Danny's Men's Studies

Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5:19

As fathers, it's easy to "do what I say, not what I do" to our children. But here Jesus makes clear it is important to not just do the right thing but to say it, too.

People are willing to die for a cause which their hearts are attached to. What is your heart attached to?

I read the NY Times piece on advertisement "Christian Message, Secular Messengers." My thoughts are: what in the world? Why are we trying to be more "slick" rather than getting back to the core:

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth [John 4:24]

Also, this overemphasis on youth gets it all backward: we need to get the elders (or bishops or overseers) straight. And then their children and their grandchildren. Then all else should follow [women and children will eventually get with the message if the fathers are].

Where are the men?

Fred Reed's "Playing at Adventure" article gives hints into manhood but of the worldly kind. He points out:

We [men] just do not domesticate well. While male behavior is perhaps no more inherently absurd than female, it has little application to the suburbs and bureaucratic salt mines.

The world today, the modern parts anyway, is very much a woman’s world. It will become more so. The economy values orderliness, routine, and avoidance of waves. It needs patient people who will do the assembly-line work of huge offices whirring with air-conditioning. Women are better at this. I’m not sure that they really like it, but they handle it well.

Women want security, comfort, nice houses and nice cars. Men eventually feel cramped by them.

Unfortunately, being a wild man (aka godless version of "Wild at Heart") is all he seems to offer. And most men do turn to his "wild side," be it putting on the greens or avidly following a football game. Why? I guess we men want some sort of unpredictable discovery, even if it isn't new any more, like climbing Mount Everest or watching the Superbowl.

As I have posted elsewhere, I realized that I was treating the sermons as my source of intellectual discovery -- the main reason for my hanging around a church. However, it isn't enough for most men and they stay away from church by the droves. Now I'm not advocating that churches promote "wild things" just to grab men since it misses the point: men need a place to be real men. What is that might look like is what this blog is all about. Come back again for more of my thoughts!