Rev. David Fruehauf
Contemplative prayer, mantras, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, the silence, sacred space, labyrinths, meditative techniques, mystical spirituality, the Cosmic Christ, centering prayer, lectio divina, Christ consciousness – new terms which reflect the mystical spirituality that has entered many churches, seminaries, Christian youth organizations and many of the books sold by Christian bookstores. Several major Christian publishers are printing books by authors advocating the new spirituality.
Not many years ago, the conservative Church was warned about the emergence of the New Age movement. By the 1990’s, most Christians forgot about the earlier ominous threat to the Church. Quietly, New Age spirituality permeated Western culture. It has now found its way into the Christian Church. In many churches, mystical meditative practices are introduced as a supplement to traditional preaching of the Word and worship. These beguiling teachings are easily found on certain televised programs of TV evangelists.
These meditative techniques were introduced as ways to draw closer to God. By faithfully learning and practicing, one could actually reach the “inner light” and eventually hear God speaking in the mind in a personal way. This beguiling invitation brings eager participants! Who wouldn’t want to draw closer to God and, after awhile, even hear Him speak directly through your mind? Some popular Christian leaders are deeply involved and have drawn many into these deceptive experiences.
But is it the Light of Christ that is seen? Is it the voice of the One True God that is heard? Are the physical sensations (some quite dramatic) felt in the physical body the work of the Holy Spirit or are these personal spiritual experiences the work of deceiving spirits?
The Church is warned: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” 1Timothy 4:1. And further, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” 1John 4:1.
Identifying spiritual lies of those outside the Church is not so difficult. But when deceptions come from within the church, especially by admired leaders, it is more difficult to discern the hidden lie or deception mixed with the Truth.
Like changing the way one prays. Instead of speaking a prayer from the heart, sit quietly in complete silence. Let your thoughts drift away. Begin to repeat a word or short phrase in your mind over and over and over again until your mind seems to empty itself of all distractions and thoughts. The conscious mind is now in an altered state. Practicing this spiritual discipline, going deeper into the altered state of consciousness, will eventually lead to the “inner light” experience and eventually to hearing a voice in the mind. The spiritual director will lead you. It may be a pastor or other leader in the church. This is “the silence” called contemplative prayer taken from ancient mysticism, first brought into the early Church by the desert fathers and practiced by Christian mystics throughout the centuries. Now, it has moved into the evangelical, mainline and Catholic church bodies.
Do you see the deception in contemplative prayer? Does scripture tell us to go into silence, let our thoughts drift away by repeating a word or phrase over and over until our consciousness is altered? Going to the state where one will see the “inner light,” hear a voice in the mind and perhaps see and hear human-like spirit beings speaking? The answer is absolutely NO! Prayer is speaking to God and the Word of God is God speaking to us. Believers read and think about God’s Word to understand the revelation He has given us about Himself and to find the instructions for living.
There is another purpose for bringing spiritual disciplines like contemplative prayer into the church. These techniques, used to contact spiritual beings, are practiced by other world religions. Some of these teachers and practitioners of mysticism in the church want to unite all religions (called interspirituality) on the common ground of mysticism for the purpose of ending all wars, bringing peace between nations and ushering in the golden age of prosperity.
Closely allied to this “second reformation” is the new church on the block, the Emerging Church. Sometimes called “The Emergent Church,” leaders of this movement wish to redefine the very fundamentals of historic, biblical Christianity. The Scriptures are not presented as the source of Truth and the norm for Christian living. Rather, spiritual truth is subjective, coming out of inner spiritual and life experiences. A contemporary leader in the Emerging Church movement describes this new wave as people wanting to know God not know about God and wanting to experience the “beyond” in the “within.” Experience is considered faith’s most fundamental activity. This new paradigm for the emerging church says that if you experience God, you will have the right teaching. Mystical practices of meditation become the “sacraments” of the new church where each one arrives at his or her own personal truth. The Bible is then understood and interpreted from one’s own viewpoint and spiritual experiences.
Doing “church” becomes an informal discussion between individuals sitting in a “coffee house” arranged setting. The “pastor” moderates and may comment occasionally. Selected sections of scripture might be discussed and interpreted by one’s own “inner light” experiences. Faith is being exercised. There are no creeds or statements of faith. Each one is on his or her own personal spiritual journey, ever changing and growing “deeper.”
Jesus Christ is the Word Incarnate, “the Word become flesh,” John 1:14, not the ideal and example of a person on a mystical journey. He came as the divine Son of God to give His life as a sacrifice, an atonement for the sins of the world. Jesus told us that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him John 14:6. He said the Word of God is Truth and that we are made Holy by believing and following what it teaches, John 17:17.
In these Last Days before Christ’s return, the Church was told that deceptions (truth mixed with lies) would come from within the Church. Search and know the Word of God. Christ has given the Holy Spirit to guide and keep us in the full Truth of the Word, John 14:26. Some may depart, but Christ promised that the “gates of Hell will not overcome His Church, Matthew 16:18.
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Note: Pastor Dave Fruehauf was ordained in The Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod and is currently listed on the AFLC roster of ordained clergy. He received the Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Seminary and the Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Minnesota. He is currently a part-time pastoral counselor in a local church.
Pastor Fruehauf will be conducting a week long morning seminar this summer during the Family Camp at the ARC in Osceola, Wisconsin.
Contact Pastor Fruehauf at dcfruehauf@msn.com
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