Fostering a New Spiritual Discipline

Fostering a New Spiritual Discipline: Follow Me into...the Quiet Zone [Excerpts]

Richard Foster is known for his book Celebration of Discipline. Few are aware that it contains numerous New Age teachings. Foster’s book Celebration of Discipline has sold several million copies and was selected by Christianity Today as one of the top ten books of the 20th century. Christianity Today named it number eleven in the "Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals." Despite their endorsement, it is a book that should be avoided at all costs....if you hear what Foster teaches, it become apparent that it is not what the Bible teaches.

In his book, he called for deeper spirituality, which he believes is attained through the practice of spiritual "Disciplines." These disciplines include prayer, meditation, fasting and study, which Foster calls the "Inward Disciplines." He also offers "Outward Disciplines" of simplicity, solitude, submission and service, and "Corporate Disciplines" of confession, worship, guidance and celebration. Foster involves one in the unbiblical use of imagination, occultic visualization (Celebration of Discipline, pp. 25-26, 40-43, 163, 198), and the use of rosaries and prayer wheels (p. 64).

In the original edition of Foster’s book Celebration of Discipline, on p. 170 he said this, “We of the New Age can risk going against the tide. Let us with abandon relish the fantasy games of children. Let's see visions and dream dreams. Let's play, sing, laugh. The imagination can release a flood of creative ideas, and exercising our imagination can be lots of fun. Only those who are insecure about their own maturity will fear such a delightful form of celebration." Later editions have had this removed with no explanation, which does not enhance Foster’s integrity.

"We of the New Age!" A revealing a statement, if I ever heard one. Numerous books and speakers have gained access to the church, introducing strange and mystical practices to young and old. These men are using unbiblical practices and eastern methodologies to achieve a “better,” “improved” spiritual life, claiming these are necessary to bring maturity and spiritual experiences, none of which are spoken of in the Scripture. We should heed the words of Paul who tells us not to exceed what is written (2 Cor:4:6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
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Mysticism is man’s attempt to gain knowledge of God by a direct experience, often by journeying within. This is a Gnostic practice that opens one up to hear voices that are not from God, to have supernatural [experiences] that are not of God, and there is no way to test it because all spiritual experiences are accepted. They are personal.

In Celebration of Discipline, Foster tells us "we must be willing to go down into the recreating silences, into the inner world of contemplation," later saying that the "masters of meditation beckon us." Who are these masters he speaks of? In his writings through the years, Foster talks about and promotes these "masters of meditation. Foster does not just lean toward mysticism, he is a mystic. He has blended Christianity with practices of other religions.

Foster answers the question, "What is the goal of Contemplative Prayer? To this question the old writers answer with one voice: union with God. Bonaventure, a follower of Saint Francis, says that our final goal is 'union with God,' which is a pure relationship where we see 'nothing.'" (Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home (San Francisco: Harper, 1992) p. 155).

http://letusreason.org/Popteach76.htm

[TBC: As Oswald Chambers noted, “Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.”

While contemplative prayer’s goal is “union with God” [in a] “pure relationship where we see nothing,” those who truly are born again can stand in confidence knowing that “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians:5:17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
See All...). And, with this confidence, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John:3:2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
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