Roll Over Menno

NOTE: UPDATE: 12:00 pm JULY 5
DUE TO A NEW DEVELOPMENT, THIS BLOG POST IS GOING TO BE REVISED SHORTLY - ASAP.

Update 4:30 pm
THIS BLOG POST HAS BEEN UPDATED. THE ORIGINAL POST REMAINS IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM. Scroll down for the update.
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The following is from an article in Canadian Christianity by Rob Des Cotes about prayer:

The shaping power of prayer
Rob Des Cotes

“…there is a particular ’shape’ that prayer requires from us in order to travel through it. There are laws of spirit - dynamics that we must conform to if we want to enter the atmosphere of prayer. Jesus once used the metaphor of passing through the eye of a needle for those who would seek to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Not every shape is capable of passing through such a particular opening. But those who, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, continue to seek passage towards God will gradually find themselves conformed to the shape of Christ with a humility and righteousness that this particular ‘gate’ requires.

Our regular practice of prayer is the most direct sculptor of our spiritual formation. The very nature of the Divine-human relationship that it represents forces us to become smaller, more humble, more receptive in order to be rightly related to its summons.

To pray according to the Spirit, we must learn to let go of our own design preferences in favour of the demands the spiritual environment we wish to enter will inevitably place on us. As we assume the shape dictated by the Creator’s hands we will be transformed into that which conforms perfectly with what we were ultimately designed for - relationship, in form and essence, with God. Like thread that has been brought to a fine point in order to fit through the eye of a needle, prayer and the life of faith fit us more and more perfectly for heaven’s gate.”

This article may be read here:
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/christianliving/080626work.html

Is this true? Is this what the Bible teaches us about prayer? What else does Rob Des Cotes teach about prayer? If the community he directs is any indication, it is a mixture of contemplative spirituality and interfaith mysticism.

Rob Des Cotes is a spiritual director and pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Vancouver, B.C. He is a graduate of Regent College who teaches Contemplative Traditions at Trinity Western University, as well as courses on spirituality and the arts at Carey Theological College and Columbia Bible College.

He is also the director of Imago Dei, a network/ministry that is formed around the principles of spiritual direction. Imago Dei is affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren denomination of BC., as can be seen on the list of BC Conference of Mennonite Brethren churches here:
http://www.bcmb.org/qry/page.taf?id=72

Here is the puzzling part. The mission of the BC Conference of MB churches is this:

“Glorifying God by working together to build healthy churches.”

But there is a huge problem with this statement, as you will soon see. Since Imago Dei is founded on spiritual direction and community, and not on the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God, they are pointing people to error instead of the truth. For example, on Imago Dei’s ‘Spiritual Direction’ page you will find the following recommendation for those who are seeking spiritual direction but live outside of the area.

“If you live elsewhere, we would recommend Spiritual Directors International (www.sdiworld.org) as a good resource to find a qualified spiritual director in your area.”

But is SDI truly a ‘good resource’ to be recommending to Christians or even those who are searching for answers?

Last year SDI, who Imago Dei recommends, had an ‘outreach’ event in Vancouver (Richmond, B.C.) called Coming Home to the Cosmos.

This is what they sang/prayed at the Spiritual Directors International, Richmond BC 2007 outreach called “Coming Home to the Cosmos“:

Sunday’s opening prayer:

Come dance with us, O Laughing Light
Bind our broken places in your scarves of brilliant hue
Whirl us into Joy
Sing us into Sound
Speak us into Words, endless yet one

O Cosmic Fire, even as this Sacred Circle begins to slowly close,
We ask you to open our hearts.

Open our hearts one more time
To receive your gifts
To drink in your grace
To spill over in your ever-flowing love

Holy One, this has been a Welcome Home.
Open the door once more
And we shall enter in
With joy.

And this is what was taught at the 2007 SDI “Coming Home to the Cosmos” Conference (to name just a few workshops - see here for more):

Ignatian Spiritual Exercises & Environment Joseph A. Bracken, S.J.

Sufi Mystical Psychology Robert Frager, Ph.D.

Exile and Homecoming in Thomas Merton Rev. Don Grayston, Ph.D.

Canku Wakan: First Nations’ Cosmology Rev. Tim Iisstowanohpataakiiwa

The Promise of Interfaith Spiritual Direction T. Falcon, D. Mackenzie, J. Rahman

This is what the Sufi Mystical Psychology teaching looked like:

Explore two interrelated Sufi models of spiritual psychology and implications for spiritual direction. “Transformation of the self” includes work with a sheikh (or guide) remembrance, and service. “Inner evolution” looks at gifts of each soul and how to balance the energies and motivations of our seven souls. 70%, 20%, 10%. Robert Frager, PhD, Director of the Spiritual Guidance program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, USA, a sheikh or Sufi spiritual guide for over twenty years.

And here was an ad for the SDI conference (found here):

CANADA

PLACE: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

TIME: April 13-15, 2007

DESCRIPTION: Spiritual Directors International will hold its annual Conference in Vancouver, BC, CAN, April 13-15, 2007. Keynote presenter / cosmologist, Dr. Brian Swimme, will focus on the theme of “Coming Home to the Cosmos.” The conference is open to anyone interested in the ministry of Spiritual Direction including spiritual directors, students / interns, ministers, faculty, chaplains and other spiritual care providers. Fourty-four different workshops and activities will offer everything from interfaith / multicultural dialogue to First Nations Cosmology, and Ignatian Spiritual Exercises to Tibetan Singing Bowls…

This is what Spiritual Directors International called an “outreach” - directing people to a sheikh to learn Sufism (Islamic mysticism), meditating the Thomas Merton and Ignatius Loyola way, praying to the Cosmic Fire and Sacred Circle of native spirituality, and learning to use Tibetan Singing bowls? It should be obvious to any Bible believing Christian (let alone an MB affliatiated church) that SDI is an interfaith/interspiritual organization and a spiritually dangerous place to recommend to anyone for spiritual direction.

Yet this organization is a what Imago Dei considers as a good resource for spiritual direction?

Is this what the BC Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches calls “working together to build healthy churches”?

Perhaps it is time for the Mennonites in the BC MB Conference to grow some spines so they can get up from their comfy chairs of compromise and complacency and demand some accountability.

ROM: HIGH (like the pitch of a Tibetan Singing bowl)

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UPDATE:

Rob Des Cotes commented today regarding this blog post. He is correct in saying that this blog post was mostly about SDI and its interspirituality. The main issue was that the BC MB Conference would allow one of their churches to promoted SDI. The good news is that Rob Des Cotes has informed ROM that the SDI link has been completely removed from the Imago Dei website.

One of the things that needs to be cleared up is this. Rob Des Cotes stated of this blog author: “Imago Dei is not based on “inter-faith mysticism” as he falsely charges, but on “the principles of spiritual direction” as he rightly notes.”

While this blog author did not state that Imago Dei is based on inter-faith mysticism, as can be seen by rereading the original post, if one were to browse the Imago Dei website, it would be very difficult to prove that it is not based on interfaith mysticism.

Imago Dei may have removed the link to SDI (and that is wonderful), but consider the following facts:

These are some of the things you will still find at Imago Dei which were not mentioned in the original post:

-Awareness Examen of Ignatius Loyola
-Lectio Divina
-Contemplative liturgies (and/or multiple quotes, articles, prayers and excerpts) by the following contemplative mystics:

Thomas Merton (mystic, interspiritualist, see here)

Henri Nouwen (contemplative who didn’t believe Jesus was the only way, see here)

Madam Jeanne Guyon (Catholic Mystic, see here)

Julian of Norwich

Jeff Imbach (contemplative, Jesuit spirituality)

Richard Rohr (Fransciscan monk and Catholic priest, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation where he recently presented the Jesus and Buddha Awakening Seminar, see here: http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/ )

St. John of the Cross - Dark Night of the Soul (Spanish mystic who the Catholic church named a feast after, see here)

St. Teresa Avila (Spanish mystic who levitated, see here and here)

Evelyn Underhill (had occult mysticism connections)

William Barry S.J. (Jesuit priest: http://www.campioncenter.org/staff/barry.htm)

The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence (contemplative monk)

James Houston (contemplative)

Blaise Pascal

Meister Eckhart

Brother Roger of Taize

Thomas Keating (Catholic monk, father of Centering Prayer, based on Buddhis/Hindu/Catholic/Eastern meditative practices, he often shares the platform with New Ager Ken Wilber, see here)

Centering prayer by Fr. Basil Pennington (Catholic monk who teaches Eastern techniques through centering prayer)

St. Ignatius (founded the Jesuits)

The link to SDI may not be on Imago Dei anymore, but there are still links on Imago Dei to the following:

-Loyola House, a Jesuit Retreat and Training Centre (where you can click on Sacred Space and either pray with the pope or do an on-line meditation, OR sign up for their retreat next month called Mysticism of Earth: An Ignatian Ecology Retreat which looks like an earth worship primer where people learn to pray for garbage and the 15 billion year history of the universe)

-Soul Stream (contemplative/Merton/Nouwen/Jesuit, see here)

-Taize (ecumenical place in France where people go to chant and have community with the monks, see here)

I could go on but as you can see, we are no better off than before Rob Des Cotes wrote to say that Imago Dei is not based on interfaith mysticsm.

From these facts, would it be incorrect to conclude that Imago Dei is indeed based on interfaith mysticism? Even if they have removed the SDI link, are they still pointing people to error or to truth? Has this blog maligned Rob Des Cotes or Imago Dei if they are the ones who are promoting these things? Is this truly Christ centered, Biblical work? Is a public ministry and website, promoted by a public Conference of Mennonite Brethren churches website open to public examination? Do people who give money to the MB Conference have a right to ask questions and demand accountability? Has this blog “left an uneducated opinion” of the work Imago Dei is doing? Does this go against the things that Menno Simons himself renounced? Would this still make Menno roll over in his grave? The readers of this blog can make their own decisions on these issues. It would be very good to hear from them to help clear things up.

As far as the first excerpt from the Canadian Christianity article by Rob Des Cotes goes, if anyone wishes to discuss the concepts he has written, feel free to contact him. He seems like a very nice person who is open to discussion. However, the author and adminstrator of Roll Over Menno feel that the teachings of Imago Dei are contrary to what the Mennonite Brethren church should be promoting and do not wish to discuss this any further. Because this blog has a small readership, this blog post probably won’t make much of a ripple in the Mennonite puddle, but please feel free to leave your comments below.

How many post-modern Mennonites who have grown up in the MB denomination realize that the Mennonite Brethren church began because of an awakening and revival of spiritual life in the 1800’s?

(…) 2. The Beginning of the Mennonite Brethren Church. As the groups of Brethren increased and became more united, they raised objections to certain practices and inconsistencies of conduct on the part of members of the church and insisted on church discipline. Since this was not carried out as they believed that it should be done, they requested that communion service be administered to them separately. This the church elders declined to do. Thereupon a group of the Brethren met in December 1859 and held a communion service among themselves. This event soon became known and caused a great turmoil in the church. Some of the Brethren were called before the church and were asked to apologize and to promise that they would refrain from this in the future. They, however, did not concede to this, but rather justified their action and claimed Scriptural ground for the step they had taken. Thereupon six members of the Gnadenfeld church were asked to withdraw from the congregation.

On 6 January 1860, a number of the Brethren met in the village of Elisabeththal, Molotschna, and took steps to form a separate church. They drew up a written statement addressed to the elders of the church, in which they declared themselves an independent church and stated their reasons for taking this step. They also stated their intention to remain within the Mennonite brotherhood of the settlement. This document was signed by 18 men. This event is regarded as the beginning of the Mennonite Brethren Church, and the 18 men as constituting the first congregation. (…)

Please read more about this here:

Mennonite Brethren Church
http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/contents/M4639ME.html

Who are the true “brethren” in Christ? Those who deny the atonement and enter into complacency and compromise with the spirituality of this world? Or those who love Jesus and His Word enough to remain true to Him? Is it time for repentance and personal revival in the Mennonite Brethren church and seminary?

If you don’t think so, browse the following articles on this blog and read about what is making Menno Simons roll over in his grave.

See how far the Mennonite Brethren have departed from their beginnings and their faithfulness to God…

The ‘new old spirituality’ of the US Mennonite Brethren

Contemplative Mennonite Retreats

MB Herald Promoting Error

Centering Prayer and Mennonites

More Mystics in the Mennonite Seminary

MB Herald promotes book that challenges the sacrificial atonement of Christ

***Canadian MB Conference - Top Five areas of concern

***Attention Mennonite Brethren!!!

Promoted in the back pages of this month’s MB Herald (the magazine that is representative of the Canadian Mennonite Brethren churches) are several books that Mennonites are encouraged to read. Nestled in a small corner on the last page of the June/08 MB Herald (Volume 47, No. 6), one of these books is promoted with a positive little quote from an endorsement that says…”I hope this book will be widely read and used.”

The name of this book is Stricken by God?, a collection of essays from various opinions of man, all re-examining and redefining the theory of the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ. There are many authors in the book that are promoting much error, but today Roll Over Menno will focus on only one. Chapter four of the book is written by interspiritualist Marcus Borg, who thinks everything in the Bible is a metaphor, like the darkness during the crucifixion and the miracle at the wedding in Cana, for example. Among many other heretical statements, Borg has said that Jesus was probably not born in Bethlehem and that Jesus is NOT the only way.

Here’s what Marcus Borg says in ‘Stricken by God?‘, the book positively promoted in this month’s MB Herald:

Regarding the darkness that covered the land during the crucifixion:

“Nor does it help to suggest that this was a special darkness created by God…
…Rather, the darkness is metaphor…
…the darkness from noon to three o’clock is best understood as symbolism.” -Borg, p 154, Stricken by God?

About the trial of Jesus:

“there is great historical uncertainty about this scene before the high priest’s council at night on the day of the most important Jewish festival of the year…if it did happen…
(…)…The symmetry is almost too good to be factual” Borg, p 152-153, Stricken by God?

Other quotes from chapter four:

“I see the notion of substitutionary atonement as bad theology and bad history…I am inviting people who believe or think they are supposed to believe in substituionary atonement to think again, to reconsider, to see again. I think it’s bad theology because it elevates one understanding of Jesus’ death above all others and makes it normative. ..It limits God by saying God can forgive sins only if adequate payment is made.” -Borg, p 158, Stricken by God?

“The way of the cross is about discipleship, not believing in the blood of Jesus as a substitute for our own. I think it’s bad history because it presumes that Jesus’s death was part of the plan of God.”
-Borg, p 159, Stricken by God?

“Jesus’ passion got him killed…As divine necessity? No…
What killed Jesus was nothing unusual. There is no reason to think that the temple authorities were particularly wicked people. We might have enjoyed their company.” (…) “According to the gospel, Jesus did not die for the sins of the world.” (…) “…he was killed because of the sins of the world.” (…) “The domination system killed him.”
–Borg, p 161, Stricken by God?

The rest of this book is filled with many more subtle ideas that twist and contradict the Word of God and deny the blood atonement - the very gospel by which we are saved!!! Yet the editor of Stricken by God? writes that “these authors bring a variety of approaches…three common themes serve as an umbrella under which we might all gather” (page 19, SBG). Is this not from the pit of hell? A variety of approaches to the atonement? This is the kind of book being promoted in the MB Herald with a positive endorsement!?!

Lord have mercy on us all!

Menno Simons is surely rolling in his grave over this one!

ROM Index: HIGH

***This book has been endorsed on the back cover by Brian McLaren. Read about Marcus Borg and his connection with Brian McLaren HERE.

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

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