This blog post is about Church Resource Ministries, which began in 1980. It has become a proponent of the emerging church and contemplative prayer. They have become rather cultish, as the walk they suggest with Christ is in fact based on the "works" and "disciplines" of contemplative prayer. Becoming a member of CRM is not without "expectations." Who can read this below and still believe 'contemplative prayer' makes one free?
Within the Imago Christi website, we find the 'Basics' about CRM http://imagochristi.org/AboutCrm.aspx . In the final paragraphs are listed the expectations of CRM for their members. Focusing upon Imago Christi for this article, even though you can go onto various rabbit trails in the others, there are many curious things going on within the teachings and seminars. Under 'About Us' and clicking onto the 'Covenant' you find some, let's say, interesting 'requirements' for taking the courses they offer. http://imagochristi.org/covenant.aspx
Some direct quotes: 2c says "... Devote at least a half-hour a day to listening prayer. By 'listening prayer' we mean meditation and contemplation that is responsive to God’s leading."
In 3b one can't make it on their own? "Maintain monthly personal or telephone contact with a Core Community accountability partner, in the context of my Personal Spiritual Formation Plan, disciplines, and weekly journals (accountability partners will rotate annually)."
In 3e you must "Maintain active accountability for the covenant to Imago Christi, by developing a CRM Role Description with annual goals and submitting a written annual review to the Core Community, to be reviewed by the Leadership Triad. ..."
On the home page http://imagochristi.org/default.aspx , Tom Ashbrook, the director, leads you to read his book, 'Mansions of the Heart'. This is a '...process of spiritual growth...' using Teresa of Avila's Seven Mansions:
"Imago Christ is developing a series of Coaching Manuals that will help leadership coaches and spiritual directors coach important spiritual growth experiences:
• Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius as a six month daily prayer experience
• Abiding Prayer
• Using the Seven Mansions of Teresa of Avila as a spiritual formation paradigm
• Developing a Spiritual Formation Plan
• Use of Spiritual Disciplines that Fit Us and our Place in the Journey
The Coaching Manuals are offered with coaching training by Imago Christi. Projected release is winter of 2010."
Also on the 'Organization' page http://imagochristi.org/organization.aspx under 'Novitiate Members' is this: " As God calls people to become part of the Imago Christi Core Community, sharing in its Rule of Life and ministry, they enter a year of practice and discernment, called a Novitiate. During this time they participate fully in the Core Imago Christi Community, but only pledge themselves to a covenant relationship at the end of the Novitiate period. "
In the 'Links' portion, Renovare http://www.renovare.org / , Potter's Inn http://pottersinn.com/ and a fairly new website/ministry of Talbot Theological Seminary called Metamorpha http://www.metamorpha.com / are recommended by Imago Christi.
Tom Ashbrook's extensive article about the Seven Mansions is found here http://www.metamorpha.com/tabid/75/xmmid/445/xmid/743/xmview/2/Default.aspx
well worth the read to find out what Talbot and CRM are promoting.
Digressing a little to Talbot, within 'Metamorpha' is this http://www.metamorpha.com/tabid/75/xmmid/445/xmid/744/xmview/2/Default.aspx
which has these paragraphs:
"... As recorded in The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, Teresa of Avila (1515–82) experienced visions (perceptions of the mind’s eye), locutions (inner voices), and ecstasies that culminated in the experience of spiritual marriage. Teresa’s mystical experiences impelled her not only to a deeper life of prayer, but also to a life of active service to the church."
Anglican spiritual writer Evelyn Underhill (1875–1941) envisaged mysticism as the establishment of intimate, conscious relation with the Infinite, or God. Underhill encouraged both advancement on the mystical journey and commitment to practical social action. While reluctant to describe himself as a mystic, C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) readily acknowledged the mystical core of Christianity:
“The best is perhaps what we understand least.” Henri Nouwen (1932–96) described mysticism as “the discipline of dwelling in the presence of the One who keeps asking us, ‘Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?’ It is the discipline of contemplative prayer. Through contemplative prayer we can keep ourselves from being pulled from one urgent issue to another and from becoming strangers to our own and God’s heart.”
"Mystical union with Christ was championed by other authorities, including Pseudo- Macarius (fourth century), John Ruysbroeck (1293–1381), Julian of Norwich (1342–ca.1416), Thomas à Kempis (ca.1379– 1471), John of the Cross (1542– 91), Brother Lawrence (ca.1610–91), George Fox (1624–91), Mme. Jeanne Guyon (1648–1717), William Law (1686–1761), John Woolman (1720–72), many Puritans and Pietists, and Thomas Merton (1915–68). ..."
Should you contact them be aware that the president, Sam Metcalf, might tell you this: "...CRM is committed to serve the emerging church and to help in any way possible to develop and empower the leadership of this movement...While some would attack the emerging church on theological grounds, my suspicion is the real backlash is primarily cultural. In most respects, the emerging church movement is profoundly biblical. Unfortunately, too much of the response from the established evangelical world to what God is doing in the emerging church movement is akin to a mother eating her young. I cannot help but believe that this grieves God..."
