In his July 2010 keynote sermon, Ted N.C. Wilson, newly elected President of the Seventh-Day Adventist church counseled,
“Stay away from non-biblical spiritual disciplines or methods of spiritual formation that are rooted in mysticism such as contemplative prayer, centering prayer, and the emerging church movement in which they are promoted.”
Why would Elder Wilson ask us to stay away from spiritual disciplines or formation? What do we know about them? Are they truly non-biblical as he states? To make a statement like that Elder Wilson must have known that for a number of years those disciplines have been coming ever so subtly into the Adventist church. It is encouraging that he has discerned the dangers of mysticism, yet many in the church today are still are unaware of these practices. They do not know the history of the contemplative movement or how to recognize the disciplines when they are perpetrated.
Despite the warning of Elder Wilson the floodgate has been opened and these disciplines are rapidly increasing in the Adventist church. Let me add my voice by paraphrasing 1st Corinthians 4:14-15, “I do not write these things to shame the church, but as my beloved brothers and sisters I warn you. For though you have ten thousand instructors claiming Christ, yet you have not many fathers who are preaching the true gospel as it is in the Son of God.”
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