There is a movement that has taken hold in the Nazarene denomination calling on people (mostly the young) to embrace an Ancient-Future worship style. The movement draws its adherents to look to the past, or early church fathers for a new direction for the future of worship.
This movement embraces the pietism of early monastic life, and of practices of the early Roman Catholic Church; it points devotees to the Desert Fathers. Because Ancient-Future worship practices are considered ancient, these practices are touted as being biblical and authentic. Are they biblical? Does God define the ways we come to Him, or does man? Are these ancient mystical practices found in scripture? Did the early believers in Acts practice these worship methods? How did some of these ancient mystical methods of prayer and worship develop?
This appeal for mysticism and experiential-feelings type worship is a result of:
- Dead churches not training, equipping, and exhorting congregations to put their faith to action and witness to those who are lost with the life-changing gospel and to then help the hopeless.
- Legalism – adding rules and standards that are extra-biblical and not contained in scripture.
- Lack of Biblical exegetical preaching and teaching so that those weak in the faith are swayed by every new fad that saunters down the pike.
- Churches that embrace pragmatic church growth, seeker-sensitive, market-driven programs that water-down preaching and teaching to appeal to the world.
These ancient practices that are being embraced in some churches today through youth pastors, and some New Start nazarene emergent churches and universities include: prayer labyrinths, prayer walks or stations, lectio divina, lenten practices, Ash Wednesday observances, practicing monastism, taking retreats to monastaries, praying the rosary or prayer beads, centering prayer. Ecumenism and unity with other faiths is being embraced. There is a strong appeal for Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. All this under the guise and appeal of Ancient-Future worship.
Robert Webber (now deceased), Richard Foster, and Dallas Willard are the main authors of this movement. They have written books that are used on the college campuses to promote the ancient-future practices as a “new way” for re-inventing Christianity.
Here is a link to Robert Webber’s site. He sent out a written document called The Call for people to read and sign; if they agreed with The Call they signed it. Here is the link. You need to scroll down the page to read The Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future.
http://www.ancientfutureworship.com/afw_wkshps.html
Here is a list of Nazarene signers to The Call (as of November 17, 2006):
- Rev. Ken Balch, Mission Director, Mid-Atlantic COTN, Crofton MD
- Sam S. Barber, Senior Pastor, Troy COTN, Troy, OH
- Dan Boone, President, Trevecca Nazarene University, Nashville, TN
- Daron B. Brown, Pastor, COTN, Waverly, TN
- Rev. James B. Chapman, Sonlight COTN, Minneapolis, MN
- Eric Frey, Toronto First COTN, Toronto, OH
- Timothy Green
- Dr. Sam Green, Associate Professor of Music, Chair of the Division of Music, Trevecca Nazarene University, Nashville, TN
- Chad A. Harvey, Pastor, Little Sandy COTN, Bruceton Mills, WV
- Rich Mark, Pastor to Families with Children, Nashville First COTN, TN
- Scott Marshall, Pastor of Fellowship & Discipleship, Southside COTN, Chesterfield, VA
- Rev. Harlan Moore, Minister of Worship Arts, Bethany First COTN, Bethany, OK
- Brian M. Niece, Pastor, Grace Community COTN, Brusnwick, GA
- Dr. Charles Nienkirchen, Prof. of Christian History & Spirituality, Alliance University College/Nazarene University College, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Rev. Brent Peterson, Pastor, Chicago Northside COTN, Chicago, IL
- Rev. Brian K. Postlewait, Spiritual Director, Community of Hope, Inc., Washington D.C.
- John D. Prichard II, Lead Pastor, Butler COTN, Butler, MO
- Dr. Keith Schwanz, Assistant Dean, Nazarene Theological Seminary, Kansas City, MO
- Rev. Todd A. Stepp, O.S.L., Pastor, COTN, Greencastle, IN
- Rev. A. Blake Teston, Lead Pastor, Blackwell First COTN, Blackwell, OK
- Rev. Brian R. Thomas, Sr. Pastor, Wasilla Lake COTN, Wasilla, AK
- Rev. Greg Voiles, COTN, Elder, Ph.D. Preparation Historical Theology & Christian Spirituality (Fall 2007), Allardt, TN
- Michael Wiebe, Minister of Worship & Music, First COTN, Nampa ID
Here is the link to check the signers: http://www.ancientfutureworship.com/afw_callsigners2.html
The Nazarene Publishing House is also promoting ancient-future materials to Nazarene youth through the following selections:
This is why we left the Nazarene Church. We did not feel that it was safe to allow our two youngest children to go through our Nazarene church’s youth group. This material was being introduced along with Rob Bell’s Nooma video’s….and we saw that Ancient-Future practices were also well entrenched at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and Trevecca Nazarene University.
There is an agenda coming together of unity with other religions, with mysticism as the cement that binds the faiths together. There is a drawing away of people taking place (especially the young) from solid propositional truth-teaching from the Bible to the false fire created by man to offer to God experiences and feelings over what is written in His Word. There is a move towards the Catholic Church.
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. Acts 20: 28-31
For further research on Ancient-Future worship go to these links:
Evangelical Mysticism? http://www.thebereancall.org/node/6433
Ancient-Future Heresies http://www.thebereancall.org/node/6535
Why Evangelicals Are Returning to Rome http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue105.htm
Here’s a post from the Emergent Nazarenes blog discussing Ancient-Future http://emergentnazarenes.blogspot.com/2006/09/dialogue-with-our-modern-nazarene.html
Lighthouse Trails Research article on Ancient-Future http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=1391&c=1
More shocking information, ex-naz. Hard to keep up with all this. Thanks for your work, I will bring this posting to the attention of those I am warning.
Good evening,
A friend referred me to your site after he read my name above. Perhaps I should just ignore your post, but in the spirit of openness and transparency, and late night boredom, here I am.
I just wonder if you read The Call that I and others of us signed?
Your main objections seem to be centered around worship practices, fair enough. The Call, as it is written however, addresses much more than worship. I would invite any Nazarene/evangelical/christian to read this and make up their mind for themselves.
No doubt some will disagree, but God by the Spirit seems to have a way of separating the wheat from the chaff. Indeed in time, some things will wax, others will wane.
I’m sorry that you had such a negative experience with the church. I can tell by your passion that you are a man seeking to know God more faithfully, and that you hope the same for your family. I too have times when I’m disappointed in the church, as I am with myself.
Blessings,
Brian
Yes, Brian, I have read The Call.
There are some good things mixed in with some concerning statements in The Call.
It should also be noted that Brian MacLaren is listed on The Board of Reference to The Call. That is a red flag of warning unto itself.
Part of The Call states that the church needs to recover some of the faith and traditions from Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.
This may seam minor, but, in emergent writings, there is a consistent downplaying of Scripture. Scripture is referred to as “God’s story” or “God’s narrative”. It is a subtle reduction of Scriptural authority. Scripture is more powerful than a story or a narrative. (No, I don’t worship the Bible.)
The Call suggests that we need to turn away from modern theological methods that reduce the gospel to mere propositions.
This is a very concerning statement. Today’s postmoderns claim that we cannot know and despise truth statements or propositional truth as “modern” or bigoted.
Postmoderns dismantle systematic theology and call it modern in its approach and look at scripture in a disjointed framework.
The Call urges ecumenism and unity with other faiths. Parts of this sound appealing, but, it is not strong enough in its statement. We cannot unite with the other faiths in the world such as, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc. All these, and others, have major theological flaws that cannot be embraced by a true believer in the spirit of peace and unity.
The Call states that evangelicals need to return to a historic spirituality like that practiced in the ancient catechumenate.
We merely need to return to Scripture for true spirituality and NOT the traditions of the ancient church. Things began to go awry early on. Paul warned about it and was constantly correcting the believers. So trusting in practices or traditions formed by the ancient church is not a foundation to stand on.
This is where Spiritual Formation comes in the door through traditions and practices formed by the ancient church. Practices that have no biblical foundation.
The Call states that we should move with intention to proclaim a loving, transcedent, triune God who has become involved in our history.
This only paints a slanted picture of God’s character. God is holy and just and will judge sin.
There is also a subtle implication of Open Theology in this statement….that God is not sovereign but is waiting for us to act in certain ways before He can move or “show up”.
God has stated the beginning from the end in His Word. He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith, the Alpha and the Omega. His Kingdom will come on His terms as stated in Scripture, not on our terms.
Those are the truths that we are Called to proclaim and live by and serve others by.
What good elements can you affirm?