There are two kinds of mystery: the mystery of God and the mystery of iniquity. The mystery in a recent Loma Linda University Health retreat is not the mystery of God, but that of another spirit.
Ann Voskamp, Author, practitioner of mysticism, and non-denominational in her beliefs. Who is Ann Voskamp? She answers the question for us on her website:
“I believe in the The Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed and our fellowship’s statement of faith. We’re just simple, farming folk, worshipping in a Brethren Bible Chapel, and are non-denominational, evangelical (believing in the necessity of salvation in Christ), Bible believing (embracing the Bible as God’s infallible and complete message to all people) and grace-clinging.”
And from the Nicene Creed: “…And I believe one holy catholic (universal) and apostolic Church…..” https://www.ccel.org/creeds/nicene.creed.html
In her book, One Thousand Gifts, she incorporates pantheism, romanticism, and quotes Teilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit who advocates for the new age and pantheism as noted by Bob DeWaay, https://cicministry.org/commentary/issue120.htm “Nothing here below is profane for those who know how to see.” (Voskamp: 122).
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955) was a French Jesuit priest, paleontologist, philosopher, and mystic, known for blending science and Christianity in works such as The Phenomenon of Man and for ideas like the “noosphere” and the “Omega Point.” https://www.bing.com/search?PC=K413&FORM=K413DF&q=thialhard+de+chardin
Chardin also said,
“My approach…would be…to narrow the gap…by bringing out what one might call the Christian soul of pantheism or the pantheist aspect of Christianity…” for “I can be saved only by becoming one with the universe!”
Voskamp, in her book Sacred Prayer, states,
“This art of being still is hard. Stillness may be the most difficult to learn, and it takes time and prayerful practice. As the theologian of old, F.B. Meyer, wrote, “We must cultivate the habit of stillness in our lives, if we would detect and know God. “This habit, this way of life, of interior soul stillness-this will take time to learn. But we absolutely must learn the spiritual practice of stillness if we want to know God.”
First, the language- practice, stillness, interior soul stillness, spiritual practice, habit- these are all spiritual formation terms that describe the discipline of Silence, code word for Contemplative Prayer. Second: she quotes F.B.Meyer, who in The Secret of Guidance- A Companion Volume to “Light on Life’s Duties” references:
1.“Catherine of Siena at one time spent three days in a solitary retreat, praying for a greater fulness and joy of the Divine presence. Instead of this, it seemed as though legions of wicked spirits assailed her with blasphemous thoughts and evil suggestions”. F.B. Meyer, The Secret of Guidance)
This is St. Catherine of Siena:
St. Catherine of Siena (1347–1380) was an Italian Catholic mystic, Dominican tertiary, and diplomat whose spiritual writings and political advocacy made her one of the most revered saints in the Church as noted on Wikipedia.com
2. Brother Lawrence, the simple‑minded cook, tells us that for more than sixty years he never lost the sense of the presence of God, but was as conscious of it while performing the duties of his humble office, as when partaking of the Holy Supper.
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, OCD (born Nicolas Herman; c. 1614 – 12 February 1691) was a French Catholic religious brother who served at a Discalced Carmelite monastery, what is now Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes in Paris. He is best remembered for a posthumous book of his writing, the classic Christian text The Practice of the Presence of God. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Lawrence
The Amazon description of Voskamp’s book, Sacred Prayer:
“This book is a 90-day guided prayer journal that helps readers experience deeper connection with God through six SACRED steps of prayer: stillness, attentiveness, cruciformity, revelation, examination, and doxology “
To this I say, Friends, pick up your Bibles and allow the Holy Spirit to touch your heart and mind, to bring revelation and wisdom, and ultimately to transform you as you spend time reading and praying how Jesus prayed. Jesus experienced exterior silence when He went to the olive grove early in the morning away from all distractions, not the interior silence I practiced for years and of which Voskamp writes.
This is a counterfeit experience meant to distract you from the genuine experience God wants for each of us.
Retreat from retreats like this and seek after the Creator God who is waiting just for you.
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Stephanie Bowers Griffin MSN, RN, PHN, was thriving as an Emergency Room nurse when she came under the influence of the Spiritual Formation movement. Under the guidance of a Spiritual Director, Stephanie became heavily involved in its teachings for nearly nine years, and was well on her way to becoming a Spiritual Director, herself.
However, after nearly three years of training and enrolling in a Master’s in Spiritual Formation Degree, God intervened! After being delivered from the depths of this false revival and its mystical practices, Stephanie now reveals a deep understanding of its dangers and false teachings in Silence No More.
