17 Days 'Till The 2024 Samson Society Summit

The 2023 Summit was a dud (despite it being hailed as a celebratory tenth anniversary milestone event).  The venue was completely (laughably) out of scale for us +/-250 perverts. Plus, it was incredibly posh (by Samson Summit standards).  You could sense that generations of rich white Texas families had poured millions of dollars into this (rich, white kid summer camp) facility there in east Texas.  Why anyone felt it a worthwhile fit for a Samson Society weekend retreat, I have no clue.

The pristine buildings (meeting space, cafeteria, bunkhouses) were spread far, far apart, and like much of Texas, the landscaping (trees) was not prolific.  Hence, there was an abundance of "wide open space(s)" between buildings which only exacerbated the sense of over / out-of-scale.  To summarize, the retreat, to me, was filled with entirely too much necessitated traversing back & forth, back & forth from building to building to building due to the college-campus scaled venue.

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I did not ride with a crazy speed demon Samson guy as I'd done during '22.  This time, it was my sweet wife and youngest daughter that accompanied me (after dropping me off in Van, they continued on to Dallas / Fort Worth for the weekend).  

After retrieving me early Sunday, (11/5/23) we headed to Marshall, TX for church and then on to lunch with Presbyterian pastor friends.

Frankly, that was the highlight of the trip.  Everything else felt like a raw deal.  And again, much of it had to do with the extremely loose-fitting, high-falootin' venue (which continues to leave me scratching my head).

I'm afraid many guys won't be returning to the '24 Summit event due to having a similar experience as I did in '23.  It simply left a bad taste in my mouth for the monies / time spent.

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This year we're headed to North Carolina.  Fayetteville to be exact.  And by my count, this will be Rob's 8th Samson Summit.

Hence, due to the distance, I'll be flying.  And, there's an extra day baked into the Summit this year.  One that's specific to facilitator training.  This will allow for more THERE time which I'm very much anticipating.

Another plus:  I'm semi-private rooming it this year.  Every other Summit, I've stayed in the bunkhouse.  That, I'm anticipating as well.

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I've said this before about these trips, and I'll close with this.

There're so many ghosts present during these retreats.  So many.  It is uncanny.

Samson Society is one of those ministries that simply doesn't nurture long-term commitment.  And frankly, I like that.  It gives guys a clearcut opportunity to receive and give of their own accord, at their own pace, with no strings attached.  And that leaderless / non-goal-setting formula hasn't changed from day one.  And this is what makes Samson Society so very important to me.

It's as if I'm literally wired for this specific ministry as a non-team player / loner.  Thanks be to God for Samson Society.

Lagniappe

Recommended Listening

Recommended Reading

Escape from Doubting Castle: Counsel for Christians in Despair | Desiring God

Recommended Reading (Or Listening)

Chad Bird’s book, Night Driving: Notes from a Prodigal Soul. 

He is a pastor and seminary professor who fell and writes of his multi-year process of repentance and redemption after losing everything.  

Recommended Reading

Fruitful No Matter What: Life in the Garden of Contentment | Desiring God

Shortened leash

 

I've written that Covenant Eyes is no longer working on my pocket computer, and that my pocket computer has a screen that's larger and more vibrant than anything I've ever had prior (I "inherited" it from my oldest daughter earlier this year as a result of her purchasing her own, more up-to-date pocket computer).  

For years, I've kept my pocket computer on my bedside table whilst sleeping.  Hence, I was prone to browse the www late into the night and also whilst having short bouts of insomnia during the early morning.  

I'm a reader and curious to boot.  As a boy, whilst spending time at my grandparents' house in rural Humphreys County, I'd bide my time by devouring the 1970 edition of the World Book encyclopedia.  I vividly remember arbitrarily picking a volume (they were published by letter of the alphabet) prior to reading my heart out (for hours on end).  They also had some National Geographic tomes that featured subjects such as the oceans / deserts.  I loved perusing those too.  Especially for the fantastic photography.  

Today, msn.com and drudgereport.com are wonderful jumping off points for Rob, but sans Covenant Eyes (pocket computer only), there's also porn tube sites, porn blogs, porn, porn and more porn.

Consuming porn is cathartic.  Mindless.  Trance-inducing.  There's nothing to learn.  It's an alternate reality sort of experience that's a huge time waster.  

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Entertainment venues for Rob, particularly those involving video viewing, are restricted / nonexistent.  No streaming services, no CATV or Dish Network.  I do have a small collection of DVDs, but that's it.

And I'm okay with that.  I'd rather spend time using my eyeballs for something else.  

Nonetheless, the bedside pocket computer has been a guilty pleasure for too long.  Not anymore.  That all changed this week, and so far, I'm loving it.  

Recommended Reading

Is Science Incompatible with Christianity? (thegospelcoalition.org)

Recommended Viewing

Recommended Viewing

Recommended Reading

Do You Feel Forsaken? Our Hidden Hope in Darkest Pain | Desiring God

Happy Monday!

 

Recommended Viewing

Need A Fresh Samson Society Meeting Slide Deck?

Samson Meeting Slides - Rev 202410.pdf - Google Drive

Combating Mundanity (Loosening The Grip Of The Private, Self-Destructive Novelty)

When I worked for the State of MS ('06-'12), there were two sides to our team.  The opposing side (opposite the "employee team" I belonged to) were mostly smokers and all males.  And though their ages were varied, these white men (who were usually only in the office - for the full day - on Mondays & Fridays) made a point to take a smoke break - at least twice a day - in order to break up the mundanity of the government job.

I'll never forget naively discovering this routine via happenstance, and literally being shocked seeing most of them huddled up within the "designated smoking area" there on the north side of the Woolfolk building (basement level of the attached garage). 

What was great about this routine was the community it built amongst those men (in spite of the inhaled carcinogens).

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When I was in architecture school (+/-43 students were in my class of '95), I vividly recall two fellow students (one of which died a few years back) who smoked cigarettes regularly right outside the architecture school building.  One or the other of the two young men would initiate this ritual by moving within view of the other (their desks were on opposing sides of our assigned studio space).  From there, a cig would be raised high to signal what was to come next.

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What's the takeaway here?

Men get bored with routine.  It's the reason men / fathers aren't typically small children's (infants / toddlers) primary caregivers.  

We long for adventure and newfound experience(s).  And usually, a brotherhood component exists as part of that.    

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Privately consuming Internet porn is the antithesis of this.  No camaraderie.  No brotherhood.  Not to mention supporting an industry that's debased as a result.  Its digital toxicity running amuck with a reach & influence that's almost completely unchecked. 

I read an article earlier this week (I can't provide a link since it's behind a journalistic paywall) that featured a family with three adult sons, all three of which are floundering.  Two of the three young men dropped out of their collegiate studies and are now living at home whilst working for the family business.  Disillusionment was the theme.  The boys' parents were exasperated and losing hope.

There was no mention of video games, social media or Internet porn consumption being suspect in exacerbating the problem for this stagnated family.  This shocked me because it was so obvious (these were obviously rich, white people).

Instead, it indirectly blamed women gaining the educational / vocational upper hand and therefore outmaneuvering their male counterparts.  

Please.

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I'm almost an empty-nester (one to go!).  My wife works most evenings.  I love to exercise, but I do also covet my downtime.  

Nonetheless, I must be intentional about interrupting the mundanity of my existence sans self-destructive novelty (Internet porn consumption).  

Samson Society's brotherhood provides THE EASIEST fallback.  Whether it's attending meetings or being intentional about connecting with a brother one-on-one, there's an instantaneous isolation antidote.

If you haven't taken the plunge, I encourage you to do so today.

  

Recommended Reading (One Brave Author)

Blessed Mourning for an LGBT+ Child (thegospelcoalition.org)

Recommended Reading

Lighten My Load or Strengthen My Back | Desiring God

Recommended Reads (Literally)

Per a Samson brother:

I don't know where everyone is in their journey, but I want to mention two books that have helped redirect my thinking on who God is, who He says I am, and what it looks like to be a godly man and husband...

The Cure by Trueface
Exemplary Husband by Stuart Scott

I almost didn't read The Cure.  A Samson brother mentioned I might like it.  So, I got the Audible version and got busy with life and didn't make time.  Then, a month later, this brother mentioned it again and I recalled Audible.  From there, I showed it to him, confirming it.  That led to me listening to that tome nearly 8 or 9 times.  Obviously, it was very impactful. 

I found Stuart Scott's book, Exemplary Husband, at church almost by accident.  It was on a bookshelf (obviously appointed by God) and when I read it, it simply blew me away.

These both complement what's going on in Samson in the sense of us becoming the men God has planned (all along) for us.

I don't mean to suggest these should / might replace your commitment to community, having a Silas, taking your mask off and being authentic.   Instead, they may very well be a welcome companion on your individual recovery journey.   I mention them to you simply because I'm thankful someone mentioned them to me.

Recommended Listening (Dr. Dan Allender, Ms. Cathy Loerzel & Mr. Adam Young Roundtable)

 Three therapists answer the question, "As I become more aware of the harm from my childhood, how do I engage my parents, or should I engage my parents at all?"

Dan Allender and Parents.mp3 - Google Drive

Recommended Reading

Why Gen Z Men like Me Are Staying in Church (thegospelcoalition.org)