Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (2 Timothy 3:5) 

Evanjellyfish Is Largely Apostate Now 

Apprising Ministries introduced you to Scott Hodge in Scott Hodge Shares His Love For Julian Of Norwich and Setting The Record Straight On Julian Of Norwich; so may recall that Hodge is one of the fast rising stars of the Druckerite Purpose Driven/Seeker Driven (PD/SD) section of the Church Growth Movement ala Perry Noble and his disciple Steven Furtick. The About section at his personal blog I Am Scott Hodge tells us he’s “the lead pastor of The Orchard Community in Aurora, IL.” 

I also told you that, by an large, Hodge preaches in an annoying style that I call the Christian comedian, very reminicent of Emerging Church icon Rob Bell and his co-teaching pastor Shane Hipps, where it seems that virtually every sentence has to contain some—largely lame—attempt at humor. I shared with you that Hodge’s embrace of apostate (at best) Roman Catholic mystic Julian of Norwich as a viable Christian example shows that the PD/SD sector opening itself up for the corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) as taught by Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster, along with his his spiritual twin Dallas Willard. 

You already know that for years now, under the guise of so-called Spiritual Formation, the Trojan Horse which has become the sinfully ecumenical Emergent Church has been injecting the spiritual poison of CSM into mainstream evangelical Young Adult and Youth ministries. Hodge is another example of just how widespread this plague has now become. A little over a month ago Hodge started tweeting quotes from apostate (at best) proponents of CSM such as Brennan Manning, whom he seems particularly taken with, as well as deceased Roman Catholic mystic Henri Nouwen: 

“the more guilt & shame we have buried w/ in ourselves, the more compelled we feel to seek relief through sin.” b manning (Online source) 

“one of the most arduous spiritual tasks is that of giving up control and allowing the spirit of god to lead our lives.” henri nouwen (Online source) 

Really; so I’m actually supposed to believe that God the Holy Spirit led Henri Nouwen to remain enslaved in the Roman Catholic Church, which has placed it anathema on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to become a universalist: 

Today I personally believe that Jesus came to open the door to God’s house, all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her way to God. [1] 

Nah, I don’t think so; I might have fallen off the Turnip Truck, but I didn’t let it back over my head. I remember recently emailing Christian apologist Chris Rosebrough, host of the Fighting for the Faith program on Pirate Christian Radio, and telling him that this contemplative stuff is really spreading far into the PD/SD sector as Scott Hodge was now even tweeting out quotes from Living Spiritual Teacher and Roman Catholic mystic Richard Rohr, who’s also a fellow Red Letter Christian along with Living Spirital Teacher and Emerging Church guru Brian McLaren and Living Spiritual Teacher/activist Jim Wallis.  

It should be of real concern when we consider these purveyors of Emergence Christianity have such a watered-down wishy-washy “Christian” message that they can listed right alongside teachers of the New Spirituality such as Deepak Chopra, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Eckhart Tolle, and Marianne Williamson at something called the Living Spiritual Teachers Project at the interspiritual blackhole Spirituality & Practice website. It’s also interesting to note that guru Rohr’s latest book is The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics; or we might call them “the great enlightened ones” of each religious tradition, as did Rob Bell the rock star icon of the Emergent Church in his 2009 sermon I will say it again, and again, and again. 

Pastor Hodge has recently been tweeting out some of the type of “wisdom” [read: irrational philosophy] found in Rohr’s book such as this: 

may God b 2 us “more a verb than noun, a process than a conclusion, an experience than a dogma, a personal relationship than an idea.” rohr (Online source) 

Or how about the following mystic psycho-babble: 

“most orgnized religion in the west has emphasized will power rather than willingness, which seldom affirms the ego.” r rohr (Online source) 

Sure, “most organized religion”; yeah, no doubt Rohr and Hodge have personally done an exhaustive study on the subject of all organized religion in the West. Then there’s this frontal attack on rational thought, as opposed to Rohr’s more mystical, and irrational, neo-Gnosticism: 

“theological training without spiritual experience is deadly.” r rohr (Online source) 

‘think & see’ is not the same thing as ‘taste & see.’ experience matters! (Online source) 

Note the heavy emphasis upon individual subjective experience i.e. existentialism above, which is absolutely counter to the proper Christian spirituality of Sola Scriptura; and then, pretending to be Protestant pastor Hodge quotes the apostate (at best) Roman Catholic priest Richard Rohr on so-called growth by: 

doubt – dont fear it or make it ur goal 2 4ever overcome it. it’s sign of cont growth. b more concerned if ur not experiencing it! (Online source) 

Above we have just seen an ode to doubt; and this is completely consistent with people practicing the meditation in an altered state of consciousness known as Contemplative/Centering Prayer, which is the very crowning jewel of CSM. Well, based upon the below, apparently now he’s turning into the Roman Catholic mystic Francis of Assisi who’s associated with the following foolish statement, “Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.” However, 1) he never said that; and 2) as a slave to the non-gospel of the Church of Rome he never preached the Gospel of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ Name; through God’s grace alone, by faith alone, in the finished work of Christ alone on the Cross. 

Just the other day Hodge tweeted:  

r u listening to your city? go walk…..and listen. she’s speaking. (Online source) 

Whether Hodge knows it or not, this is a hallmark of mystics; the personalizing of inanimate objects, which through their practice of transcendental meditation, they become deluded into thinking they are one with because they “feel” God indwells all of creation. And this is what happens to your mind in mysticism; it inevitably turns to mush. In closing this, for now, following is Francis of Assisi’s asinine Canticle of the Creatures. You may recall the video below, “This is your brain on drugs”; well, what you’ll now read below shows what smoking mysticism will do to your brain:   

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
all praise is yours, all glory, all honor,
and all blessing.
To you, alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.
All praise be yours, my Lord,
through all you have made,
and first my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day;
and through whom you give us light.
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor;
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
All Praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon
and the stars; in the heavens you have made them,
bright, and precious, and fair.
All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Brothers wind and air, and fair and stormy,
all the weather’s moods,
by which you cherish all that you have made.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
so useful, humble, precious and pure.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten up the night.
How beautiful is he, how cheerful!
Full of power and strength.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through our Sister
Mother Earth, who sustains us and governs us,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers
and herbs.
All praise be yours, my Lord,
through those who grant pardon for love of you;
through those who endure sickness and trial.
Happy are those who endure in peace,
By You, Most High, they will be crowned.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,
From whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing your will!
The second death can do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks
And serve him with great humility. (Online source) 

 

________________________________________________________________________________
Endnotes: 

[1] Henri Nouwen, Sabbatical Journey [New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company], 51, emphasis mine. 

See also: 

DR. JOHN PIPER AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONS 

SOUTHERN BAPTIST SOUL SHAPING RETURN TO RELIGIOUS BONDAGE 

DONALD WHITNEY AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: SPIRITUALITY WITHOUT BOUNDARIES  

SADDLEBACK CHURCH, RICK WARREN, AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES 

BETH MOORE ATTACKS THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION 

WONDER WHAT HAPPENS IN CONTEMPLATIVE/CENTERING PRAYER? 

IRON SHARPENS IRON WITH KEN SILVA ON MYSTICISM