What’s mysticism doing at the Catalyst leadership conference?

Remember when Pastor Rick Warren posted a tutorial on Centering Prayer on his Pastor’s Toolbox website, encouraging thousands of pastors to teach their congregants to go into the silence? No? That’s probably because he yanked it down after biblically sound Christians sounded the alarm bells in his comments section. (Good thing there’s screen capture.)

Now thousands of young Christian leaders are getting a front-row seat to this mystical practice, at this year’s Catalyst Leadership Conference in Dallas.

As someone who has attended Catalyst conferences and who knows full well that young leaders are taught the social justice, business growth model “gospels” there, I can tell you that you will not find much in the way of biblical discipleship tutorials or the sharing of the Gospel, nor will you find much about repentance and holiness unless it’s whispered in the hall. I know that’s tough talk, but I still get the huge posters, mailings, thick brochures and web videos for every Catalyst event known to man. So it doesn’t surprise me in the least to learn that contemplative prayer from the mystical eastern religions have made their way into the curriculum at Catalyst. Sola Sisters has the story. Please do take note of the excellent links about what these contemplative prayer practices are, who is teaching them and how they have made their way into our mainstream, very visible churches:

Centering Prayer Taught By Mystic Phileena Heuertz at Catalyst Dallas

2014 by Christine Pack* and reprinted here with permission

Writer Jim Fletcher is reporting from the Catalyst Dallas conference that a Centering Prayer exercise was recently led by mystic and contemplative spiritualist Phileena Heuertz at Catalyst conference, which is a Christian conference that moves from city to city. The current Catalyst is being held April 30-May 2, 2014 in Dallas, TX. Heuertz, who is the author ofPilgrimage of the Soul, was listed as a “lab speaker,” which means that her session was probably a breakout session in which not all of the conference attendees were participants. Some of the other Catalyst Dallas speakers include Tullian Tchividjian, Dave Ramsey, Louie Giglio, Mark Batterson, Jen Hatmaker, Craig Groeschel, and Francis Chan.(HT: Jules LaPierre, Jim Fletcher)

Phileena Heuertz

Some background information on Phileena Heuertz: Heuertz and her husband teach contemplative mysticism at their website gravity, as well as other mystical/pagan practices:

• Breath Prayer
• Centering Prayer
• Labyrinth
• Lectio Divina
• Yoga

On her Centering Prayer page, Heuertz talks about having been taught Centering Prayer by Roman Catholic mystic monk Thomas Keating himself, with whom the practice of mystical centering prayer originated. (Learn more about Thomas Keating here on a show by Chris Rosebrough of Fighting For The Faith.) According to Heuertz’s bio on the Sojourners website, Heuertz is “a member of the New Friar movement,” teaches and writes on contemplative spirituality and facilitates contemplative retreats.

Additional Resources

• What Is Mysticism? (Sola Sisters)
• Lecture and Meditation Sessions Led By Thomas Keating (Christian Answers For the New Age)
• The Inventor of Centering Prayer Teaches Us What It Is For (Fighting For the Faith)
• What Is Mysticism? (5-Part Series by Dr. Gary Gilley) – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5
• Mystical Youth Ministry
• Biblical Silence vs. Mystical Silence
• Contemplating Contemplative Prayer: Is It Really Prayer?
• The Origin of Contemplative Prayer (Apprising)
• Richard Foster – Celebration of Deception (CIC Article, Bob DeWaay)
• The Dangers of Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Disciplines, A Critique of Dallas Willard and The Spirit of the Disciplines (CIC Article, Bob DeWaay)
• A Former Mystic’s Testimony
• John MacArthur on Spiritual Formation and Biblical Sanctification
• Mysticism: A Counterfeit Holy Spirit
• Mysticism: Who Needs Crack?
• The Dangers of Contemplative Prayer