Rick Warren and Centering Prayer

My passion is Christian mysticism, which has it's foundations on the mystical body of Christ. I am an avid student of the rich history of Christian mystics, St. Paul, St. Augustine, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, and Padre Pio, to name a few. St. Teresa of Avila did a marvelous job of documenting the prayer life of a mystic, and no where in any of these writings is the Centering Prayer (CP) technique mentioned.

In a recent tweet by Rick Warren of Saddleback church, he encouraged his tweet followers to practice CP. As a student of mystical theology I must protest Rick and his current apostasy and, shout "No! No! No!".

The tweet leads to this site, Centering Prayer Trusts Jesus Brings Transformation.

Mr. Warren, centering prayer is eastern mysticism, which draws from divinity from self and not from God. New Agers use mantras and yoga to go to a higher consciousness. As a deliverance minister I am already aware of the dangers of yoga and the harm that Christian practitioners invite into their body and soul.

Colossians 2:4-8
4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it[a] with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

Mr. Warren is introducing dangerous philosophies outside the teachings of Christ. Centering prayer does not bring the transformation that St. Teresa of Avila spoke of in her exhaustive volumes on prayer life. St. Teresa spoke of a transforming union, where one's prayer life, and one's descriptive meditation on reading of the scripture lead's one into a deeper relationship with God. St. Teresa spoke of both mental and vocal prayer in one's prayer life. These are the foundations to a Christian contemplative prayer life.

I believe St. Teresa would have smacked Mr. Warren over the back of the head with a wooden ruler for even suggesting one practice CP. CP entered the church through the teachings of Fr. Keatings. His teachings say that using CP you can bring yourself into a religious experience by practicing CP in your meditation. Contrary to the true church mystic's teachings where God grants us favors of a religious experience that are instigated by Him the most high and not by our own efforts. The use of CP is new Age to bring one into an altered consciousness. Or from a deliverance ministry point of view, opening a doorway. I am not a fear monger so I will leave it at that.

CP is used as a tool for transcendental meditation. This is the same concept it is being used for here. If God won't come to me I shall go to God.

Mr. Warren you need to read the Fire Within, by the late Fr. Thomas DuBay. Even Fr. Dubay denounced CP in his teachings as being New Age and eastern mysticism. There are two types of mystics and contemplation. The Christian mystic whose heart and mind is focused on God. And there is the eastern mystic who is focused on emptying themselves for experiences only they themselves as god can achieve. The later is an abomination of God and it is the fundamental source of CP. A Christian contemplative has a mind and heart fixed on Jesus. An eastern contemplative is focused on emptying their minds.

Fr. Keatings suggests Christians using CP should empty themselves too. This is where the line has been crossed. Prayer is a time to communicate with God, not to empty ourselves and make ourselves void of thought. St. Teresa outlined for us, too, what to do when we get distracted in prayer. It happens. We don't use mantras and centering prayer!

Our ministry has delivered people from yoga, where a presence was there. Again, I don't want to be a fear monger. But remember when you when you go into transcendental meditation you do leave a doorway open to yourself.

Addendum:
12/08/13 - Father Thomas Dubay on contemplation.
Starting at 02:30 Fr. Dubay talks about a person seeking deep prayer life needs to avoid process oriented prayer, and mentions centering prayer.
Fr. Dubay is an expert on contemplative prayer and doesn't like CP because of it's Zen Buddism roots.