Thursday, January 18, 2007
GodMen: an R rated churchy service
Got an email today with link to "Manliness is next to godliness" and my first scan of it seemed hopeful but after reading it and several other articles about GodMen, I'm disappointed. Instead of doing something new, they merely turned the G-rated churchy experience into an R-rated one.
I believe that the military gets it right when they train handful of men together as a team. Israeli Army does it the best by "marrying" soldiers together for many years (not just training but their full 3 year service) so that a strong bond is established. This brothers in arm is the kind of experience that Jesus lived out, as He discipled His men, the brothers in prayer.
Jesus Christ, the staff sergeant? That could make a very interesting movie/story.
Personally, I still like the gangster theme more than military or mobsters, because the gang is less organized and (used to) have the freshness of a new and undeveloped "institution." What Jesus did was take a bunch of rednecks and thugs and turned them into Bible wielding warriors/martyrs and He even christened them "church." The nerve! [or so most Christians today would have reacted....]
Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.
I believe that the military gets it right when they train handful of men together as a team. Israeli Army does it the best by "marrying" soldiers together for many years (not just training but their full 3 year service) so that a strong bond is established. This brothers in arm is the kind of experience that Jesus lived out, as He discipled His men, the brothers in prayer.
Jesus Christ, the staff sergeant? That could make a very interesting movie/story.
Personally, I still like the gangster theme more than military or mobsters, because the gang is less organized and (used to) have the freshness of a new and undeveloped "institution." What Jesus did was take a bunch of rednecks and thugs and turned them into Bible wielding warriors/martyrs and He even christened them "church." The nerve! [or so most Christians today would have reacted....]
Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.
Labels: churchy, manly godliness, sissy church
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Oppressive Mothering and why men seek freedom
The problem today is that we are mothered wherever we turn: the mommy-police for security, mommy-firefighters for fire, mommy-EMS for emergency [all available with one phone # at 911, but no guarantee on how responsive they are, let alone any guarantee of service: much like Mom? Hmm.] And then we get mommy-ed by all kinds of government bureaucrats where we need to get permissions from DMV (DPS) or tax office or concealed weapons permit (CHL) or marriage license or business license [Mommy, may I get my license?]. In some states, you need permission to homeschool your children (as if I need permission to have children, let alone choose how to feed and raise them).
But wait, most of us are working for a mommy-company to pay our salaries. Medical insurance is setup such that it is hard to get as individuals, which is yet another "carrot" for turning to the mommy-company.
And then we are told that housing is an investment and rather than throw money way on rent, we should buy a huge mortgage to "get" a house, but what they don't say is that debt = slavery (see Proverbs 22:7) and that "your" house is booked as an asset by the bank, not you, the borrower. And much the same story with a car: get in debt for a depreciating "asset." (The same could be said about a house but that's never mentioned as part of "investing" in a home.)
So we get mommy government "services," mommy corporate income source and enslaved to depreciating stuff (home & car, at minimum).
And don't forget the mommy wife who wants to wear the pants in the family (sadly because man had abdicated his role as head of household in the 20th century but that's for another post).
With the weekday consumed by work to payoff debt (and every once in awhile interaction with the government), what would any sane man want to do during his free time after his honey-do's are done? Attend a mommy-church? I don't think so. And what's interesting is that as I read the Gospels during my quiet time, it seems that the today's church is much like the Temple and Synagogues of Jesus' time (institutionalized, hierarchical, mommy-like).
What can the church do? Go back to what Jesus commanded: make disciples, not church-attenders. The church needs to change so that she can create (or disciple) free men who live under God rather than mommy-following wimps who can only get temporary freedom through "manly" activities like sports or sports-viewing.
Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.
But wait, most of us are working for a mommy-company to pay our salaries. Medical insurance is setup such that it is hard to get as individuals, which is yet another "carrot" for turning to the mommy-company.
And then we are told that housing is an investment and rather than throw money way on rent, we should buy a huge mortgage to "get" a house, but what they don't say is that debt = slavery (see Proverbs 22:7) and that "your" house is booked as an asset by the bank, not you, the borrower. And much the same story with a car: get in debt for a depreciating "asset." (The same could be said about a house but that's never mentioned as part of "investing" in a home.)
So we get mommy government "services," mommy corporate income source and enslaved to depreciating stuff (home & car, at minimum).
And don't forget the mommy wife who wants to wear the pants in the family (sadly because man had abdicated his role as head of household in the 20th century but that's for another post).
With the weekday consumed by work to payoff debt (and every once in awhile interaction with the government), what would any sane man want to do during his free time after his honey-do's are done? Attend a mommy-church? I don't think so. And what's interesting is that as I read the Gospels during my quiet time, it seems that the today's church is much like the Temple and Synagogues of Jesus' time (institutionalized, hierarchical, mommy-like).
What can the church do? Go back to what Jesus commanded: make disciples, not church-attenders. The church needs to change so that she can create (or disciple) free men who live under God rather than mommy-following wimps who can only get temporary freedom through "manly" activities like sports or sports-viewing.
Copyright 2007, DannyHSDad, All Rights Reserved.
