A blog I respect has recently posted:
You got to give Rick Warren one thing, he is consistent if nothing else, even though his spiritual drivel is leading millions to a false sense of salvation and/or leading them away from the truth.
In this post at Christian Post.com, Warren published a story entitled Five Tools Saddleback Uses to Develop Spiritual Maturity, and in this self-serving diatribe, Warren begins by boasting of the grand success of Saddleback. He then proceeds to let all of us know just what we need to do to become spiritually mature. You need to read it for yourself, but here are the five things, tools, Warren says will help you grow as a Christian:
1. Commitment cards
2. Classes based on the purposes
3. Covenants
4. Small groups
5. Campaigns
What's strangely missing from Warren’s steps is the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the Gospel, denial of self, sacrifice, repentance and on and on. In other words, what's missing here is any mention what God’s Word says about maturing as a Christian. Sadly what you can find is Rick Warren’s self-serving, man-pleasing purpose driven lie.
I don’t know what is more heartbreaking, the fact that this stuff is produced to begin with or that so many people are deceived by it.
This is in reference to Five Tools Saddleback Uses to Develop Spiritual Maturity. Notice Warren's article has the "tools" in that. As soon as you do that, your on tough ground. If you do such a thing, some could infer that you think God needs help. Others, as this pundit writes could assume you are replacing the core values with tools. Etc.. It's a path that is wrought with pitfalls given the ever critical state of fellow believers.
Had Warren written that he uses the "Father, Son and the Holy Spirit ..." as tools, imagine the outcry. I think the antagonist here should have given more thought to Warren's audience and intended message. I for one completely agree with the critique in the sense that the "missing" elements must be included but I do not have any evidence that it was Warren's intent to substitute these tools for those or to suggest the tools are primary over that. In fact, the nature of Warren's tools seem to be that they are pragmatic things we might do while allowing those "missing elements" to work.
For example, commitment cards. Warren writes, "commitment cards help our people respond to what we’re teaching in the weekend message." His point is that people need opportunity to respond. If the Word of God is preached, this is very appropriate. I'm not sure I like commitment cards but the intent here is not an evil deception as implied by the critique states.
Next, classes based on purposes. These classes focus on membership, maturity, ministry, and missions. I don't see the evil there. In fact, Warren rightly states, "people will start to learn how to actually live out the biblical purposes in their lives." Isn't that our goal, to live out what we find in the Bible? Now we can argue the accuracy of the "biblical purposes" as identified by Warren. And many would critique his motive. I am not qualified for the latter and the former is a separate argument but it is false to represent this as not valuing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Word of God, etc..
Warren's third point is covenants. I don't like this one but his motives are clearly stated and they are not wrong. It is true as Warren states that "we become whatever we are committed to."
The fourth point is one I am a big supporter of, small groups. Warren writes:
Your church members can’t grow spiritually on their own. We all need other people to help us grow. At Saddleback we use small groups, built around the same core New Testament purposes that our church is, to help our members develop the kind of relationships they need to grow. In these groups they can practice all of the “one anothers” of Scripture (pray for one another, love one another, etc.). It’s a central part of our church’s spiritual growth plan. And by making sure that these groups center on the biblical purposes, we help our members worship more fully, build meaningful relationships, develop the character of Christ, discover their shape for ministry, and share their faith with lost friends.
Perhaps not complete. I'm sure Warren could have written more but the scope of the article constrains. To take this and see Warren as omitting the values noted and is promoting spiritual drivel is misrepresentative.
Finally campaigns. I hate them. I think these easily lead to a wrong focus but in and of themselves I find the innocuous. The issue is that the energy required to make them work is the exact energy that should be focussed elsewhere. But again, I'm not sure how they are inherently evil and I don't see anything in Warren's writing that suggests they replace the values offered in the critique. In fact, based on the titles, Warrens intent is to focus on the values the accusers states is missing.
Net - I simply do not get this on-going "attack" that many seem to be swept away with.
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