When being first presented with “The Message”, I opened it, and looked at the prayer usually known as “The Lord’s Prayer”.
I now post below an article with which I agree wholeheartedly regarding this work. It is located here: https://gregoryreid.com/as-above-so-below-why-it-matters/
As Above, So Below – Why It Matters
“I did not really understand the spiritual nature of this crisis until I was confronted with the paraphrase, The Message , by Eugene Peterson. Peterson’s “Bible” was very tinged with terms very prone to nature-type analogies that are more familiar to Wiccan and pagan circles than to Christianity.
Something inside was just screaming. It was the same “red light” I have felt on so many occasions and with so many people over the years that indicated something was very wrong spiritually. But this time, I just couldn’t put my finger on it.
It wasn’t until I was put in contact with a man named Warren Smith, a former new ager, that the “red light” made sense. I had a long conversation with Warren, and it helped answer a lot of questions. Then we got down to my problem with The Message. “I just can’t read it”, I told him. “I just don’t feel right about it.” “I can show you why,” Warren replied. “What does the Lord’s prayer read?” he asked. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, I answered. “Now read it in The Message.”
I found the passage, and as I read it, my blood ran cold.
“As above, so below.”
That phrase doesn’t mean anything to 99% of the populous, and 99.9% of believers. But to those who know and understand the world of the occult and the New Age, it means EVERYTHING. If you were to type that phrase – “As above, so below” into a search engine, and you will come up with 210,000 web site references – that overwhelming majority of which are from occult and/or new age sites. The very first site, an occult definition site, says, “This phrase comes from the beginning of The Emerald Tablet (which, incidentally, is listed as the source of “The Secret” in the first pages of Rhonda Byrne’s book by the same name – g.r.) and embraces the entire system of traditional and modern magic which was inscribed upon the tablet in cryptic wording by Hermes Trismegistus. The significance of this phrase is that it is believed to hold the key to all mysteries. All systems of magic are claimed to function by this formula. “‘That which is above is the same as that which is below’…Macrocosmos is the same as microcosmos. The universe is the same as God, God is the same as man, man is the same as the cell, the cell is the same as the atom, the atom is the same as…and so on, ad infinitum.” (from The Mystica) It has its roots in Egyptian priesthood and magick, and means, among other things, that God and man are equal.
There is no question that this is purely and occult phrase rooted in some of the most ancient forms of “mystery religion” teaching there is, Kabbala, Egyptian magick, Crowlyeyan magick, etc. The phrase is so clear in its meaning, that anyone that uses it deliberately must either (1) Unwittingly use it under the influence of something from the demonic realm, or (2) Knows exactly what it means.
I do not know the author of The Message. What I do know, is that he either had to be unwittingly influenced by something other than the Holy Spirit to write something so absolutely phrase-sppecific to the world of ancient occultism and new age thought, or, God forbid, he does know what it means. I can only pray it is the former, but regardless, it is very terrifying to me that an occult phrase that is so absolutely highly charged with occult meaning and power and RECOGNITION to those in that world, would pass as SCRIPTURE and no one even gives it a glance. Do you understand my concern? If that were the ONLY problem I had with The Message – and it is not – that would be enough for me to never use it again.”
Excerpt from Trojan Church by Gregory Reid
Interesting. You did some digging!
Here's the full passage from BibleGateway.com
Matthew 6:7-13 “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best— as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes."
Sounds to me like we're being clearly warned AGAINST such occultic practices.