Apprising Ministries has been reporting on the promotion of contemplative spirituality in this year's SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. In this post, WHAT KIND OF PRAYER IN SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION PRAYER EMPHASIS?, AM reveals the following:
Sounds harmless, until one takes a look at the origins of prayer stations. The Catholic Encyclopedia defines the Stations of the Cross:Suffice to say prayer isn’t the problem; it’s the type of prayer that may be the issue... If we have people leading prayer who are also practitioners of corrupt Contemplative/Centering Prayer, which is actually transcendental meditation dressed up for the Christian, they also bring with them other spurious spiritual practices. Things like icons, labyrinths and prayer stations from apostate Roman Catholicism that have no place in what Dr. Walter Martin (1928-1989) often referred to as “the historic orthodox Christian faith.”
Now let’s look at a current story about prayer in the SBC and its annual convention from the Florida Baptist Witness (FBW) where we read:
signs and symbols will be posted throughout the convention center for a prayer journey. Believers can stop and pray at each station or pray as they walk along the prayer path at the convention center. (Online source, emphasis mine )
The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make in spirit, as it were, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death, and this has become one of the most popular of Catholic devotions. It is carried out by passing from Station to Station, with certain prayers at each and devout meditation on the various incidents in turn. It is very usual, when the devotion is performed publicly, to sing a stanza of the "Stabat Mater" while passing from one Station to the next. (emphasis mine)
In the Roman Catholic sacrament of Penance, the priest may issue praying through The Stations of the Cross as an act of contrition for the confessor. This devotional aids in the forgiveness of the confessed sin.
In SOMETHING NOT RIGHT WITH SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION CROSSOVER ‘08 Apprising Ministries highlights the use of the prayer journey at upcoming SBC Annual Meeting. When the prayer elements of the SBC Annual Meeting are combined, a picture of the type of prayer emerges that includes:
- contemplative
- stations & signage
- prayer journey or walking
Are there similarities in the SBC's use of prayer stations and the Roman Catholic Stations of the Cross? In the description of The Stations of the Cross above, the elements highlighted in red relate to the prayer elements found in the SBC's annual meeting's prayer focus.
Pastor Ken Silva closes his article with this:
It’s no wonder that someone like me, whom God so graciously saved and delivered from the religious bondage of the Roman Catholic Church into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, laments that my denomination is Slowly Becoming Catholic.
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Should the SBC reject everything that the RCC affirms?
ReplyDeleteThe claim that contemplative / centering prayer is "actually transcendental meditation dressed up for the Christian" demonstrates the report has little knowledge of Christian practices other than what is found in modern, EV churches. Contemplative prayer is an ancient practice which can be found within the church, even predating the formalization of the Roman Catholic church.
ReplyDelete"The claim that contemplative / centering prayer [CCP] is "actually transcendental meditation dressed up for the Christian" demonstrates the report has little knowledge of Christian practices..."
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm afraid that it is this comment which is ignorant of the facts. Here is Thomas Keating, who has forgotten more about this so-called "prayer" than any of us will ever know. In his book "Open Mind Open Heart" Guru Keating explains to us that CCP:
"is a process of inner transformation, a conversation initiated by God and leading, if we consent, to divine union. One’s way of seeing reality changes in the process. A restructuring of consciousness takes place which empowers one to perceive, relate and respond with increasing sensitivity to the divine presence in, through, and beyond everything that exists." (4, emphasis mine)
That's the very definition of transcendental folks.
Next: "Contemplative prayer is an ancient practice which can be found within the church..." Nope, wrong again. Following is Tony Jones from his book "The Sacred Way" (SW).
By the way, Emergent Church Spiritual Director Brian McLaren, who has just released the first of 8 books in a series on supposed "ancient practices," says that Jones' SW: "is also a sturdy introduction to contemplative practices."
So Jones informs us:
“Like the Jesus Prayer, Centering Prayer grew out of the reflections and writings of the Desert Fathers. John Cassian (c.360-c.430) came from the West and made a pilgrimage to the desert to learn the ways of contemplative prayer ... Cassian was deeply influenced by his time in the desert, and he wrote his book The Conferences about his conversations with the Desert Fathers to acquaint Western Christians with their teachings. (70, emphasis mine)
This clearly shows CCP originated circa 350 and was therefore NOT a practice taught by Jesus Christ and His Apostles. So it was NOT ever a part of the invisible Church, though it is an apostate practice within the visible church.
And when the Lord raised up His Reformers to return His Church to a proper spirituality He moved upon them to reject CCP because it is not found in Scripture. It then continued on with apostate Roman Catholic mystics but has zero place in the Body of Christ.
With that impeccable logic we will have to give a thorough review of all the forms that we have in a typical evangelical service. This would be in light that much of what we do is not mentioned in scripture and wasn't done in the first century.
ReplyDelete"much of what we do is not mentioned in scripture and wasn't done in the first century."
ReplyDeleteNot such "impeccable logic" there I'm afraid because his is a non-sequitur. Much of what is being talked about in my article under discussion, e.g. prayer stations and Contemplative/Centering Prayer, is not mentioned in Scripture and wasn't done in the first century either.
Exactly, you clarified my argument through a negative. Simply because it is not mentioned as being done in the first century does not mean it is inherently wrong.
ReplyDeleteYou are misconstruing cultural forms as truth, when it is the meaning behind the form that is important.
No, I am confusing anything. My point is CSM "is not mentioned in Scripture." It comes after apostate hermits culled these techniques from pagan religions and attempted to "Christianize" them.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is why it is not of God and it is not for the Christian. Culture is irrelvant to my discussion of this spurious CSM.