Bible Study and Richard Foster Book

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heartoflesh

Puritan Board Junior
My church's elder board gather a couple of weeks ago and decided to start a men's bible study Friday mornings from 6-7:00am. They are going to be going through Colossians and the book Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.

I'm disturbed by their choice of Foster's book and don't know if I should...

A) Go to the study and offer the critical perspective.

B) Go to the study and decline to comment on Foster-- stick to Colossians.

C) Sleep in.
 
Originally posted by Rick Larson
My church's elder board gather a couple of weeks ago and decided to start a men's bible study Friday mornings from 6-7:00am. They are going to be going through Colossians and the book Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.

I'm disturbed by their choice of Foster's book and don't know if I should...

A) Go to the study and offer the critical perspective.

B) Go to the study and decline to comment on Foster-- stick to Colossians.

C) Sleep in.

Do they know or care that he's a Quaker? Do they know or care that the Quakers don't believe in or practice the sacraments?

After searching vainly for help from the established religious groups and after an inward transformation experience opening to him the knowledge that the love and power of God were available to all people without the help of priests, ministers, or sacraments, Fox began to form little bands of people committed to the same beliefs and practices. The best-known words from Fox's Journal expressing this conviction of an immediate and person relationship with God are these: "There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition."

It is a CMA congregation so I guess they are not confessionally oriented, but Shorter Catechism Q/A 88 or Heidelberg Q/A 65 would be a useful antidote.

From a pastoral pov, it might be best to speak privately to one of the elders before the day of the meeting. To put them on the spot publicly would be achieve optimal results! You might alert them to some of your concerns and offer a good alternative. I assume they're looking for a book on the Christian life. How about Michael Horton, In the Face of God: The Dangers and Delights of Spiritual Intimacy (Waco: Word, 1996)?

The title should attract them and it's a lot more wholesome.

rsc
 
:ditto: Rick, I had to read Foster's book with a group of youth from my old Assemblies of God church preparing for a missions trip to England. While he has some good points on spiritual disciplines (and spiritual discipline in general, contra "letting go and letting God"), and the book is much better than a whole lot of the feel-good fluff that's out there in evangelical circles today, it nonetheless leaves much to be desired, both in theology and its role in our daily lives. As Dr. Clark noted, Quakers do not believe in practicing the sacraments, and that comes out in Foster's treatment of worship, as well as an overemphasis on individualism in some of the other issues, like meditation.

I definitely second Dr. Clark's recommendation for you to suggest Horton's In the Face of God. It is addressing the Christian life in terms of what it biblically means to actually be "spiritual," and as such naturally addresses the issues of discipline and communion with God as well, in addition to prayer, worship, the Church, the places for individuality and community, etc. It would be an absolutely excellent book for a men's study group to discuss.
 
For an update--

I am planning on attending the Bible/Book study starting this Friday morning.

I have a question on Christians meditation. I have not read any books on this subject (save Foster's) and need some clarification. It is my understanding that Christian mediation is simply "thinking deeply on Christ, the Scriptures, whatever is good, pure, etc" and that it has nothing to do with a particular posture, seeking a particular state of consciousness, or seeking a mystical union with Christ.

Am I correct?
 
Thanks, I will have to get Whitney's book and check it out.

I want to bump my earlier inquiry so it doesn't get buried....

I have a question on Christians meditation. I have not read any books on this subject (save Foster's) and need some clarification. It is my understanding that Christian mediation is simply "thinking deeply on Christ, the Scriptures, whatever is good, pure, etc" and that it has nothing to do with a particular posture, seeking a particular state of consciousness, or seeking a mystical union with Christ.

Am I correct?
 
In the small city I live in there is a group of five churches which will be going through Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline in conjunction with lent ending with a "prayer walk" on Palm Sunday. All of these churches are mainline Protestant churches. They are out-Romanizing the RC churches in town!
Foster's book is an eclectic blending of RC mystics, Eastern mysticism and new age thinking. It is a dangerous trend which I'm sure makes the Papal beast very glad.
Here's one critique of Foster's book:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/fosterlinks.htm

The darkness is getting darker!
:2cents:
Jim
 
Originally posted by Rick Larson
I have a question on Christians meditation. I have not read any books on this subject (save Foster's) and need some clarification. It is my understanding that Christian mediation is simply "thinking deeply on Christ, the Scriptures, whatever is good, pure, etc" and that it has nothing to do with a particular posture, seeking a particular state of consciousness, or seeking a mystical union with Christ.

Am I correct?

With regard to Christian meditation in and of itself, and its common use, I believe so. As people have noted though, Foster sometimes seems to go beyond that.

Originally posted by Rick Larson
Thanks, I will have to get Whitney's book and check it out.

...and Horton's of course! ;)
 
Rick,
Yes, I noticed they were against Calvin, but I guess even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while!
Jim
 
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