The Baptist General Association of Virginia partner organization, Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia is sponsoring the Woman's Silence Retreat 2009 with the theme of Celtic prayer.
According to the brochure, the goal of the retreat is for women to reconnect with God in a contemplative atmosphere.
Rev. Judy Bailey, faciliator of previous retreats says "there are times when we need to be alone so that we can connect in another way with the Spirit that both dwells within and transcends. In silence we may most effectively listen to God and to our innermost self. Without other voices to distract us we may focus our attention and understand more clearly what is there for us.”
The 2008 retreat included group exercises in centering prayer and lectio divina led by Rev. Judy Bailey and Rev. Vallerie King. The WMU-VA quarterly newsletter page 3, describe Rev. Judy Bailey as "steeped in contemplative prayer and mediation, and participates in a centering prayer group at Richmond Hill Retreat Center."
A quick visit to the Richmond Hill Retreat Center reveals "an ecumenical Christian fellowship and Residential Community ... drawn from varied denominational and racial backgrounds. Richmond Hill is open to all who are drawn by the Spirit to seek God's renewal and peace in a place of silence and support."
The Rev. Benjamin Campbell, Priest in Residence at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, had gathered a band of Christians who shared his vision that the monastery remain a place of prayer. Calling itself Richmond Hill, this eclectic group attracted clergy and laypeople from all over metropolitan Richmond.
The intent of establishment Richmond Hill Richmond Hill would be an ecumenical retreat center based on prayer, healing, hospitality and reconciliation. The center would be distinctively Christian, but would welcome people of other faiths who chose to worship there.
Worship services at Richmond Hill include:
- TAIZÉ-Taizé worship is contemplative and meditative in character, using short songs, repeated again and again in a candle lit chapel. Using just a few words, the songs express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, the hope is this reality will gradually penetrate one's whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God.
- 12-STEP HOLY COMMUNION- The order of this service centers on the Twelve Steps used in AA
- EUCHARIST FOR GENERATIONAL HEALING- This is an opportunity to invite God’s healing into your family, including the generations that have gone before and the generations that will come after you.
- SOAKING PRAYER SERVICE -Those struggling with illness have benefitted from being “soaked in prayer” over periods of time
The Virginia Baptists promotion of this "silence of the lambs" practice is leading the sheep to the slaughter.
See related articles:
Virginia Baptist Mission Board's FAITH UNDONE
The Virginia Baptist Mission Board: Heretics and Liars?
Vatican: Lectio Divina is Privileged Ecumenical Method
Virginia Baptist Mission Board Promotes Emergent Leaders
The Baptist General Association of Virginia's Time of Departing
DOES PSALM 46:10 TEACH CONTEMPLATIVE/CENTERING PRAYER?
Virginia Baptist Mission Board Is OK with Campolo's Centering Prayer Practices?
No Response From Immanuel Baptist Church Or Virginia Baptist Mission Board Regarding Campolo Visit
See more on the heretical and mystical infiltration at the BGAV & VBMB here.
Posts
This contemplative/centering prayer is the absolute same, identical thing as transcendental meditation.
ReplyDeletePracticing transcendental meditation is the same identical thing as practicing the occult.
It might 'feel' oh so good, but that "Jesus" you're connecting to when doing it is not the same "Jesus" as the one in the Bible. It's a fake. And before anyone says, 'no, no - you've got it wrong', keep in mind that the Mormons also worship a Jesus - and that Jesus is also not the one in the Bible.
Contemplative/centering prayer is New Age and it doesn't matter what 'church' it's connected to.
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteYour answer about centering prayer shows your own ignorance of the life and actions of Jesus himself
and the many biblical passages directly related to "coming apart", "pray with me awhile". And anyone who thinks that real centering prayer is a New Age, Feel good thing, also doesn't understand the depths nor breath of this type of prayer. It amazes me how many who, with little study and exposure to the scriptures, prayer, extensive study of all the faith traditions and what exactly
is centering prayer, can continue to put down, judge, make absolute statements such as this Anonymous does. It also amazes me that with the Jesus we know, love, read daily in scriptures, we all continue to need to constantly put others down, condemn them, and act exactly the opposite of a real Christian. How badly the world needs us to stop that judging and get to living the real TRUTH! Maybe more "centering" prayer on the heart of the Lord might help us all really witness and 'save" this world.
Concerning Rev. Angela Conrad Staub, PhD... her views about Contemplative/Centering prayer shows her own ignorance of the life and actions of Jesus himself and the many biblical passages directly related to "coming apart", "pray with me awhile". And anyone who doesn't think that real centering prayer comes from a New Age, Feel good thing, also doesn't understand the depths nor breadth of this type of transcendental meditation disguised as Christian prayer.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who's been in the ministry fields of Comparative Religion, counter-cult evangelism, and apologetics it amazes me how many who, with little study and exposure to the Scriptures, prayer, extensive study of all the faith traditions and what exactly Contemplative/Centering prayer is, can continue to make such bad judgments, promote it, and make absolutely unsubstantiated statements such as "Rev." Staub does.
Where did she find mandate in the Bible for a woman to be ordained to hold the office of elder? It also amazes me that with the only Jesus there is, Whom we need to know, love, read of daily in Scriptures, so many continue to need to constantly build up false prophets teaching practices of corrupt Counter-Reformation spirituality, not condemning it, and act exactly the opposite of a real Christian.
How badly the world needs Christians to be like the Bereans and start judging those who claim to teach in Christ's Name by the Bible and get to living the real TRUTH! Because the fact is the more people practice the altered states of consciousness of Contemplative/Centering" prayer the deeper into deception they will go. How the heart of the Lord aches for us to reach out to those caught up in this evil Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism that we might help them by really witnessing to them
about just how dangerous this counterfeit Christianity is to this world.
Pastor Ken Silva,
President
Apprising Ministries
http://apprising.org
Ezekiel 3:7-14
General Editor
Christian Research Network
http://christianresearchnetwork.com
2 Corinthians 11:12-15