in training, I suggest you read the new post over at December 1859. Menno is definitely rolling in his grave…

HOW MUCH OF OUR HERITAGE ARE YOU WILLING TO LOSE? The blood of all our martyrs was not spilled so that we would allow a small group of people to train us to reject The Lord for whom we have stood.

Gather ’Round Christian education materials are published by Mennonite Publishing Network and Brethren Press for Mennonite Church Canada, Mennonite Church USA, and the Church of the Brethren, and are also used by congregations in at least half a dozen other denominations.
(Gather ‘Round summer curriculum connects all ages - mennonitechurch.ca)

One of these denominations who is working in cooperation with the Mennonites is the United Church of Canada (see United Church of Canada endorses their Gather ’Round curriculum - mennonitechurch.ca)

What does this tell us about Mennonite Church Canada when its curriculum is endorsed by its newest cooperative user, the United Church of Canada, which (among other problems) also endorses and teaches New Age Practices?

For example, Ste-Genevieve United Church in Quebec has something called Healing Pathway Ministry
(http://stegennys.org/healing.html). This the description:

Christian Healing Involves The Trust That
God Works Through Dimensions Of Reality
That We Cannot Fully Understand,
To Bring Healing And Health

Symbols such as Prayer, Laying on of Hands, Touch, and Anointing with Oil are genuine instruments of healing that can open us to a power which medical science, by itself, does not possess. In practicing this healing, we are reclaiming the healing ministry Jesus taught his disciples.

HEALING PATHWAY Training has been offered at the United Church of Canada’s Naramata Centre
(http://www.naramatacentre.net/programs-healingpath.asp) in Naramata, British Columbia, and within congregations since 1993. This program has roots in - and is affiliated with - Healing Touch International, and Healing Touch techniques are similar to those used in Therapeutic Touch and adapted for this United Church program.

But is this really what Jesus taught his disciples?

The healing touch that is taught at the Naramata Centre has nothing to do with Jesus, yet HEALING PATHWAY is a program that is offered through United Church of Canada’s own training center to every United Church across Canada. It is not, as they claim, Christian healing, but just another name for New Age energy healing (therapeutic touch).

Read more about what Healing Pathway and the Naramata Center of United Church of Canada is about here.

Here is a biblical explanation of Therapeutic Touch from Ankerberg Theological Research Institute:

Therapeutic Touch

If you are ever in the hospital, you may discover your nurse asking permission to perform a treatment on you known as therapeutic touch. This is where she passes her hands along and a few inches above your body. Therapeutic touch is a form of psychic healing now practiced by at least thirty thousand nurses in America—and thousands more in other countries.

Incredibly, it is also accepted in scores of hospitals. It was developed by spiritist Dora Kunz, president of the occult Theosophical Society, and a nurse by the name of Delores Krieger. Krieger combined Dora Kunz’s occult approach with other Eastern beliefs, such as manipulating “prana” or what is thought to be “mystical life energy” within the body. Therapeutic touch thus claims to work in a very simple way by channeling psychic energies from the therapist to the patient for healing.

But despite its popularity and use in many hospitals, therapeutic touch is obviously not a scientific practice. In reality, it is an occult form of healing and should be labeled as such. For Christians, both because of the scientific facts as well as the biblical warnings found in Deuteronomy 18 against occult involvement, therapeutic touch is neither a safe nor innocent medical treatment.

-Source: Why Shouldn’t Christians Use Such New Age Holistic Health Treatments as Homeopathy and Therapeutic Touch?
http://www.ankerberg.org/ankerberg-articles/holistic-health.htm

Here is the point of the issue. If this is the spirituality within the United Church of Canada, should Mennonite Church Canada be partnering with them to teach children with their Gather ‘Round curriculum? How long will it take until this cooperative effort goes both ways, and their New Age Healing Pathways techniques are introduced into Mennonite Church Canada? Are Christians to gather ’round the table of the Lord, or the table of devils?

Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 1 Cor. 10:21

This is a red flag, to be watched.

ROM Index: on the alert

***UPDATE: THE GATHER ROUND CURRICULUM is now available at Kindred Productions, a ministry of the Mennonite Brethren churches of North America, here:
https://www.kindredproductions.com/index.cfm?pageID=13&section=37&ID=367

Mark Baker is assistant professor of mission and theology at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno, California. He is also the coauthor of a book called Recovering the Scandal of the Cross: Atonement in New Testament and Contemporary Contexts.

Mark Baker recently spoke at the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches’ annual new pastors’ credentialing and orientation event April 30 – May 2, at MBBS ACTS Seminaries in Langley, B.C., Canada.

One of Mark Baker’s many essays has been published in a controversial but not highly popular book called Stricken by God? which was endorsed by Brian McLaren, as well as a few prominent Mennonites. Mark Baker’s essay appeared in Chapter 13 of this book. In the essay (which has been reviewed and found wanting, as you can read here), Mark Baker refers to his book Recovering the Scandal of the Cross which has also been reviewed and found to be severely lacking in truth. Click on the following links to read these biblical reviews:
http://www.grebeweb.com/linden/recovering_scandal_1.html
http://www.grebeweb.com/linden/recovering_scandal_2.html
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/04/scandal-cross.htm

A blog called Words of Grace (gracewords.blogspot.com) also mentions Mark Baker’s book:

Today the attacks on the cross are widely embraced. So statements like the following (from the worst book — Proclaiming the Scandal of the Cross — I’ve read so far) are considered acceptable:

“It will not do, therefore, to characterize the atonement as God’s punishment falling on Christ…or as Christ’s appeasement or persuasion of God.”

“…ethically, this model [penal substitution] has little to offer.…In the end, a penal satisfaction presentation of the atonement can too easily lead to a situation in which we might conclude that Jesus came to save us from God.”

“…[the] penal satisfaction theory…has significant problems and does not cohere well with biblical teaching on salvation.”

The misunderstanding of the meaning of penal substitution — that through His death, Christ bore our sin, pain and death, enduring and satisfying the wrath of God in our place — is evidenced throughout the various contributors to Proclaiming the Scandal.

-Book Review: Pierced for Our transgressions
http://gracewords.blogspot.com/2008/02/book-review-pierced-for-our.html

(In contrast to Mark Baker’s worst book ever read, the blog author of Words of Grace recommends instead a biblical book on the atonement called Pierced for our Transgressions which can be found here: http://www.piercedforourtransgressions.com/)

Here is another item of concern. Mark Baker has also participated on an emergent website called Emergent Village with emerging church leader Tony Jones which can be found here:

The Friday We Call “Good” — Atonement Contest Results

http://www.emergentvillage.com/weblog/the-friday-we-call-good-atonement-contest-results
Posted Mar 21, 08:45 PM
By Mark Baker and Tony Jones

This was a “Lent contest” in which…

“we asked people send in alternate metaphors for the atonement, different from the ones we often grew up with”

Mark Baker was one of the judges of the contest which was called Atonement Metaphors.

You can listen to Mark Baker talk to Tony Jones about the atonement here:

Thinking about the Atonement
http://www.emergentvillage.com/podcast/thinking-about-atonement

This is quite a shocking to see an MB Seminary professor in the same equation with Tony Jones and the emerging church, redefining the meaning of the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Mark Baker + Tony Jones x emergent village = bad news

Read about what Tony Jones believes and teaches here:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/tonyjones.htm

Read about the emerging church here:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/emergingchurch.htm

As shocking as all this might sound if you are a first time reader here, this is nothing new. Here is an older Roll Over Menno article about Mark Baker:

Mennonite Seminary Professor Debunks the Gospel

So here we have a SEMINARY PROFESSOR who is not only RE-EXAMINING the foundation of the gospel, but teaching ANOTHER GOSPEL to future pastors. As you can see, the fruit falling from the MBBS tree is looking very bad.

How long will poor Menno need to keep rolling over in his grave? Where are the Mennonites men with spines?

ROM Index: High

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Peter 2:1

The Eighteen Men over at December 1859 have given us some clues. Have you put in your guess yet? So far, four have given it their best shot.

The question is: Who wrote that about Jesus? Click on that question and submit your guess in the comment section.
[Hint: 1) It's the author of a soon to be published MB book. 2) It's someone who teaches at MBBS.]

Can anyone guess who it is that is soon to be exposed for being a wolf in sheeps clothing at the old MB Corral?