vision casting?

The comparison to the Indian vision casting is not equal or legitimate.

1. Indians are not praying to the one true and living God for direction.
2. Church members are not using a hallucinogenic to aid in receiving a vision.


Vision casting in the church is nothing more than looking for direction from God. Playing on words in this way (as you have done) is misleading. We all look to receive direction from God for things in the church and in our individual lives.

 

I agree with Rev Mitchell.

I was advising a pastor not long ago on how to lead the congregation (My MBA is in Leadership). I simply told him that he should look into God's Word, see how to take the church from where it is to become more like the New Testament Church, and cast that vision in increments.

Vision casting is not evil if the vision is Biblical.

On the other hand, the vision casting that is demonstrated in the first post conveys some sort of mysticism. This mystical approach is garbage. In leading a church, the vision has been cast by the greatest of all minds, God's. We just need to become fully saturated by renewing our mind through God's Word in order to become more clear of His vision.

The problem is not casting a vision. The question is whose vision are we seeking to implant in our congregations, ours or God's? God's does not come from mysticism but from the Bible.

 

Here is the key statement:

He seems to take issue with the Pastor casting vision and presenting it to the church and then making a false comparison between that and hallucinogenic peyote sweat lodges of Native Americans. Then he makes and overreaching statement by suggesting this is going on all over the church world.

 

It is weird to me as well. I believe such an action would be to get people to visualize what ever the vision would look like. Sometimes folks may struggle to understand what something may look like and therefore getting them to buy into it. But it falls way short of intentionally invoking a hallucination by means of peyote.

 

I've never heard of this happening in church before. I've heard of people meditating while walking in a circular type of maze, but not this. Maybe it's a regional thing.

 

Weird. I would feel uncomfortable with it as well. Might make a stumblingblock for some to open themselves up to New Age ideas.

 

First I know where Chaco Canyon is I am not far from there. Second sweat lodges are founded by native Americans and include peyote regardless of who is involved.

Because The difficulty arrives from the application of it. I do not do the close your eyes thing. Prayer and patience is a much better practice. But it is a far cry from new age anything.

Terminology and closing eyes to see the vision are not one in the same.

Hyper-pragmatism is the issue here not new ageism.

Your assumption here is that it is borrowed. The the inspired writers of scripture borrow that word from new agers?

Pro 29:18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.

Night and day...apples and refrigerators

no

Possibly

His action was inappropriate but it would have been helpful to make this the op instead of such a sweeping indictment. This clears things up more than your op.

I'm not sure you know what is new age and what is not based on this thread. I am all for exposing lies in the church but we do not need to create false boogy men. The meditation thing going on in the church is found out of Hindu mysticism not necessarily new ageism. And things like contemplative prayer and such should have no place in the church.

 

Please enlighten us with your interpretation of new age thought on the bcnm website. I am sure Dr. Bunce would be interested in your input.

 

This is not unusual, and it is penetrating "evangelical" churches all over the world, including some Baptists. One Pastor that has perfected this method of "preaching" is David Yonggi Cho in South Korea, pastor of the largest church in the world, albeit Full Gospel. It is called visualization, sometimes imaginative prayer. One is supposed to use all five senses as he creates a vision in his mind where he walks himself through the scene in the garden (for example). In essence you are losing control of your mind and allowing it to be controlled subconsciously.

I wouldn't be surprised if Joel Osteen implements the same method.

Here is an article written by David Cloud:
http://www.wayoflife.org/database/visualization.html

 

Is use of Power Point considered vision casting?

 

Is this supported by Scripture?

 

Absolutely not. Any practice where one abandons the use of their mind is condemned by Scripture which tells us to bring every thought to the obedience of Christ.

 

Give me a break. The guy in SK is unscriptural. But equating that to the circumstances in the op is just incorrect.

 

I personally would remain skeptical until I would prove it out through scripture. The Devil can take many forms & is always on the prowl.