Be Still DVD
The
DVD was released in April 2006 and presenters include Beth Moore,
Max Lucado, Richard Foster, Dallas Willard and many others.
Don't be fooled. This DVD is an advertising campaign for mystical
contemplative prayer.
ABOUT THE DVD
The Be Still DVD, released April 2006 by Fox Home Entertainment, and featuring Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Calvin Miller and Beth Moore has one main message: You cannot know God if you do not practice the art of going into the silence.
That silence the DVD refers to is a special state of mind, different than normal prayer, and the DVD introduces an array of meditators, from a number of religious persuasions, to tell viewers about this state of silence. From those who promote guided imagery (Katherine-Brown Sultzman) to those who promote interspirituality, the DVD should not be classified as Christian. Jesus Christ is rarely mentioned, nor is the gospel presented. What is presented is a deceptive collection of dangerous commentaries, and there should be a warning label on the cover - NSFA - Not Safe For Anyone.
I think Richard Foster spelled it out clearly when in the DVD he said, "The wonderful thing about contemplative prayer is that it can be found everywhere, anywhere, anytime for anyone." In other words, you can practice this meditative tool and reach divinity, have peace and know God ... regardless of where you are with Jesus Christ.
This very deep-rooted heresy called contemplative spirituality (i.e., spiritual formation) negates the Cross, demeans the sacrifice of Jesus, and nullifies the only way for man to be saved.
Quotes About the DVD
"You can engage in contemplative prayer anywhere at any time, either by yourself or with others. Essentially, 'Be Still' mentions, you become a portable sanctuary as you do."—Whitney Hopler, "Be Still" Invites Viewers to Discover Contemplative Prayer
Note: This portable sanctuary that Hopler refers to is mentioned in the DVD by Richard Foster who says we can become portable sanctuaries if we engage in this mystical prayer practice. And he says anyone can practice this and get results. In other words, it has nothing to do with being born again and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord that makes us "portable sanctuaries." In fact, that isn't even a prerequisite.
"My husband and I wanted to find a way to introduce others in the modern church to this beautiful early church practice."—Amy Reinhold, Producer and Director of DVD
"The modern Christian leaders interviewed on 'Be Still' also discuss some Christians throughout history—such as Francis of Assisi, C.S. Lewis, Evelyn Underhill, Madame Guyon, and Brother Lawrence—whose practice of contemplative prayer inspires them."—Whitney Hopler, "Be Still" Invites Viewers to Discover Contemplative Prayer
Quotes from those on the DVD
"The wonderful thing about contemplative prayer is that it can be found everywhere, anywhere, any time for anyone. We become a portable sanctuary, so that we are living our life, wherever it is, aware of the goodness of God, the presence of God." Richard Foster
"One of the great things silence does, it gives us a new concept of God."—Calvin Miller
"[I]f we are not still before Him [God], we will never truly know to the depths of the marrow of our bones that He is God. There's got to be a stillness."—Beth Moore
"Contemplation
is different from other types of Christian prayer." DVD Narrator
"O Divine Master, teach me this mute language which says so
much." Richard Foster, quoting Jesuit Priest (18th century) Jean
Nicholas Grou
"It [contemplative prayer]is somewhat like the story of electricity
with Benjamin Franklin. And actually, we know now that electricity’s
everywhere...." Dallas Willard
"Kierkegaard,
probably the greatest Protestant Christian mind of all time,
said ... "If I could prescribe only one remedy for all the ills
of the modern world, I would prescribe silence." Peter
Kreeft
Richard Foster and the BE STILL DVD
by Ray Yungen
"Richard Foster, one of the speakers in the new Fox Home Entertainment Be Still DVD, is highly regarded and well respected in much of the evangelical community. His book, Celebration of Discipline, has had a massive influence on Christendom for many years. And yet, Foster has a long history of drawing from spiritual wells that reflect eastern mystical beliefs. But with names such as Beth Moore (see statement by Moore) and Max Lucado on the Be Still DVD label, most people will automatically trust the content of this program. This means that tens of thousands of people will be introduced to Richard Foster's spirituality with a sense of security that what they are watching is biblically sound, relevant for their lives and accepted by those whom they have long trusted and looked up to." For rest of article, click here.
Information about those on the DVD
Dr. Peter Kreeft on Be Still
DVD--Meeting Buddha in Heaven?
From a
book review of Peter Kreeft's book, Ecumenical Jihad:
"Mr. Kreeft claims to have had an out of body experience while
surfing in Hawaii. During this experience, he 'soul-surfed' and
landed on a 'Heavenly beach.' [p. 86] There, he met and spoke
with Confucius, Buddha, Mohammed, and Moses. In the afterlife,
all have become pious Roman Catholics. Nonetheless, Mohammed still
teaches (and Kreeft appears to agree) that the Koran is 'divine
revelation.' See rest
of review and more information about this book.
Beth Moore and the Be Still DVD
Quotes by Those on the BE
STILL DVD
Note:
Quotes listed are not on Be Still DVD but in various writings
of these authors.
"[W]e began experiencing that 'sweet sinking into Deity' Madame Guyon speaks of. It, very honestly, had much the same 'feel' and 'smell' as the experiences I had been reading about in the Devotional Masters"—Richard Foster, from Renovare Perspective, 01/ 1998
"What an inviting picture of movement and work in harmony with the divine Center of the universe"—Richard Foster, Inward Simplicity: The Divine Center
"Can we live in virtually constant communion with the divine Center of the universe?"—Richard Foster, Inward Simplicity: The Divine Center
"Simplicity, then, is getting in touch with the divine center"—Richard Foster, Simplicity
"Contemplative prayer, in its simplest form, is a prayer in which you still your thoughts and emotions and focus on God Himself. This puts you in a better state to be aware of God’s presence, and it makes you better able to hear God's voice, correcting, guiding, and directing you.... In the beginning, it is usual to feel nothing but a cloud of unknowing.... If you're a person who has relied on yourself a great deal to know what's going on, this unknowing will be unnerving.—Jan Johnson, When the Soul Listens, taken from A Time of Departing, 2nd ed., p. 82
"A form of contemplative prayer that has brought deep and lasting transformation to parishes and individuals that have initiated it is Eucharistic adoration.... Contemplative prayer is not an 'elitist' form of prayer for monks and mystics. Everyone can do it, and everyone should." —Peter Kreeft, Catholic Christianity, pp. 386-388
Also see Dallas Willard's Recommended Reading List on Contemplative Prayer and Spiritual Disciplines
Priscilla Shirer's Recommended List of Contemplative Authors.
Her comments about the DVD: Terms like contemplative prayer and meditation can be controversial as believers try to understand their place in our faith. Just to be clear: I believe in prayer. And the type I am referring to is the kind described in the Word of God. The kind where believers in Jesus Christ can engage in communion with God in which we speak to Him and by the Holy Spirit, He speaks to us. I am convinced that the Bible describes prayer as a two-way street. Clearly, Scripture teaches us that prayer does involve meditation in which the believer chooses to “listen” to God by contemplating and concentrating on Scripture and God as He is revealed therein. Click here to read more.
