Roll Over Menno

The fact page on the Goshen College website says the following:

Established in 1894 and owned by the Mennonite Church. Around 55 percent of the total student body report Mennonite or Mennonite-related backgrounds, but more than 30 different Christian denominations and several world religions are represented on our campus.

How far Goshen has come from their roots. Not only are different Christian denominations and world religions now represented at Goshen, so is the green Mother Earth religion.

Read about what went on in the Goshen church chapel May 9-10 at the Everything Must Change event with Brian McLaren, here:

How “Everything Must Change”
A Pastor Reports on Brian McLaren’s “Everything Must Change” Tour
Part 1
http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-everything-must-change.html

Here is an excerpt from this excellent eye opening report:

The conclusion of the Friday evening “session” was an amazing demonstration of this philosophy. The audience was directed to many different “sacred spaces” set up to aid them in getting in touch with themselves and “the divine”. One station was a table covered with votive candles which could be lit and meditated upon. Another held a large bowl of water where one could get in touch with the “flow” of nature and spirit, and yet another featured a bowl of dirt where one could literally touch “Mother Earth” and contemplate all the evils done to her.

How very very sad to see that Goshen has gone to Gaia, rather than to God.

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:20-25

ROM Index: GREEN

For further thought…

Now that McLaren’s “secret” agenda is not so secret anymore, it would be interesting to know if the The Canadian Conference of the Brethren in Christ, Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches and the Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada are regretting their unwise decision to allow Brian McLaren to teach 180 pastors back in 2005, as reported here.

Or if the MBBS regrets their lack of discernment in recommending Brian McLaren books in so many of their theology courses which were secretly paving the way to the green Gaia road.

Or if the Mennonite Weekly Review would still stand behind their weak-kneed miquetoast report on the compromising inclusive gospel of Brian McLaren, which can be read here.

Related:

Mennonites and Gaia (Roll Over Menno post)

Earth: The Old Story, The New Story
http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/05/earth-old-story-new-story.html
(How Emergent church leaders are re-packaging and marketing the Creation Spirituality myth to the evangelical church.)

UPDATE: Read Part 2 of the How Everything Must Change report here:

How “Everything Must Change”
Part 2: DO WE HAVE BLESSED HOPE?
OR ARE WE BLUNDERING DOPES?
http://herescope.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-everything-must-change_04.html

Why is Mennonite Church Canada selling books by Joyce Rupp? See here:
http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/resourcecentre/QuickSearch?search=joyce+rupp&Search=Search
(6 books and 1 tape)

Joyce Rupp has a degree from the Association for Transpersonal Psychology. Transpersonal psychology has to do with your “higher self.” It is the study of experiences, beliefs and practices that suggest that the sense of self can extend beyond our personal or individual reality.

Joyce Rupp can be found here on the Living Spiritual Teachers Project where it says that she is a ‘sensitive teacher of the wisdom of Sophia.’ In fact, she has written Prayers to the Feminine Wisdom, or Goddess Sophia, here.

Some of the sessions she teaches at her spirituality retreats are about growing spiritually, listening to God, igniting the fire, servant leaders, etc. She even quotes Thomas Merton. Isn’t it interesting that Joyce Rupp’s New Age spirituality sounds so much like the spiritual formation that is being brought into today’s churches through Leadership Network, Willow Creek Association, and Purpose Driven resources?

ROM Index: high

Labyrinths are found in many Christian and non-Christian settings alike these days. If you have never seen or heard of a labyrinth, you need to look no farther than some Mennonite organizations, churches and universities to find one. However, the labyrinth is not a Christian concept.

Professor Johan Malan of South Africa writes the following in an excellent article called Ancient Labyrinths are Re-emerging:

Labyrinths are of a heathen origin, but were accepted and popularised by the Roman Catholic Church with the full knowledge of their mystical application. The Lord has commanded Israel to utterly destroy all the idols and places of worship of the heathen nations (Deut. 12:2-3). No association with these practices was allowed. Modern, Protestant preachers, however, are taking the liberty to experiment with doubtful religious practises from the East, and from the deceived Roman Catholic Church. They also teach other people to do the same. Mystical (occult) practices are highly detrimental as they open the way to the “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14) to enter into people’s hearts and subconscious minds to deceive and confuse them with lies. The result of these influences is an unbiblical concept of God as well as wrong perceptions on yourself, on salvation and on other religions.

Even so, there is no end to the list of examples where labyrinths are being introduced, promoted, built, recommended and used by the Mennonites…

In 2002, the Mennonite Brethren Conference recommended the labyrinth Prayer Path Kit on their “Youth Ministry’ page. More recently, in March of 2007, the MB Conference recommended some other “helpful youth ministry links.” Not only did they list the very contemplative Youthspecialties.com, but also rejesus.co.uk, a site that promotes Celtic Spirituality, Sacred Space, and the Labyrinth.

The MB Conference advertisement for the portable labyrinth kit (for $131.99) says this:

“In a day when corn mazes are increasingly popular and diverse, there is another form of maze which helps people draw closer to God. The Prayer Path is a multimedia prayer and devotional experience. Participants physically journey through a labyrinth over the span of an hour guided by a CD with devotional narration set to worship music. Eleven stations lead participants to let go of busyness, hurts and distractions in order to further center their lives on God.”

The Eastern Mennonite Seminary seems to be quite proud of their EMS Labyrinth, calling it ‘A Prayerful Walking Space’ as they prepared the ground in Sept. 2005. Of course, the $15,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment paid for the labyrinth, which was planned by the seminary’s Spiritual Formation course faculty. See a slide show of the project here.

Mennonite Women USA encourages Mennonite women, under ‘Prayer Suggestions’ (here) to check out the Grace Cathedral labyrinth. Grace Cathedral is home of Dr. Lauren Artress who is responsible for the labyrinth revival in North America.

Goshen College, Indiana, which is rooted in Anabaptist and Mennonite tradition, may not have their own labyrinth, but they do recommend (under Prayer Resources here) an On-line Labyrinth:

“Designed for young and old alike, the labyrinth provides a mixture of rituals and visuals, of contemplative words and contemporary ambient music, of symbols and media to help guide the spiritual traveler. It’s for anyone who wants a break from surfing the surface of culture to contemplate the deeper things of life.”

Then there’s the Mennonite Church Canada that promotes the labyrinth (here):

The Prayer Path: a Christ-centered labyrinth experience
With this bucket of resources, you will create your own multi-media labyrinth for a unique guided prayer and devotional adventure. Eleven stations on the journey lead you to “let go” of the busyness, “centre” your life on God, and reach out to the world with Christ’s love. Comes with Leader’s Guide, participants’ guides, video, CD.

(They provide more labyrinth resources as well, here.)

Under ‘Spirituality’ on this RECOMMENDED READING list by the Direction Journal (supported by the US and Canadian Mennonite Brethren Conferences) is The Prayer Path: A Christ-Centered Labyrinth Experience for youth ministry.

Direction Journal also published an article called Youth Encountering God by Abram Bergen who said:

“The labyrinth is an ancient prayer practice designed to bring persons into a personal encounter with God. It is a journey of prayer with three main parts to it: (1) the inward journey—letting go of the barriers and busyness that stand between us and God; (2) the middle of the labyrinth—meeting God, centering on God, reflecting on God’s truth and love, contemplating in quietness, and (3) the outward journey—taking the message received from God and integrating it into daily life.”

Then there was the recent Anaheim 07 MB Youth Conference that a blogger who attended wrote about here:

The Prayer Labyrinth
A new feature for the national Mennonite Brethren youth conference is the prayer labyrinth (also known as a prayer path). Labyrinths were used in medieval times to help believers focus on God. The walk inward helps believers think about their own personal journey with God; the walk outward focuses on the world that Christians live in.

And if you like, there are various pictures of Mennonite labyrinths to look at, like the labyrinth at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, here:
http://www.canadianmennonite.org/vol08-2004/8-19/faithlife.html

Or the labyrinth at Laurelville Mennonite Church in Mount Pleasant PA, here:
http://www.laurelville.org/02%20Facilities/LabyrinthOutdoor.html

The list could go on, but Menno has been rolling over so much in his grave lately that it’s time he gets a rest. Whether Mennonite or not, the question is, where does it say in the Bible that Christians are to use a method like this to experience God’s presence? In fact, the Bible says just the opposite, as there is an element of mother earth, goddess worship involved in the ancient labyrinth rituals.

Some might argue that their labyrinth is ‘Christ centered’, and is set up in a way that resembles prayer stations more than a labyrinth. Here are some facts about prayer stations:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/stationsofthecross.htm

There is more information on why the labyrinth has no place in a Christian organization here:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/labyrinth.htm

ROM (Roll Over Menno) Index: High

And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. 2 Kings 17:15

Now why should all the big organizations get all the awards? There’s a little Mennonite church in Ohio that deserves an honorable mention on the ROM (Roll Over Menno) Index. Here are just a few authors that are on the pastor’s “Christian spirituality reading list” of this Ohio Mennonite Church:

HENRI NOUWEN (Catholic priest/contemplative)

LEONARD SWEET (New Age/futurist)

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON (New Age, chaneller)

PARKER PALMER (Quaker)

JOYCE RUPP (goddess Sophia worshipper)

THOMAS MERTON (New Age interspirituality)

RICHARD FOSTER (contemplative spirituality)

THOMAS KEATING (Trappist monk, contemplative, Zen, centering prayer)

M. BASIL PENNINGTON (contemplative)

AGNES SANFORD (inner healing, visualization)

THOMAS GREEN (contemplative, Jesuit spiritual director)

BRENNAN MANNING (contemplative)

DALLAS WILLARD (contemplative, spiritual formation)

PHILIP YANCEY (contemplative)

BROTHER LAWRENCE (contemplative monk)

JOHN ORTBERG (contemplative)