Sergey, First Orphan Son

What would it be like to be 14 years old and already know that you are a loser? The people who were supposed to love you and take care of you, Mom and Dad, didn’t and couldn’t. Although in this case the mom was well educated, she rejected her own family and married a man who was continually in trouble with the law. Their life together was a misery for both of them. He, after several attempts, hung himself. She out of guilt and grief became an alcoholic and eventually died. Their child became a victim of the street. Of course, this can happen to children anywhere in the world, even in affluent countries like America. But what happens to a child who is not in a country that can provide adequate social services for it’s poor and hungry? What happens to a child who has become an orphan simply because his parents were too selfish and self-centered to recognize their responsibility toward him and who had no one else who cared?

Young Sergey was one of the “unwanteds” of the world and the first young orphan boy that the Lena and husband Sergey decided to take into their family. They already had one son, Prohor (more about him in the next post), who was about the same age as Sergey. Once they determined he should be their son, Lena boldly went to the orphanage to ask permission to become his guardian. This was not a normal action for Ukrainians, even Christian Ukrainians, at this time. It was 6 years, 2004, before the government would establish a nation-wide program encouraging families and providing financial support for those who were willing to take orphans into their homes. A similar program was established for those wanting to adopt Ukrainian orphans. Lena and Sergey’s actions were prompted only from their devotion to God to do what His Word was commanding them to do, “Take care of widows and orphans.” (James 1:27)

Sergey had only been in the orphanage a few weeks, but already he had found a friend who was a model of good behavior and did well in school. Sergey, on the other hand, was and did the opposite. Sergey was sitting with his new friend when Lena came to talk with him. He thought, naturally, that she was interested in talking with his friend, not him. You see, Sergey had already determined that he was unworthy of an adult stranger’s time and conversation. He expected all adults to treat him badly. He did not expect to be called by name and when she explained that she wanted to take him home he did not believe her. He simply could not comprehend that it was true and that someone actually wanted him. She had to explain the situation to him several times before he understood.

Within a few days, the orphanage staff prepared the necessary papers and Lena and Sergey (father) became his guardians. He had an instant friendship with their one and only natural son, Prohor. But there were problems. Sergey began to reveal his secrets to them. First he confessed that he smoked and had for several years. He was addicted to nicotine and continued to smoke secretly, in the Borblick’s home, when he could. But that was not all. He was also addicted to alcohol and had a capacity to drink a great deal. He spent time every day thinking about how he would be able to get alcohol. But that was not all. Sergey had also, at his young age of 14, been introduced to sex and he liked that too. Lena and Sergey anticipated that bringing this boy into their family was going to be challenging. Now they were beginning to see the scope of that challenge.

Eventually, they also learned why Sergey had ended up in the orphanage. His parents were still living, but he was not living with them as their child. His father had left the family before he was even born, eventually committing suicide. His mother tried valiantly to raise him on her own, but she eventually turned to drugs and alcohol (she also died very young) and he was left to fend for himself. So, he made his life on the streets. He and his “street” friends made a practice of stealing and used the money they accumulated to purchase narcotics. He was also on the road to becoming addicted to drugs as well. His friends had been caught in the latest escapade, but miraculously, Sergey had escaped. In order to avoid getting turned in by his “buddies” and going to jail along with them, he went to the local orphanage and asked them to take him in. They willingly did this. Sergey already figured out that if he was in the orphanage, the staff would not want any bad publicity reflecting on them. So the chance of them turning him over to the police was very slim. Handing himself over to the orphanage was an escape for Sergey but not because he hoped to find reform there. In fact, he hoped to escape from there eventually too.

Lena and Sergey (father), after realizing who and what they had invited into their home, began to find ways to help him. They took him to church and the church members came alongside to encourage them and befriend Sergey. They began praying with him and for him as part of their family. In just a few years time, Sergey was able to finish the 9th form (equivalent to junior year of high school) at school, graduate, and enroll in the very prestigious Navy Lyceum. This school is very difficult to enter and has a very tough entrance examination. But, somehow, with the support and hope of a loving family, Sergey was successful. Through this education, he was able to graduate as a professional sailor and secure a job on a merchant ship.

Unfortunately, this was also Sergey’s spiritual decline. He began to make good money and take care of himself independently. He stopped going to church and became independent of his new parents and the government. Now, he has no close relationship with the family and is often out to sea for 6 months at a time. Lena and Sergey (father) are grieved about this. Although Sergey (son) was accepted by the family, the church, and even the youth group in the church, it was hard for him to refuse the lure of the world (no different, really, from some Christian teens in America). And, at least for now, Lena and Sergey are happy that he is not homeless, not in prison and not jobless. These would all have been Sergey’s future if the Borblicks had not been led by God to help this young boy. They feel that one day he will return to them and to his faith in God.

The Borblick Family Story - Chapter 1

I’m back!!!! And I can already see that I am going to have to make some changes in the title of my blog. Who woulda thought that I would resume writing from California rather than Kyiv??
Latest News:
After living as a missionary in Ukraine for the past 7 years, the move back has not been easy for me. Each day I spend time with the Lord asking what His Plan is for me now. I know that He has His reasons for bringing me back to live in America and that I must be patient to wait for His leading. One thing he has already shown me is that I am to resume writing here.

My first task is to bring you the story of the Borblick family. This is the foster care family that I met about six years ago when the Lord directed me to begin the new Young Adult Orphan Discipling Ministry (YAODM) in Mariupol. At that time, I was so amazed and blessed by hearing their story that I told them I wanted to help. I committed to helping their older children, who remained in the Mariupol area, to go on for higher education. YAODM has been financially supporting three of these young adults over the last 3 years in various institutes and universities in the Donesk region of Ukraine where Mariupol is located.

Now, I believe, it is time to tell you their story so that you, too, can be blessed and encouraged by a family that has done what God has asked and directed them to do. In order to take on this awesome task, He has given them spiritual discernment, the power of prayer and healing, and abiding love for children who are not biologically theirs. This is an amazing story. Because they have only one natural son and at least 13 to 16 additional children (depends on how many they will take into their home this year), this story will come in chapters. Chapter 1 is how Lena and Sergey, the mom and dad, first met and began living the vision God had given Lena as a child.

The Borblick Family Story – Chapter 1 - Lena and Sergey
Lena Borblick had pneumonia several times by the time she was 5 years old. Hers was a very complicated illness and the fifth time she was sick she almost died. From a very young age she understood dying. During this last illness, she had a clear vision of a rose colored ribbon moving, she saw the end of this ribbon and then complete darkness. Suddenly, she saw that the two ends of the ribbon were twisted together to form a rose. At this point, she returned from death back to life and she realized that she had been given another opportunity to live. No one had ever taught her about God, but somehow she knew that it was He who was giving her this second chance and she wanted to know the truth about this God.

Under the Soviet Union, Protestant churches were prohibited. Only the Russian Orthodox church was allowed to exist and under strict observance from the government. Bibles were few or non existent. The only way that Lena felt she could find the truth was by talking to people who claimed to have some spiritual truth. Usually these people were practicing some form of occult spiritism. Each time she tried to talk with one of them, she was sent away and told to never come back. Perhaps she had already been touched by God in some way and was a threat to those in the occult world.

At the age of 20, Lena was living in St. Petersburg with her sister. Both girls were beginning to live as independent young adults. She had a fiancé, an older man, and was living with him part of the time. By Soviet standards, this was a very good match for Lena. This man had an apartment in St. Petersburg and was a Captain in the department of highway police. He made a good salary and extra money from the corrupt way the government functioned. Lena told this man that she did not love him, but he loved her and wanted to marry her anyway.

In December of that year, she came to Mariupol, where her parents lived, to visit them. On New Year’s Eve, she went to a restaurant with some friends to celebrate. There, they met some very tough men who were members of a gang. Sergey, God’s choice for a husband for Lena, was also a member of this gang. Lena must have been very beautiful, because two of these men were instantly in love with her. One of them was even there with his fiancée and told her to cancel the wedding because he wanted to marry Lena, right then! But Lena was interested in Sergey and eventually they began to date. But Sergey’s buddies were jealous of this relationship and tried very hard to convince Lena that Sergey was a bad person. One of the tricks they tried was to hire prostitutes to hang on Sergey and kiss him when Lena was around. Sergey was oblivious that his “friends” were doing the hiring and why they were doing it. But, the Lord’s plan prevailed and soon, they were married. The year was 1985.

After Lena and Sergey were married, someone gave her mother a small New Testament. Her mother gave the small book to Lena. But she did not begin reading it right away. Lena had been working with another woman by the name of Vallya, who knew of her interest in finding the truth about God. She told her about a woman with great wisdom and wanted Lena to meet her. Lena said that she would like to talk to this woman and went to see her. She told this woman, up front, what had happened to her in the past when she would try to seek information on spiritual things. This woman said that Lena is spiritually gifted and that all those spiritual mentors were afraid of rivalry and competition from her. She told Lena that if she really wanted and needed spiritual advice she should come and ask her questions any time. Lena was very glad she finally had a mentor who was willing to help her learn about God.

About the same time, however, Lena began to read her small New Testament and another full size Bible that she had been given. In her reading of the Old Testament, Lena discovered what God says about mediums and spiritists. She was shocked and wanted very much to share this with this woman who had agreed to be her mentor. The woman often had people come to see her and they paid money for her wisdom and insight. But Lena was certain that this woman was just ignorant of the truth that Lena had found in her Bible. So, she rushed over to tell her what she had read about how God was seeing what she was doing. When she came into the woman’s home, there was already someone there. But Lena rushed in anyway and began to share what she had learned. One look at the woman’s face was all that Lena needed. She saw her face covered with large red pimples. The woman was unable to utter a word. At that point, Lena realized just how powerful was this tiny black book that it would cause this wise woman to become completely mute. She decided to believe the book and stopped visiting the woman.

Lena and her friend Vallya, began attending a local charismatic church. But this church was noisy and it was not a positive experience. So, in 1992, they began attending the Renewal Church in Mariupol. Renewal had a pastor who had come to know Christ at an early age, even though he also was a child of the Soviet Union. Pastor Yuri’s mom was a KGB agent. One day, in her apartment building, she heard a man crying and grieving outside in the corridor. She opened her door to see what was going on and saw the man loudly crying out to God and going into his apartment. She followed him and saw him get down on his knees and pray. As a loyal agent, she had every reason to report this man to her superiors. Instead, she went back into her own apartment and got down on her own knees and called out to God asking for the same peace and comfort she had seen in the face of this man. God answered her. She immediately tore up her KGB card, began seeking God and teaching her children to do the same even though these actions had dire consequences for her entire family. This pastor understood what Vallya and Lena were yearning to know. Soon both Lena and Vallya had repented and received Jesus into their hearts.

When Sergey saw Lena reading her Bible regularly and attending church, he was jealous. Sergey, although he was not a Christian, did believe in the existence of God. Lena encouraged Sergey to begin reading the Bible. She also gave him a book by Derek Prince, Cursing and Blessing, and asked him to read just the introduction. So, after several requests, Sergey finally agreed. But Sergey did not stop with the introduction; he spent all night reading, meditating and praying. He came to her in the morning a changed man. He saw that this book was talking about his own life. He repented and received Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Sergey had been the brains of the gang he was in and was responsible for working out the schemes and plans for how and what they were going to steal. They specialized in non-ferrous metals and sold them on the black market. Sergey saw that he needed to stop his gang membership and the illegal business that they were in. But, the gang had a different idea. They wanted Sergey to pay a large sum of money so that they would leave him alone. Sergey did not have that much money. So, the gang proceeded to take everything that Sergey and Lena had including their money, their house, their car, their furniture and their clothing. Everything!!

By this time, Sergey and Lena already had a young baby boy. So, they moved into an old army barracks that had rats running through it, no running water, no indoor plumbing at all and was falling apart. Because of who they were as people, Lena and Sergey began to clean the place up and make changes to the environment. Lena prayed regularly and others who were living there saw that she was different from most people they had known. The people there came to love Lena and Sergey because he worked hard to clean it up and she planted flowers, vegetables and trees. Together they made it into a lovely place.

Sergey was now listening to God. He believed that God was telling them to go to their old house and begin praying outside the front gate. They were both somewhat afraid, but they were obedient. They stood outside the front gate crying and praying and calling out to God. Within the next few days, one of the gang members approached Sergey at his new work. He was afraid that the gang wanted something more from him. But instead, they asked Sergey if he wanted to move back into the house they had taken from him. It seems that the boss of the gang had decided to leave the gang too, but only because he had other plans. The gang was angry with him and wanted to get revenge. He had made some renovations to the house and was still living there with his wife and children. The gang members showed up at Sergey and Lena’s barracks home with a truck. They loaded all their stuff into the truck and drove them to the old house.

They went inside and grabbed the boss, put him in a car and drove away with him. Sergey with Lena, went inside and there was a huge dog who bared his fangs at Sergey. Sergey simply said “don’t” to the dog and the dog obeyed him. At the same moment, Sergey noticed the documents (ownership papers) to the house lying on a table. He picked them up and saw that his name had never been removed as the official owner of the house. As Sergey was looking at the documents, the boss’ wife appeared and started screaming at both of them, threatening to have them thrown out of the house.

Sergey noticed that in her hand were the keys to the house and the front gate. As he watched, the keys magically flew from her hand and landed at his feet. He bent over, picked them up and said, “thanks.” At that point, the wife, in a rage, took some of her things and left the house. Neither she nor her husband ever came back. The boss was arrested by the police, but set free after just a few days.

Lena, from childhood, had a dream to have a big house with many stray dogs and cats that had no home. As an older child, she realized that this was a foolish dream and changed it to want to help the elderly. She saw one older woman begging on the street and felt moved to help her. But then, she saw this same elderly woman screaming at her husband and realized that maybe this, too, was a foolish dream. It was then, that her dream changed to become a home for orphan children. As a child she remembers praying to God about this but then forgot about this dream when she became an adult.

Some years later, Lena saw some orphan children at the Renewal Church, which was reaching out to orphans at this point, and remembered her dream. Sergey was very opposed to even a second natural child of their own. He had already told Lena that he would not stay with her if she insisted on another child. One day in 1998, they were at the home of some church members who had opened their home to some orphans from the government orphanage. The administrators of the orphanage allowed these children to visit them on Sunday afternoons for Bible study at their home. Lena and Sergey were there to help with some remodeling that was being done to the house. Lena noticed a new boy that afternoon by the name of Sergey and found that she loved this boy as if he were her own son. The woman of the house came to Lena and started giving her information about this boy and Lena had not even asked for it; such as his age, why he was in the orphanage, where his family members were, etc. Lena found herself praying about this boy and asking for an opportunity to point him out to her husband Sergey.

Unbeknownst to Lena, Sergey was also having some feelings towards this boy. Lena very timidly approached Sergey and asked him if he had noticed young Sergey who was new there that day. Sergey, unexpectedly said to her, “He is our son, take him.” She could not believe her ears and asked him several times what he meant by what he had said. Sergey finally yelled at her and then she knew he really meant it. Later that night, Lena and Sergey were on their way home, having finished working in the home where they had seen the orphan boy. She talked to him about all the reasons why this would be a bad idea to take this young boy into their home. She wanted to show Sergey how difficult it would be. But, Sergey was already convinced that it was right. At the very moment that both of them came to a clear decision to take the boy into their home, Lena was shoved to the ground by an invisible person or force. She was injured in her back and her ankle. Crying and still sitting on the ground, Lena was proclaiming that she would still go to church, would still believe in Jesus regardless of what evil force was trying to dissuade her.

Sergey and Lena talked all night. The next day they went to church and talked to Pastor Yuri about it. He was very negative because they were new Christians and Sergey had come from a criminal background. Yuri told him that he was the wrong person to be caring for an orphan. But before they left Sergey asked Pastor Yuri, “Is it right to adopt orphans?” Yuri answered, “Yes.” That was all they needed to go ahead with their plans and start the paperwork. This decision to bring orphans into their home and treat them as part of their family was unprecedented in Ukraine in 1998 for the most part. The government supported children in orphanages, not in private homes. But in 2004, six years after Sergey and Lena began their “family type living” for orphans, the government was proposing and funding the very same plan.

Retreat Results and Fallout

Well, I'm getting even slower at this blog posting stuff. It is only when I am writing my monthly prayer letter (also getting slower), that I take time to post to the blog, too. I have written these posts on my personal experience with contemplative prayer to emphasize how it is creeping into many Christian arenas (even on the mission field) and that most people (Christians!! Believers!! Good people!!) are oblivious to the error/danger and are antagonistic when it is pointed out. How sad for God's servants, who believe they are being true to Him and His Word when, in fact, they are being totally and fully deceived.

"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." 1Timothy 4:1

UPDATE: Speaking of the retreat, here is the latest. It happened. Was it as bad as I had hoped it would NOT be? Yes, and worse. And even though the retreat is now over, the fallout is not. The two ladies from America came, the committee met them over lunch and all seemed to be united and friendly. Those of us who had reviewed the outline from the "guest" speaker (as opposed to the "invited" speaker) were very careful not to re-raise any of our concerns. We had been reassured that the "guest" would only present an OPTIONAL seminar on Saturday afternoon. We could choose to not attend.


DURING SESSIONS: But that is not what happened. Beginning with Friday night, our "invited" speaker gave her presentation and then invited the "guest" to the stage to close the evening. The "guest" then proceeded to do an exercise with us that was not fully contemplative prayer, but more of a combination of psychological introspection, centering and then applying this introspection to a Scripture verse. Unfortunately, from my perspective, the Scripture was taken completely out of context and the application was focused on the individual and not on God. I was so disappointed. My friend Marianna felt "ambushed". Each time the "invited" speaker came to the stage (4 times in the course of the weekend) she would invite the "guest" to close the session. Each time an exercise was suggested using these same techniques. On Sunday, communion was offered to close our retreat. But by that time, I was feeling so angry about what was being forced upon everyone who was in attendance that I knew I could not, in good conscience before God, take communion. So, I left the room.


DURING WORKSHOP: I also attended the OPTIONAL workshop, because I wanted first hand information of what would take place. And, again, I was sorely disappointed. The "guest" speaker began with her own personal testimony about the emotional and physical difficulties that had beset she, her husband and her children and that finally led her to a "silent" retreat with the "invited" speaker and 4 other friends. This is where she learned how to "sit in silence" before God and what she wanted us, in turn, to learn from her. She also ended this workshop with an exercise to teach us how to do it. It was exactly what I had feared it would be.


EVALUATIONS: That was still not the end of it. One of the things our retreat committee always does is ask each woman to complete an evaluation of the facilities, schedule, food, speaker and workshops for the purpose of improving the retreat for future years. Out of almost 100 attendees, 80 handed in an evaluation. Of those 80, 20 had negative comments about the "guest" speaker and/or "invited" speaker. Some of them were signed, including one by my friend Marianna. Her daughter complied a summary of all 80 evaluations and sent it out to the entire committee within a day or so after the retreat ended. We believed that if the committee had this "controversial" information in advance of our debrief meeting, which would take place in a week or so, that they would be more prepared to have an open discussion. We did not believe that they would necessarily change their minds and agree with us regarding the content of the teaching, but we, at least, hoped for some honest dialogue.


DEBRIEFING: Not to be. At the debrief meeting, 10 days later, everything about location, food, logistics, music, etc. were discussed for 2 1/2 hours. But when we got to the speaker, the workshops and the evaluations, the leader of our committee said, "Well, that's in the past, it is done!" End of discussion!! End of meeting!! We were dumbfounded. One of our fellow dissenters tried in a very non-confrontational way to say that she thought further discussion was needed. No one, including those of us who were dumbfounded, said anything. I felt that it was already late and that if I said anything to take it further, I would be immediately shut down. It was very clear that the rest of the committee who had said "just trust us" was now unwilling to revisit any of the controversy. To be as fair as possible, one member of the committee who was unable to attend the debriefing, did approach Marianna at the retreat to express her regrets as to what had taken place in the teaching and to voice her thoughts that maybe Marianna's position on this topic was correct. She, at least, said she was willing to look at the issue and ask God about it.


BLOGGING: As a result of our dumbfounding, my friend Marianna wrote in her blog the next day that she felt ambushed by what had happened at the retreat, then completely ignored and unheard at the debriefing. Again, she stated that she does not feel that people should agree with her position about the teaching, but that she has a real issue with 1) how the promise of JUST an OPTIONAL workshop was not followed, and 2) how her EVALUATION COMMENTS (and everyone elses) were so completely and obviously SWEPT UNDER THE CARPET. This is not the way a Christian group should process conflict, from hers and my perspective. Now, she is receiving fallout from several different members of that committee because of what she wrote. So, the retreat ended, but the controversy did not. Marianna's experience confirms how I have felt (dismissed as a disgruntled disunifier with dillusions of detrimental doctrine) and that this topic generates incredibly strong antagonism. I am truly dumbfounded. But, God is Good and His Word Stands FIRM and I must also stand firm with Him as my Defender.

"As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all to take refuge in HIM." Psalm 18:30

Thanks to those of you have commented on my blog or sent email telling me you have read it. It helps to hear positive feedback especially when I, and those who have chosen to "be Bereans" with me, feel so attacked and maligned. GOD is our witness and our Defense in Time of Trouble. Praise HIM!!!

"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." 2 Chronicles 28:9

"The Lord looks down from Heaven on the sons of man to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God." Psalm 14;2

RETREAT and Contemplative Prayer

Well, I’m not doing very well with my updates, am I? The last post was a month ago. Oh, well, I’m still not sure anyone is reading them (only one comment has been left since I started, and that is the only measure I have). 11/21/08 I have taken out references to particular people and organizations in this post in order not to offend or slander anyone.

What happened with the RETREAT?
So, now I have enticed you even further by suggesting that the Women’s Club retreat has been affected by what I have been researching.

Here is the story. In May, while I was still in the States, the retreat committee met for the first time. Several people had been putting out feelers to possible retreat speakers to come from the States for our event in late October. And, one of them, an author of Christian women's books, agreed. She is a personal friend of one of our committee members, so the invitation came through that individual. After that meeting, the "invited" speaker sent an email to the committee suggesting that she bring a friend with her and further suggesting that her friend teach our ladies on CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER and SPIRITUAL FORMATION. I did not see this email since I was not on the distribution for it.

However, in late August, after several conversations with my friend Marianna and her husband regarding my research and findings on the Emerging Church (this will soon be a new post, I hope) and Contemplative Prayer (CP), Marianna found this months’ old email and showed it to me. Naturally, I was aghast and told her I wanted to talk with the person who had invited our speaker and her friend. Marianna and Jim were leaving on that Sunday and on Monday we were scheduled to have a regular Women's Club meeting in their apartment.

So, the committee member called me on Saturday. I explained on the phone what my concerns were. The member tried to tell me that she did not think her friend was teaching this type of prayer but suggested that I call her and ask some questions. I, of course, already knew just how controversial this topic was just from the various articles I had read where this exact scenario was being played out. I explained that often people are so deceived by what they have been taught and truly do not think that what they are teaching is un-Biblical or similar to Eastern meditation. But, she insisted that I should make the call because she did not know what questions to ask. So, I reluctantly agreed to do so.

But, I was not comfortable. So, I did not make the call. I felt it was not my responsibility to challenge this speaker if I did not have the support of the rest of the committee. And, since this was not the speaker we had actually invited, it was even more difficult. When we met the following Monday for our regular club meeting, the member challenged me as to where I was getting my information. I did not want to argue with her any more than I wanted to argue with the prospective speaker. I explained that I did not feel it was my responsibility to convince someone that they were wrong and I was right. I just felt compelled by God to raise the issue for discussion and then decide a path forward. This committee member did not want to do that with me, so it was left that she would call me before I left town for Mariupol the following Sunday. I did not hear from her.

Our committee met on the Monday night that I returned. Marianna had been in conversation with this member and had asked for the "guest" speaker to send us an outline of what she planned to teach so our committee could have something to review. The "guest" speaker was unable to do that. The member had been in touch with several people in America including another committee member who interviewed the "guest" speaker over the phone and an email had been sent to the entire committee sharing about my concerns and why they were now allayed because of the glowing reports that others had given. I felt pretty blind-sided, but I was not angry. I prayed for God to give me wisdom and grace in facing this challenge. This was not about me but about being faithful to God’s Word.

In the meeting I explained precisely why I did not make the phone call to the prospective speaker and exactly why I was concerned about

CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER:
1) it is un-Biblical

2) it is dangerous

3) it leads to an experience rather than a relationship with God.

I believed that the committee needed to decide if this topic should be taught. There was much discussion, on both sides of the issue, but I said very little. Several people became angry and raised an issue of “trust” for the member who had invited the "invited" speaker and "guest" speaker. Marianna was particularly clear that we still did not know what exactly was to be taught and that we could not even make a decision until we knew something definite.

The following Monday, the outline finally came. The four of us who were the “dissenters” reviewed this document. We tried very hard to be fair and to look at what had been provided from an objective perspective. Marianna asked me specifically why I felt it was “dangerous”. I read to her the quote from Richard Foster’s book Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home. This quote gives a warning and a precaution that CP is not for the novice and is dangerous because unfriendly spirits can influence the person who practices this method of meditation. The outline did not dispel our concerns. It was vague in many areas and left questions in our minds as to what was actually going to be taught. After our meeting concluded, we sent a joint email to the entire committee and the two speakers thanking this particular "guest" speaker for the outline but not indicating approval for this material. But, we all agreed to drop our objections to the person coming and to the OPTIONAL teaching. It was now a non-issue. Or at least that is what we thought.

Several days later, Marianna sent out an email to the committee including the particular Richard Foster quote that I had given to Marianna. She wanted to gently and graciously point out that our concerns had a real basis, not just our opinions. She also mentioned in this note that she was still planning on the two speakers staying in her apartment while they would be in Kiev. It was kind, generous and well written. Not offensive. Peacemaking.

But, as of today, the issue is still not resolved. I don’t yet know what the results of a meeting planned for this evening will be.

I have written all of this detail regarding this incident to demonstrate just how intense the Spiritual War over CP is. I have asked myself again and again, would I raise the issue again if a similar occasion arose? Yes, I would. I cannot tell God that I will NOT be true to what He says because of the cost. If someone could show the Scriptural basis for CP, I would certainly listen. But the enemy has so blinded those who are teaching and are being taught this un-Biblical method of prayer, the only response they seem to give is anger and lashing out at the person who is raising the question. May God give me, and my friends, courage to continue to “fight the good fight.”

For those who would like more information on CP, please see my post from September 11, 2008.

Eastern Meditation and Contemplative Prayer

As promised, this posting will give you more information about Contemplative Spirituality/Prayer and also begin to show some of the parallels with Eastern Meditation that is popularly practiced by those in the New Age movement. I will also provide some early Christian history about how Eastern meditation began appearing in Christianity. You will note that those who promote contemplative also promote the idea that individuals have a divine spark within and all religions are the same. This ecumenism or interspirituality is a topic for a later posting.
(I have all of the definitions in a separate blog, so now, hopefully, the unlined words will take you there. Today’s additions are mostly quotes that define these terms rather than Wikipedia definitions)

Marcia Montenegro, a former professional astrologer, writes this about the similarities:
"The influence of Buddhism and Hinduism on Contemplative Prayer is apparent. Words such as 'detachment,' 'transformation,' 'emptiness,' 'enlightenment,' and 'awakening' swim in and out of the waters of these books. The use of such terms certainly mandates a closer inspection of what is being taught, even though Contemplative Prayer is pre­sented as Christian practice."
Winter 2005 MCOI Journal http://www.midwestoutreach.org/

What is Eastern Meditation?

Meditation is a practice that is found in many Eastern religions including Hinduism, Buddism, Taoism, Islam, Sikism, Janism and Baha’i Faith. It is also found in the mystical expressions of Christianity and Judaism. In meditation, the meditator sits comfortably and silently, centering attention by focusing awareness on an object or process (either the breath, a sound: a mantra, koan or riddle evoking questions; a visualisation, or an exercise). The goal in meditation is to quiet the mind so that one can reach some higher level of being or divine power within. Often, the meditator will reach an altered state of awareness, or alpha brain wave state during the process.

“Meditation involves four steps: find a quiet place; close your eyes; pick any word; and say it again and again. This word is called a 'mantra'. The aim is to transcend thoughts and feelings, to enter an altered level of consciousness, and to move into pure consciousness, which is the intuition of your true Self, and thus find the god-centre or god-energy.”
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-7886492/Centering-prayer-and-Eastern-meditation.html

“In Christian spiritual training, meditation means thinking with concentration about some topic. In the Eastern sense, meditation may be viewed as the opposite of thinking about a topic. Here the objective is to become detached from thoughts and images and opening up silent gaps between them. The result is a quieting of our mind and is sometimes called relaxation response. In Christian mystical practice, this practice is called 'contemplation'.”
http://1stholistic.com/Meditation/hol_meditation_techniques.htm

The idea of stillness and silence is important to Eastern meditation just as it is to Contemplative Prayer. The objective is to become detached from thoughts and to find the true Self, the god-center, or the divine within. Eastern meditation techniques (adopted by the New Age Movement) have been adapted and increasingly practiced in Western culture and now, once again, in the Christian church.

What is the history of meditation/centering prayer in Christianity?

In 1 John 4:1, the apostle warned the believers about “false prophets that have gone out into the world.” He was speaking to them about several heresies that had already sprung up uniting Platonic thought and Christianity. One of these heresies, Gnosticism, taught that only the intellectually enlightened could enjoy the benefits of religion. These heretical teachings did not go away and were incorporated into the practices of some of the early monks beginning in the 3rd century and continuing through the 18th century. These monks, nuns and mystics and their writings and practices were denounced by the Roman Catholic church and many of these “desert fathers” were imprisoned or otherwise persecuted for their anti-Biblical beliefs. Some believe that they were influenced by Eastern religion and meditation since the Middle East was the center of religious thought.

But if we were in doubt as to the Eastern religious influence in the lives of the “desert fathers”, we have no doubt about the influence in modern day Catholic monks.

The current practice of centering prayer can be traced to the mid-1970’s, St. Joseph Abbey in Spencer, Mass., and three monks, Abbot Thomas Keating, William Meninger and Basil Pennington. Their work was a response to the exhortations of the Second Vatican Council to become more knowledgeable about other religious faiths through dialogue with believers from these traditions and to revitalize the path of contemplative prayer in order to help Catholics, especially those who had left the church, to find such experiences in their own faith tradition. In the Protestant church, Richard Foster, a Quaker, also began writing about spiritual disciplines and contemplative prayer in his book, Celebration of Discipline, 1978.

“Fathers Keating, Meninger and Pennington entered into intense, sustained dialogue with leaders from other traditions who lived near the abbey. They invited to the abbey ecumenically oriented Catholic theologians, an Eastern Zen master, Joshu Roshi Sasaki, who offered weeklong retreats on Buddhist meditation, and a former Trappist, Paul Marechal, who taught transcendental meditation. The interaction between these Christian monks and practitioners of Eastern meditation helped distill the practice of Christian contemplative prayer into a form that could be easily practiced by a diverse array of "non-monastic" believers: priests, nuns, brothers and lay men and women.”
http://www.cuc.claremont.edu/interfth/Centering%5Ccentering_prayer.htm

Why did the Roman Catholic Church encourage the revival of these practices since they were seen as heresy and apostasy in early church history? Because the Catholic Church has an agenda to maintain a position among the world’s religions. I will write more about this in upcoming posts. Since the 1970’s centering or contemplative prayer has been taught and promoted in Catholic churches as well as Protestant and Evangelical churches, seminaries, universities and colleges.

Lest we think that these three monks were the only ones to actively bring Eastern religions into the Catholic faith, let me give a few more examples. Thomas Merton, also a Trappist monk and influential writer, was strongly influenced by Buddhist meditation, particularly as found in Zen – he was a lifetime friend of Buddhist meditation master and Vietnamese monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh and was also an acquaintance of the current Dalai Lama. He had a great influence the general public regarding contemplative prayer. And Richard Foster was, in turn, influenced by Thomas Merton.

Thomas Keating in The Transformation of Suffering says:
"This understanding of the unity of the human family is central to Christianity. Our spiritual journey, especially contemplative prayer, together with its practices for daily life, are processes of becoming aware of just how profound that unity is with God, ourselves, other people, other living beings, the earth, and all creation."

Ray Yungen, a researcher of contemplative spirituality/prayers for over 10 years, writes in A Time of Departing about Merton:

"What Martin Luther King was to the civil rights movement and what Henry Ford was to the automobile, Thomas Merton is to contemplative prayer. Although this prayer movement existed centuries before he came along, Merton took it out of its monastic setting and made it available to and popular with the masses. It is interesting to me that many people still think celebrity star Shirley MacLaine was the greatest influence in the New Age. But for me, hands down, Thomas Merton has influenced New Age thinking more than any person of recent decades. Merton penned one of the most classic descriptions of New Age spirituality I have ever come across.” A Time of Departing, p. 58

The following quotes are from Merton himself:

"Contemplative consciousness is a trans-cultural, trans-religious, trans-formed consciousness … it can shine through this or that system, religious or irreligious" Thoughts on the East, p.34

"I see no contradiction between Buddhism and Christianity ... I intend to become as good a Buddhist as I can." (David Steindl-Rast, "Recollection of Thomas Merton's Last Days in the West" (Monastic Studies, 7:10, 1969)

"It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, ... now I realize what we all are .... If only they [people] could all see themselves as they really are ...I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other ... At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusions, a point of pure truth ... This little point ...is the pure glory of God in us. It is in everybody." Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (1989 edition, pp. 157-158)

"When one enters the deeper layers of contemplative prayer one sooner or later experiences the void, the emptiness, the nothingness ... the profound mystical silence ... an absence of thought." —Thomas Merton biographer, William Johnston (A Time Of Departing, p.33)

"I'm deeply impregnated with Sufism.” The Springs of Contemplation, p. 266

And from Richard Foster:

"[W]e must be willing to go down into the recreating silences, into the inner world of contemplation. In their writings, all of the masters of meditation strive to awaken us to the fact that the universe is much larger than we know." Celebration of Disciplines, p. 13

"We now come to the ultimate stage of Christian experience. Divine Union.... Contemplatives sometimes speak of their union with God by the analogy of a log in a fire: the glowing log is so united with the fire that it is fire ..." Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, p. 159

And then this quote which shows the impact of the Merton/Foster connection:
“Merton’s writings are quoted by today’s advocates of his contemplative prayer methodology that he derived from dark sources as already documented. Look in the notes of any modern book on prayer, and see if you find Merton quotes. This leaven of doctrines of devils has found its way into such popular "Evangelical" books as Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline and Brennan Manning’s, Ragamuffin Gospel, books that grace the shelves of many church bookstores.”
http://www.apostasyalert.org/Merton.htm

Why am I so concerned about meditation/contemplative prayer that is being practiced by the evangelical church, especially our youth, today?
Here is a quote from Steve Muse, a former occultist, who personally experienced the dangers of contemplative prayer encouraged by both Catholic and Protestant and, today, Evangelical leaders.

“More than thirty years ago, as an occultist, I was deeply involved in mysticism and the practice of contemplative prayer. I learned this meditation technique from studying Catholic mystics who said then, and even teach now, that one does not have to believe in Jesus Christ to enter into the contemplative experience but that all roads would take us to the same destination. I went even further by becoming a disciple of Transcendental Meditation, which was identical to the Catholic contemplative prayer techniques I had already learned. Those I walked with into this journey of mysticism experienced a much deeper spiritual realm leading many into relationships with seducing spirits rather than with God. These same techniques are encouraged by today’s new mystics and especially New Age advocates—such advocates feel encouraged to see Christians moving into this type of prayer experience.”
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/stevemuseemerging.pdf

"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." 1 John 4:1

It Has a Name: Mystical Deception Project.

Yes, I chose a name (although I found another website by this same name today,sigh ! :( Already a correction needed. Apparently I left the word Trails out of the LighthouseTrailsResearch link (to the left). I hope that no one was confused if they found lighthouses instead of info on Contemplative Spirituality (thanks Carol).

Ok, time to “get to it”!!

The Mystical Deception that concerns me begins with some practices that have gradually been creeping into the Christian church over the last decade or so. Some of these practices you might be familiar with, others not. Spiritual formation, contemplative or centering prayer and solitude/silence are the topics I will define today. I will also define Christian meditation and show how it differs from contemplative prayer. There are some other terms included in this post that will be defined in the next one (New Age, mantra, altered state of consciousness, false-self, breathing exercises, visualization, as well as more terms, lectio divina, breath prayer, Jesus prayer)
Negotiating the blog (the links within the post are not working, so I have disabled them. The definitions above are at the end of the post)
((Any word or phrase that is underlined and a different color of text is (hopefully, if I’ve done it right) a hyperlink. When you point your mouse and click on that word, the link will take you first to the short definitions I have included in the post/blog, or to a much longer description in a different location on the web, eg. Wikipedia. And in some cases, it will take you to an article in someone else’s blog or website. My goal is to give proper references to any information that is quoted or extracted from books or articles.))

How big is the problem?
These practices are found in many secular and Christian settings. They are not unChristian in and of themselves. In fact, many of these definitions seem just fine on the surface.
However, if an unsuspecting or undiscerning young Christian, new believer, or even someone seeking a deeper relationship with God, comes upon these teachings, they can be misled into dangerous places. I believe, along with a growing number of Christians, that contemplative meditation is dangerous, and I want to warn others of its similarity to mysticism and New Age practices:

“Mystical practices are now widely embraced and taught in secular and professed Christian seminaries, colleges, universities, organizations, ministries and seminars, etc. throughout the United States. Academic promoters have introduced these practices into the fields of medicine, business and law while countless secular and Christian books, magazines, seminars, and retreats are teaching lay people how to incorporate them into their daily lives. Promoters promise physical, mental and spiritual benefits desiring to bring about positive social change.”
http://www.earnestlycontend.com/cp.html

“Many people would be quite surprised to find that meditation has made its way into both Catholic and Protestant churches on a large scale. Although some would argue that it is not New Age meditation but rather a form of prayer, I would beg to differ. Upon close examination, the methods used (mantra, breathing) are identical to New Age techniques. Only the connotation is changed.” http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newagereligionray.html

“Many people assume centering prayer is compatible with Catholic tradition, but in fact the techniques of centering prayer are neither Christian nor prayer. They are at the level of human faculties and as such are an operation of man, not of God. The deception and dangers can be grave." http://www.saint-mike.org/Library/Occult/CenteringPrayer.html

CP is Dangerous!

As you can see, these writers who oppose Contemplative Prayer (CP) believe that it is dangerous, mystical, like New Age, and not of God. What do they see that is wrong? To begin with, the definitions don’t tell the whole story. (Although even these definitions from Wikipedia are suspect since they imply unBiblical concepts).
One writer believes it is NOT prayer but mystical meditation producing bodily sensations:

“Contemplative Prayer is not Biblical prayer at all, rather it is a type of mystical meditation leading the mind into an altered state of consciousness. It goes beyond thought, providing an experiential union with so-called God or with nature producing body sensations, feelings, images, and reflections.
It is based on “experiences” rather than sound doctrine.
http://www.earnestlycontend.com/cp.html

There is even a warning!!!
One of the proponents, Richard Foster, warns that this practice is not for the novice and that one should pray a prayer of protection before attempting it because, “there is such a thing as supernatural guidance that is not divine guidance. Some spiritual beings are not in cooperation with God and His way.” Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home (NY: Harper Collins, 1992), 156-157

So, CP has some features or practices that are mystical in nature, focus on “experiences” and lead the mind into an altered state of consciousness (this will be defined the next time). There are things happening with CP that are dangerous and not for the novice, yet it is being taught to people of all ages, including youth and young children. What are some of the other things included in CP?

“Themes that one finds echoed in the CP movement include the notions that true prayer is silent, is beyond words, is beyond thought, does away with the “false self,” triggers transformation of consciousness, and is an awakening. Suggested techniques of­ten include breathing exercises, visualization, repetition of a word or phrase, and detachment from thinking.” http://www.christiananswersforthenewage.org/Articles_ContemplativePrayer1.html

So what is CP exactly?

One of the best known proponents of the centering prayer technique, has delineated the guidelines for centering prayer:
1. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed, relax, and quiet yourself. Be in love and faith to God.
2. Choose a sacred word that best supports your sincere intention to be in the Lord's presence and open to His divine action within you (i.e. "Jesus", "Lord," "God," "Savior," "Abba," "Divine," "Shalom," "Spirit," "Love," etc.).
3. Let that word be gently present as your symbol of your sincere intention to be in the Lord's presence and open to His divine action within you.
4. Whenever you become aware of anything (thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images, associations, etc.), simply return to your sacred word, your anchor.
Ideally, the prayer will reach the point where the person is not engaged in their thoughts as they arrive on their stream of consciousness. This is the "unknowing" referenced in the 14th century book.
M. Basil Pennington (1986), "Centering Prayer: Refining the Rules," "Review for Religious," 46:3, 386-393.

The Biblical arguments against CP: + a WARNING!!

1. No where in the Bible is silence equated with prayer.
“we can get deep insights when we are quiet. But simply trying to be quiet is not prayer, and there is no biblical basis for the belief that real prayer is wordless. After all, God has given us a written revelation, and God's laws and words are acclaimed throughout the Bible, such as Psalm 119, which extols God's word as a treasure and lamp. In Is. 40:8, we learn, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever," and Jesus declares to the Father in Jn. 17:17, "Your word is truth."
http://www.christiananswersforthenewage.org/Articles_ContemplativePrayer1.html

2. No where in the Bible does it say that prayer should be without thinking.
“Yet in the Bible, meditation on God or on the words of God is never presented as an exercise without thinking. Many of the words translated as "meditation" in the Bible are words meaning to muse, ponder, utter, or make a sound. Most of these words are in Psalms where the psalmist is praising the precepts and words of God and affirming that these are what we should learn, obey, and think upon. This is definitely not leaving ordinary thinking for another level of consciousness”
http://www.christiananswersforthenewage.org/Articles_ContemplativePrayer1.html

3. No where in the Bible are we instructed to repeat a word or phrase. (in fact Matt 6:7-8 says the opposite!!)
“Centering prayer is essentially a form of self-hypnosis. It makes use of a "mantra," a word repeated over and over to focus the mind while striving by one's will to go deep within oneself. The effects are a hypnotic-like state: concentration upon one thing, disengagement from other stimuli, a high degree of openness to suggestion, a psychological and physiological condition that externally resembles sleep but in which consciousness is interiorized and the mind subject to suggestion.”
http://www.saint-mike.org/Library/Occult/CenteringPrayer.html

4. No where in the Bible is prayer an “experience”, rather it is a “relationship” and “talking to God”
“Centering prayer differs from Christian prayer in that the intent of the technique is to bring the practitioner to the center of his own being. There he is, supposedly, to experience the presence of the God who indwells him. Christian prayer, on the contrary, centers upon God in a relational way, as someone apart from oneself. The Christian knows a God who is personal, yet who, as Creator, infinitely transcends his creature.”
http://www.saint-mike.org/Library/Occult/CenteringPrayer.html

BEWARE!!!
5. How do we know when we reach the place of “unknowing” that it is God who meets us there?


“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3,4

Resources:
Contemplating Contemplative Prayer: Is It Really Prayer?
By Marcia Montenegro

The Danger of Centering Prayer
By Rev. John D.Dreher

Contemplative Prayer: Seducing Spirits and a Doctrine of Devils
By Christine A. Narloch

New, as yet Nameless, Project

New Project, New Format-- This format is new for me so it may take some getting used to. I guess I need to say a little bit more about this new project and then why I feel so compelled to jump into it.

First, a few Scriptures-- What does the Word say about this? I encourage you to check out just a few of these verses to see what has motivated me. 1 John 4:1 tell us to test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Rev 2:2 Jesus commends the church for testing those who claimed to be speaking for Him. Titus 1:9 says that we are to hold to the true message, encourage sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. 1 Thess 5:21 we are to test everything and hold on to the good. Is 5:20 warns those who call evil good and good evil. Acts 17:11 teaches to examine the Scriptures to see if what is being taught is true. Rev 2:17 says that he who has an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Project-- Needs a Name. Suggestions welcome!! The subject matter is so BROAD!!! Contemplative Spirituality (don't worry, I will define and explain all words/terms as I add new posts), Ancient Future Worship, Emerging Church, Postmodernism, New Gospel, New Jesus, Spiritual Formation, Centering Prayer, Yoga, New Age, and more and more!!! The project involves researching all the people, organizations, events, books, concepts, and practices that are part of a new anti-Biblical movement that looks and smells very, very Christian. But it is quite heretical in nature. In fact, some of you may be shocked and surprised over what I am going to be reporting in this blog. I will be referring you to websites and other blogs as my resources for this research, so you can check it out for yourself (see on the left and below all posts)

Purpose-- Simply to educate and inform. I do not wish to try to convince anyone that I am right and that they must read/accept what I report. In fact, I welcome questions and even criticisms and will respond as best I can. Blogs allow this kind of feedback and I encourage you to use it. I feel so very compelled by God to do this that I just cannot not (strong double negative!!) do it. In fact, my rational person would rather NOT do this. It is controversial, involves many well-respected Christian men and women and organizations and is receiving lots of criticism and negative responses in the blogs and websites where it is being exposed. Why would I want to contribute one more?

Brief testimony-- As some of you know, before I became a born-again Christian, I was a New Ager. I had been born into a Christian family, attended church, even was confirmed in the Lutheran Church when I was a young teen. However, I did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and so rejected the truth when I took a class in anthropology at age 19. That led me into a 20+ year journey away from Christ and into the New Age Christ. Totally different people!!! Because I was so deceived and misled, I have a deep conviction to not see others deceived and misled in the same way. Thus, my interest in contributing one more voice.

What's already available?-- Although there is a great deal of information available in this area of research (see on the left and below for websites to visit. I will be adding to this list) in books, DVDs, MP3s, podcasts, journals, magazine articles, newspaper articles, websites, blogs, etc., it is not organized in one single place and is not easily retrievable depending on what you want to do with it. Therefore, I am feeling compelled to develop a personal data base that is organized by individuals, the books that they have written and endorsed, the organizations and events they are participating in and what they are specifically saying about a large variety of subject matter. An enormous and intimidating task that one should really count the cost of before taking on. But, if God wants this to happen, He can make it so (Phil 4:13). I pray daily for guidance and direction and covet your prayers in this as well.

How will I use this database?-- I am praying for opportunity, and have already had one chance, to present this heresy here in Ukraine. I want to warn the Family of God about something that is silently creeping (and has been for the last 10 years) into the Christian church. Because God has given me "ears to hear", I can not sit idly by and watch this aposty happen. May He give me the courage and strength I need!

My next post will begin to "get into it"!!!