2. Last week we began looking at what we have come to know for the last 20 or 30 years as the ‘New Age’. In some ways its not very new any more but it certainly is very pervasive in western society.
We are loosely based in Acts 17 over these three weeks and as I re-read that passage again this week. I was struck by how Paul felt as he saw the great number of idols in the city. Luke writes in verse 16 that he was “greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.”
This upset Paul. He saw people seeking God, but looking in all the wrong places. He saw people who were completely oblivious to message of Jesus Christ and the resurrection. Paul’s motivation for his time in Athens and in fact for his whole mission was his love for these people and hi concern at their lostness. His love was fuelled by Christ’s love. In 2 Cor 5 he wrote ‘Christ’s love compels us’.
Let’s keep Christ’s love for lost people foremost in our minds as we look further at the new age today.
Very briefly in review we said:
- Slide 1:1 - New Age spirituality – now more accurately called postmodern spirituality is the dominant form of spirituality preferred by those seeking today. For the most part people are bypassing the established church and looking for meaning in these many and diverse practices. The clip we saw from Compass just affirmed that.
- Slide 1:2 - New Agers are not the enemy – Satan is the enemy – New Agers are people genuinely seeking to make a connection with the divine. In Acts 17 Paul did not the epicureans or the stoics as people to be fought so much as people to be loved and
- Slide 1:3 - related to through incarnational engagement and respectful dialogue.
- Slide 2:1 - We observed 3 unifying factors in the New Age
a) The Undergirding belief in Monism and Pantheism – all is one therefore all is God. Therefore we are gods waiting to be enlightened.
Slide 2:2 b) The primary objective of personal and planetary transformation – the goal in the new age is for each person to reach a higher level of consciousness and eventually divinity. The ‘new age’ will come when there is a critical mass of people who have made that shift.
Slide 2:3 c) The creed of having no set creed but being syncretistic and eclectic. In the new age you can believe whatever you like – and even incompatible views can be brought together if you like them. The key to a belief system is preference and pragmatism. If you like it and if it works for you then that’s good enough.
And that was enough for one week. Now this week we come to look at what we can glean from this strength of interest in alternative spirituality.
Slide 3 Someone has said “The advent of the new age can be seen as a mixed blessing for Christians who are called to respond in faith to the presence of new religions towards the end of the 20th century. While the new age may be drawing away from traditional faith many dissatisfied individuals who have not embarked on a personal religious quest, it might also be doing a service to Christianity by encouraging Christians to delve deeper into their religious tradition and rediscover its treasures.”
That sums up where I want to go today. A rediscovery of what really is treasure in our own backyard – a return to some of the practices and values that are already ours but that we have neglected or moved away from.
And as we do that I am not saying the New Age has the answers and we need to get on board with them – last week we saw that new age theology is fundamentally flawed. But I am saying that much of what is valued in the New Age is not unique to them. In fact much of what they value is an integral part of an authentically Christian faith. Wondering what I’m speaking of?…
And my suggestion to you today is that if we pick up on these things then we will see what it is that is attracting people to the New Age and why they are bypassing us to put down their spiritual roots there.
In his book Ross Clifford speaks of ‘forgotten truths’. He mentions 4 or 5 but I have a few others I’d like to include also. So I’d like to share 10 of these today.
It means we won’t spend long any one – but it will give you a feel of some of what we can explore if we are to find common ground with New Agers and if we are to relate with them rather than avoiding them.
1. Spirituality is 24/7
Slide 4
If you have met people in the new age then you would know that their spirituality impacts on life in every way. They are big on a constant awareness of the spiritual and its connection to everyday life. Mind power claims to help you be a more effective salesman. Clairvoyants and mediums offer to help you make difficult decisions. Meditation and rebirthing are supposed to heal you from past hurts. In a tough lonely world the new age is a transformation movement – helping people move from brokenness to control of life. Its about helping people cope. And the message is that the spirituality is relevant to everything at every moment.
Some Christians are also up on that but one of the dangerous patterns we drift into is that of segregating the so called secular and sacred. Calling one part of our life spiritual and another work and another play. It has been a trap to switch on to God in church, at Bible study and each morning in our quiet times but then to switch off to him at other times.
New agers remind us that spirituality must permeate everything we do and every part of our lives. New Agers are in touch with their auras, they know whether they are living a centred life today – whether they are rushing or whether they are living. New agers seek to find God in ordinary life – to see his place in the workplace in relationships – in sport and maybe we could do the same.
New agers want a spirituality that runs through the every day – that brings depth to our existence at the banal as well as in the significant and exciting moments.
If we read Paul’s writings we see that he was keen to see our spirituality transform life at the most ordinary level. He spoke of all sorts of everyday parts of life that would be impacted by God if we let him – of work – of food – of sex – of money – he saw that the gospel infected everything we do. He wrote ‘whatever you do in word or deed do it all to the glory of God’.
It’s a 24 hour a day 7 day a week spirituality and its something people are seeking.
One of the themes that is emerging in the new takes on church life is what’s known as Celtic spirituality. Its an ancient form of Christianity that essentially was about a lifestyle of godliness rather than periods of godliness. And we would do well to start to explore some of what that means today because it would help us as we relate to people who are seeking a lifestyle of godliness rather than an hour.
2. We are connected to creation
Slide 5
New agers are well known for their heart for the environment – for their interest in all kinds of issues such as old growth forests to nuclear disarmament. Part of this stems from their belief that all is one and all is God – but there is also a very genuine concern for the planet and for healthy practice. And it something we need to regain. We are stewards of this creation – God has put us in charge of it – but many would say we have raped and abused the planet and now we are suffering the consequences.
Teilhard de Chardin once said ‘Nothing here below is profane for those who know how to see. On the contrary everything here is sacred’. He’s speaking of a valuing of the whole of creation.
Up until 10 or 20 years ago Christians were not known widely for any kind of ecological conscience – it was only ‘liberals’ who were into that stuff. (And I have to confess that my own environmental concern went no further than not littering – and being concerned about sewerage being tipped into the surf!). We were on about ‘the gospel’. But more recently we have seen Christians show genuine concern for the way we in which we manage our natural environment. We have seen Christians recognising that all is God’s creation and we need to treat it with respect and with a sense of responsibility rather than exploitation. We have seen that looking after the planet is part of the gospel. Romans 8:22 says the whole creation groans for redemption and we are part of that.
New agers remind us that we are not separate from the rest of creation – when we mess it up we mess us up. There is a balance in the natural environment and we are integral to that balance. When we seek to restore it then we function as God intended.
What’s that mean? Even small things like recycling, using less water, not burning open fires, not chopping trees down unless we have to all make a statement. If we neglect the care of the planet then we become poor stewards of what God has entrusted to us – but we also offend and alienate ourselves from people who we could and should have some common ground with.
3. Jesus is attractive
Slide 6
Let’s not hide him away or be ashamed of him – most people in the new age really like Jesus!
If you don’t believe me then listen to Fiona Horne’s thoughts. Remember she is probably Australia’s best known witch.
“I dig Jesus and so do many other witches. Its not his fault that Christianity is so confused today and as a person he was a very special guy, wise and generous, selfless and loving. I think he’d be horrified to see what his teachings have come to today. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that if he was around today with his values of tolerance, acceptance, respect for nature and fellow people, he’d be a witch.”
What’s she saying? She likes him – he’s ok – if I ever got to sit down with her I think I’d start to talk with her about Jesus.
Or maybe John – a regular at the Philosophy Café who is into mocking and ridiculing anything Christian. In a break one evening we got talking. He identified himself as a Buddhist. I asked more of his spiritual journey. He told me he did the usual Sunday school stuff – heard all the fairy stories – never bought it – it was all such nonsense. He spoke a bit more strongly than that and at that point I thought I should save this man the danger of embarrassment by letting him know who I am.
I said ‘before you go any further I should just let you know that I am a pastor in a Christian church’. I don’t think it fazed him much but then he said ‘No problem I had a cousin in Melbourne who was a Methodist minister’. I couldn’t see the connection but anyway. Then he went on to tell me that he didn’t believe in God (as Buddhists don’t) and had issues with the church – but Jesus – he was great – because he could see him as a Buddha.
Jesus is held in high regard by many people who would have nothing to do with established Christianity.
I sometimes wonder if we have been too shy about speaking of Jesus – too shy of helping people see what kind of person he is.
As we read about Paul in Acts 17 we see him speaking of the good news of ‘Jesus and the resurrection’ – Paul spoke of Jesus. Elsewhere we hear him preaching ‘Christ and him crucified’.
We need to be aware that the view among new agers is that Jesus was an ‘enlightened one’ and that if we move down the path of self actualisation / attunement or whatever you choose to call it that we can be who he was.
But I am reminded again in my conversations with people that Jesus and his teachings are not considered absurd. We do strike potential conflict when we start to speak of him as the only way to God – and sooner or later we must do that – but – we can begin with people’s genuine appreciation of him.
As much as new agers may be rejecting church and establishment – Jesus does not seem to stand for that to them.
4. God is not a WASPM
Slide 7
God is not a white anglo saxon protestant male. Perhaps a more cynical person than I would say ‘God is not a Sydney Anglican!’ but I wouldn’t say that!! What a stir the whole Sydney diocese have created by their refusal to accept women into ordination!
Back to the main point. Simply put – God is not a man and he is bigger than we have often made him. He is not limited by our concepts of gender. It doesn’t mean we ought not to refer to him as father – that is one of the primary modes he has revealed himself to us. But it does mean we need to appreciate that there are other images. The name ‘El Shaddai’ derives from the Hebrew word ‘shad’ meaning ‘breast’. Martin Luther in his commentary on Genesis saw maternal images evoked by this divine name. He wrote “God depicts himself to us, as it were, in the form of a woman and mother’
Garth spoke on more of these images recently – the mother images of God. We need to ‘get’ that its not in any way heretical and it is something New agers remind us of. Our need to see a fuller picture of God and out of that our need to honour women and treat them as equals.
To quote Ross Clifford in his chapter on Wicca: “Wiccan spirituality speaks to the church regarding the issue of women. We are not surprised that many women are leaving the Western churches and looking for a spiritual life that affirms them. Here the church has not been in tune with the Spirit of Jesus who set himself against the patriarchal attitudes of his day and upheld the dignity and value of women”.
The New Age tends to have a higher percentage of women than traditional religious practice. Possibly because there is more scope for leadership and involvement and appreciation.
I don’t want to labour this point as I think we can see it sway too much the other way as well. But – again the new age reminds us that there is a bigger picture than we have sometimes acknowledged. And that that picture is very much one that we should own.
5. Spiritual power is very real & ought to be experienced.
Ross Clifford writes that the hardest thing for a new age trance medium who became a Christian was that the people who led her to Christ didn’t take seriously spiritual warfare. They were oblivious to the powers that she knew so intimately.
Christian author Neal Anderson had this story on his website. “Recently I challenged two my students to attend, for the sake of research, a New Age conference being held two blocks from our school. When they arrived at the door and discovered the cost to be $65 each, they started to walk away. But two strangers approached them saying, "We were told to give you these tickets." My wide-eyed students took the tickets and walked in.”
That sounds like a Christian story doesn’t it. New Agers experience spiritual power – perhaps more than we do sometimes and they remind us that powerful and mysterious spiritual experiences are an important part of our journey.
Following Jesus is not all about Bible studies and fellowship. There is a richer, deeper more powerful spirituality than we have been conditioned to avoid.
As I walked thru K Mart a few weeks back this sermon series was percolating in my mind and I stopped in the book section to have a look at the ‘alternative books’. I picked up one that was about dreams, visions, angels and spirit guides. As I read thru some of what was said I found myself wondering ‘why are new agers so big on some of this stuff and why is traditional Christianity so dismissive’
Each of those things are our stuff – God can speak thru dreams and visions, we know angels are described by Hebrews as ‘ministering spirits’ beings God uses in this realm for various tasks. And as I read about ‘spirit guides’ I reflected on the fact that every believer has a spirit guide.
Somehow it seems like new agers are generally seeking to be a bit more in tune with these things than we are. And yet this is a vital part of our spirituality and perhaps even validating who we are.
I am reminded of the story in Acts of Simon the first century sorcerer. Perhaps a 1st Century ‘new ager’ of sorts who saw the apostles at work and saw the incredible power of the Holy Spirit in their ministry. He knew it exceeded anything he could offer so he even tried to buy their power off them.
I think if New Agers could see God’s power at work in our midst then they might be similarly ‘wowed’.
6. We are godlike
Slide 8
New Agers tell us that we are all actually gods waiting to be enlightened.
I remember going through Bible college and learning about the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. I remember coming across the doctrine of ‘total depravity’. I thought I knew a few people from my uni days who were totally depraved! But I also remember thinking to myself that I probably wouldn’t ever be using that doctrine to convince a person they needed Jesus. The phrase means that every part our being is tainted by sin – but the concept of total depravity conjures up Sodom and Gomorrah type images.
For a long time there was big focus on the sinfulness of mankind and the need of a saviour. Not wrong – but perhaps we neglected to give adequate emphasis to the fact that we are made in God’s image – that is some of the father’s likeness already in us.
When speaking with a new ager this is a common ground point. We are created in his image – but that is different to being him. We can argue that is it possible for us to be connected to the divine and that happens when the spark of God in us catches fire and his spirit regenerates our spirits.
We are not gods – but we are like God in some ways – that’s what it means to be made in his image.
It doesn’t mean downplaying the reality of our sin – but it does mean accepting that God has made us like him and accepting the beauty and value in who we are.
7. Acceptance and tolerance fosters dialogue
Slide 9
Whereas confrontation and argument often result in polarisation and demonisation of the other person. Most of us have grown up in an era where we were taught to ‘defend’ our faith – where we may have even been led down some fairly uncompromising paths to share the gospel. Where we were taught how to put up a fight.
If you imagine a JW coming to your door you know how that feels. You know they are going to try and convince you of their way and you aren’t going to bite – that’s if you can even be bothered opening the door. And often if you reject their view they will argue all the more to convince you. At the end of the day someone wins and someone loses. And maybe some of you love a bit of biblical biffo – but it won’t be the way a new ager comes to Christ.
John Drane – one of the world’s leading researchers and practitioners in this area has said “no New Ager will ever be won over by confrontation” It is completely counter to their core values of acceptance and tolerance.
Now – to be fair, New Agers have no truth to defend so its much easier for them to be tolerant and accepting because everybody is right – If it works for you – whatever sounds good to you – that’s fine. Where there are no boundaries you can only have acceptance and tolerance. But we need to appreciate that if we are to relate in today’s world.
Our Philosophy Café is based on these values – we discuss and respect other points of view.
Typically we as Christians have been good at ‘taking a stand’. Of letting people know exactly where we sit issues so there can be no mistake – and there is a definite place for that. But the danger is that it doesn’t allow for further conversation because it can be seen as an aggressive act rather than an engaging act.
If people know Fred Nile for anything its his stance on issues. He is very vocal and sometimes he probably gets it right. But if we were to ask the average Aussie what they thought of him he probably wouldn’t be held in very high regard. I thin some unsavoury words would get used – especially if that average Aussie had new age views.
Contrast Fred Nile’s image with that of one of the smartest politicians in the land – Tim Costello. The man who says he stayed out of party politics because he felt he could have more of an influence on Australia in his current role. If you read ‘Nova’ magazine this week you would have seen Tim’s face smiling out at you from the centre pages as he will be in Perth speaking at the UWA extension classes on ‘Building a better future’. Tim is every bit as fair dinkum about his faith as Fred is – but Tim will be heard because he is perceived to also be a listener. You may have seen him on TV occasionally getting asked tough questions about church decline or child abuse and he gets grilled – but his answers are always respectful and full of grace. And he will speak passionately on issues he believes in (ask him about Casinos and gambling) but again with a spirit of love rather than disdain.
Rather than reacting like stray dogs needing to mark our territory maybe we can move to simply listening and allowing people to share their journeys. Hearing and asking questions. Its often in the listening and questioning that the greatest love is shown. There is a place for confrontation but I would suggest it comes after there has been dialogue – and it comes in the context of a relationship.
In Acts 17 Paul is not shy about what he thinks, but he shows an appreciation of what the Athenians are into as well. He seeks to keep the channels of communication open – and some say ‘we want to hear you again on this’.
8. Mystery and ritual is a valuable part of spirituality
Slide 10
I find it really interesting that one of the things people are appreciating about the new age is its focus on ritual and mystery in religious practice. Its as if people enjoy these practices because they are a source of meaning. And its not just older people – its young people as well.
Its kind of hard for us to hear people saying that because we have spent so long trying to demystify church so that they would feel welcome. The church has just got its seeker sensitive act together! And now they seem to be saying we want and we value the esoteric and the mysterious. Its like ‘but we just figured this thing out – do we have to change again!!!’ Perhaps its just that seekers are sensitive to different things now – the landscape changes and we need to change with it.
Or – Maybe Francis Schaeffer was right when he said ‘the church specialises in always being a little behind’. Maybe we are just playing catch up again!
A friend of mine who I was involved in youth ministry with made an intriguing choice a few years back. He was the head of Perth Youth For Christ, we used to call him the crowd-breaker king because no one pull games off with young people like Peter could – he was part of a large Pentecostal church – he was on the cutting edge of all that was happening in the Perth youth scene and he was knew his stuff. Then he went to Bible college overseas and in the space of a couple of years he had been ordained into the high Anglican priesthood – bells, smells and whistles – he was there – because he was saying – there was a richness in the practice that he had felt lacking in his own tradition. This Mr fun guy had suddenly turned tail and moved to the other side of the spectrum. Very strange!
Some of you would have come across a recent fictional work has captured the spiritual essence of our time. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield sold 8.5 million copies, making it the best selling work of fiction in hardcover in modern publishing history. It spent three years on the New York Times bestsellers list. Redfield’s narrative describes a shift to a spiritual culture. The awakening, he says, "represents the creation of a new, more complete worldview which replaces a 500-year old preoccupation with secular survival and comfort.… The slavish devotion of the modern world to science and reason has (until now) left little room for mystery or true spirituality."
New agers are seeking it – it’s a huge part of our heritage – maybe it’s a part we need to look at revisiting if we are seeking to reconnect with people in meaningful ways.
I have said to Garth and Tim that this whole area opens up doors for us to connect into. Garth’s spiritual retreats could also be done with pagans.
9. There is an afterlife
Slide 11
As much as New Agers are very eclectic in their views on the next life there is a strong view that there must be something more – that this life is not the end and how we live here and now has some bearing on the next stage.
This may seem a strange one to say to church people – especially evangelicals, but I wonder how many of us live as if this next 80 years is all there is and need to be reminded of this one.
Russell Crowe as ‘Gladiator’ said ‘the things we do in this world echo in eternity’ In theory we believe that.
I wonder what our lifestyles and behaviours say about what we really value. Are we investing in the kingdom and building up treasure in heaven or have we built our kingdom down here.
Are we living what we believe to be true?
10. Life is for enjoying!
Slide 12
Very simply put, New Agers are pleasure seekers – the new age thrives on enjoyment and they want to get the most out of life.
Our own creed says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
A spirituality that brings enjoyment.
I read Manning Clark’s autobiography recently and I was disturbed by the incredible range of names he came up with to describe Christians. God bothers, wowsers, life deniers, straighteners – all names that spoke of a flattening of the experience of life rather than an invigorating experience. And we have to acknowledge that there is a perception that Christianity is about don’t rather than dos – yet Jesus said ‘I have come that you may life – life to the full’
New Agers have helped us see the importance of slowing down and living healthy balanced lives – as Christians we have been so busy with work church family etc and these folks are saying chill out – take time to reflect & relax and enjoy.
If we are to see New Agers come to Christ and want to be part of his kingdom then it better not look and feel like the kingdom of glum. It doesn’t have to be happy happy joy joy, authenticity is vital – but people do need to see that knowing God is an enjoyable thing.
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If we return to the start of the message we will remember that Paul was distressed in Athens because he saw a city full of idols and with no Christian presence. Our city is full of churches and idols still abound. What is that saying? What would Paul feel if he came to Kalamunda? In some ways its more tragic to be us than Athens because the truth appears to be present but innocuous.
Or maybe we just need to know better how to communicate it.
Next week we’ll take a look at what the Christian tradition can offer to the new age and we’ll consider some practical ways we may be able to connect with new agers here.
