One Great Hour of Sharing, New Age and the divine feminine

I was quite comfortable in bed, going to sleep, when I felt a bit of a nudge about this posting which I have already had up for half a day. I was not serious enough about what I was writing. God’s purposes and name are dishonored with the actions of the National Committee on the Self Development of People of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and it is his cause and his glory that they have defamed. I am doing a partial rewrite.

I hope for the sake of Christ, your church does not contribute to One Great Hour of Sharing. If you do contribute you are helping the New Age community propagate their eastern forms of religion, and uplifting the divine feminine at the same time.

The Critical Mass Dance Company of Los Angeles received $15, 000 to supposedly seek “to change the structures that perpetuate poverty, oppression and injustice by empowering women though the healing power of dance and mutual community.” Anyway that is what the National Committee on the Self Development of People of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) stated on the PNS site. However, the Critical Mass Dance Company, in their educational dance classes, according to their web site, teach you how to balance your “chakra,” a decidedly Hindu and/or New Age activity.

Actually Christians don’t “normally” believe in chakras which have to do with connecting to the one reality which is impersonal. Names for this New Age concept are, “psychic energy, consciousness, color, mind, light, vibration, vital energy, life force. ch’I, prana, or an aura.” [1]
The information on the workshop page speaks further to the use of the dances:

It reminds us we have the power to create the lives and world we wish to see through our intention. The workshops take place around a spiral or labyrinth. The spiral is used to energize and amplify our collective intentions for our lives and world.

When we declare our intentions, our word becomes our world. When we embody our word, we can be the change we want to see.

There is nothing biblical in that statement. The human is made to be the creator of their own world in place of submission to Christ and his word.
On a page for 0ne of the performances,[2] “Ama Terra,” that the company is involved in, a particular dance is featured, “Moving into Grace: Sacred Dance Performance of the Divine Feminine.” And there is a link to more information.  Here is some of the information:

Celebrate the beginning of a new era of consciousness birthing within YOU in 2014.

Inhale the beauty, mystery and love of the Divine Feminine as you watch dances designed to uplift, inspire and bless you with unconditional love.

This show is part of an emerging new form of performance where we inspire you… and you inspire us.  Enjoy beautiful, sensual performances by local women…and watch them invoke and embody the Goddess.  Be transported by belly dancers into the realm of Shakti – divine feminine energy.   If you choose to, spiral dance with us and set your intentions for the coming year.

And, this night is set to delight, with all that inspiration leading to an Ecstatic Dance Party right after the performance!  Merge with the wild beauty of womens’ sacred dance where the past and future dissolve and leave us in the NOW, where all intentions are empowered to manifest.

Feel the sparkle of the show ignite YOUR sacred expression.  Stay and play with us afterwards!

It would be an understatement to suggest that the PCUSA is not spending your money well. It is in fact, not your money, nor is it the National Committee on the Self Development of People's money, it is God's.  It is sad that money that has been given to help the poor and those who are oppressed will instead be given to help others preform ritual dances in honor of false deities. It is no less an issue of apostasy then the acts of those ancient Israelites who the prophet Jeremiah rebuked.

The Prophet Malachi rebuked the priests who refused to turn back the blemished sacrifices the people brought to the temple. But this contemporary gift brought to the Lord who has fulfilled the ancient sacrifices with his death is dishonored by the committee because it is given away for false worship. The offense is worse and without excuse. Malachi pleads for the priests to honor the Lord rather than corrupting the people. We must plead also.

(There is another grant recipient,  Women’s Press Collective, in Brooklyn, New York which is a member of the National Labor Federation, which has a connection to the Provisional Communist Party of the United States. The last entity is a secretive organization.  There is a web site which hosts a collection of articles about the National Labor Federation and Women's Press Collective is included. The group evidently has cultic leanings.
See http://www.culteducation.com/groups/natlfed.html)

 

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[1] The Illustrated Guide to World Religions, Dean Halverson, general editor, (International Students, Inc. 2003 edition)176.

[2]  On the Critical Mass Dance site under performances, Immanuel Presbyterian Church is noted as hosting a 2011 & 2013 performance.