why do some seeker driven & willow creek churches support new-age prayer and yet....

[billiefan2000]

I actually know the answer to this, but felt like asking and worth having a discussion on:


why do some (if not many) willow creek association churches and seeker churches will support stuff like contemplative prayer and centering prayer



yet the wca and seeker driven folks in general want nothing to do with old fashioned prayer meetings.



I mention this cause I got a friend who somewhat is involved with a wca church here in the omaha area (where I live)

and

they can only get 5 people out of their 3500 plus members to come to old fashioned prayer meetings their have at their church almost on a weekly basis


(there is no mike bickle nonsense, just a old fashioned prayer meeting where people pray and fellowship)



can someone explain to me,

why seeker churches like the willow creek association churches among others

seem to want to be involved in new-age stuff like contemplative prayer and centering prayer,



and yet if their church has a old fashioned prayer meeting, no one in their church is intrested.

[livin_in_the_Son]

What exactly is contemplative and centered prayer? I'm not familiar with the terms.

[billiefan2000]

Using Contemplative/Centering prayer as "Christian Meditation"

should best explain it.

Centering prayer is a roman catholic practice. a lot of liberal methodist and united church of christ churches promote this practice as does many willow creek association churches.


John Ortberg and Dallas Willard and Pete Scazerro and Richard Foster are all promoters of Contemplative prayer


SWRC radio shows on the mystery of the new-age Contemplative Prayer movement and Pete Scazerro and..

and: http://swrc.com/ministry/schedule/ar...011.html#march

have info on this

[billiefan2000]

Ray Yungen on what is Contemplative Prayer and who promotes it









Dr. Ron Carlson on YOGA, CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER, & THE DOCTRINE OF DEMONS IN THE AMERICAN CHURCH

Yoga, Contemplative Prayer, & the Doctrine of Demons in the American Church

[livin_in_the_Son]

Thhanks for the link, very informative. It's not a practice I'm aware of at my church, which the senior pastor is a friend of Bill Hybels. Of course I don't know everyone there. I know that over the years certain things were stopped because of sending the wrong message (i.e. a harvest celebration around halloween, and karate classes). I know plenty of christians who go to other churches who don't see a problem with yoga or meditation, as long as Christ is the focus.

This idea has been brought up in many discussions at my home where a Wii game has a meditation game. I don't agree with any meditation, or zen stuff.

I don't understand that a church trying to reach unbelievers would do this. I can see why individuals might fall into the trap....yoga is 'just exercise' and all that because of shear ignorance, or even immaturity in their walk.

[billiefan2000]

Thhanks for the link, very informative.

It's not a practice I'm aware of at my church, which the senior pastor is a friend of Bill Hybels.

Of course I don't know everyone there. I know that over the years certain things were stopped because of sending the wrong message (i.e. a harvest celebration around halloween, and karate classes).

I know plenty of christians who go to other churches who don't see a problem with yoga or meditation, as long as Christ is the focus.

This idea has been brought up in many discussions at my home where a Wii game has a meditation game. I don't agree with any meditation, or zen stuff.

I don't understand that a church trying to reach unbelievers would do this. I can see why individuals might fall into the trap....yoga is 'just exercise' and all that because of shear ignorance, or even immaturity in their walk.

cause the seeker movement believes in the ends justifies the means mentality.

a lot of willow creek association churches have adapted this mentality of dumbing down and compromising to get results and it has been disasterous in my town and across the country.



besides the fact u got many biblical ignorant christians in willow creek association churches.

u bring up do evangelism work (i.e. giving out gospel tracts)

or prayer for un-saved friends or un-saved family members, many look at as being "weird" or not post-modern type of christian



u got some willow creek association churches that are involved with interfaith groups.

some that promote word of faith teachers and some that promote things like centering prayer and yoga.

[livin_in_the_Son]

Scary. So far my church hasn't given me pause concerning this, and the message is very in-your-face-with-no-apologies....Jesus the only way, the Bible God-breathed, etc. There are even classes concerning eschatology, etc. I'll have to do more research....

You've given me much to think and pray about. Thank you.

[billiefan2000]

Scary. So far my church hasn't given me pause concerning this, and the message is very in-your-face-with-no-apologies....Jesus the only way, the Bible God-breathed, etc. There are even classes concerning eschatology, etc. I'll have to do more research....

You've given me much to think and pray about. Thank you.

u welcome.

intresting u brought up eschatology.


that is something else the willow creek association churches (well, most anyway) avoid:

talking about bible prophecy and the end times




with the exception of 1 wca church out of the 18 in the Omaha Nebraska metro area that has talked about the rapture and prophecy a few times in last few years.


btw: at least 6 churches in the omaha area in last 2 years havd dropped the wca because of some of the stuff it was promoting.


In fact, one of those recently had a prophecy conference and is heavily talking about bible prophecy and the end times as of late.