An old friend, whom I hadn't seen in some time, asked me this question earlier this week.
For anyone who's male and working full-time here in America, this is an age-old adage. Though it's framed as a question, it's a rhetorical one, therefore I see it as an adage. If you were to unwrap the question prior to reframing it, you'd end up with:
Life is a rat race, and if you're not with the program (in the race), I can't relate to you.
Men should not be lazy, but a rat race isn't what God called men to. Instead, Christ modeled intentionality with his time / motivations.
When you strength train or run or participate in any high intensity exercise program, you're intentional about it. If you participate in a Bible study or read a novel, you're intentional about it. If you dedicate yourself to a community of men, you're intentional about it. It has nothing to do with the rat race.
Being intentional takes the race out of the equation and puts God's priorities first. God wants nothing more than for men to glorify Him.
That's impossible to accomplish without a clear mindset towards intentionality.
Saturday, March 9, 2019
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Exposing sin / temptation within Christian community
As Christian men, we're constantly battling our propensity to sin. For many men, their method of coping with this pull is to ignore it.
Sin is an unrighteous solution to some form of fleshly desire. Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit as God's children, therefore there's definitive knowledge of righteous living that's available from the inside out.
Despite that knowledge, there's always a choice to be made as to whether sin is to be participated in. Whether it's deep inside one's mind or fully engaged with another individual.
Take for example, the fleshly desire to feel secure and safe. That desire can be placated in innumerable ways via sin, and of course, our pagan culture is here to assist!
Out of sin grows shame. At first, this is healthy shame, but once a man engages in chronic sin, the shame itself can become the problem due to the fact that it cultivates the "rationale" to isolate oneself.
Have you ever seen an animal who's been physically abused? Say, a dog? These pets tend to behave very differently than their healthier cohorts. I don't know if an animal can feel shame, but abused animals certainly know what it feels like to experience fear based on their circumstance. And when those feelings consume the natural identity within that animal, certain behaviors emerge that prove the animal's true identity has been compromised.
I clearly remember the first day I walked into a Samson Society meeting back in 2014 at First Baptist Church, Jackson. The shame relative to my sin was immense! It was as if my entire identity in Christ had been hijacked.
Now, too, I brought to the Samson table a boatload of worthlessness. Worthlessness that I'd wrestled with since I was a boy. Again, this worked against my true identity as a believer.
Jesus lived within a community of men as he ministered here on Earth. We see that chronicled within the gospels, and I believe that setting fostered his ability to be in perfect communion with his true identity as the Messiah despite the fact that he was also 100% fully human. Of course, Jesus didn't sin. Instead, he looked to his Heavenly Father to fulfill every desire he had. But, Jesus was tempted to sin, therefore he understood how pursuant to a resolve sin can look to be when men desire.
Stating firsthand one's goal to fulfill every desire in Christ / Father God certainly sounds admirable, but how do we model that today?
For Rob, Samson Society is a clearinghouse that provides me with platonic support in the midst of this pursuit. All manner of men are involved, and each speaks from his place in life as a bachelor, husband, father, brother, son, and so forth. From there, inevitably, dialogue involving temptation and sin occurs, and it's kept in strictest confidence. Every man who's willing to participate is warmly accepted. None are shirked or shunned so long as they bring their authentic selves.
This is what Jesus' disciples modeled for us.
Were they perfect in their community? Of course not. But, they were far better off walking alongside each other than on their own.
What's been made of my shame? Today, it's in proper proportion to my identity in Christ. In other words, it's healthy shame. Which means, I can actually learn from it versus being defined by it. Plus, I better understand now my desires, thanks to my involvement in Samson Society, and this in itself has given me insight into the intentional need to seek fulfillment of those desires in ways that please my Heavenly Father / align with his will.
For everyone who knows me, I relish the opportunity to talk about my sin / past failings. It's never been a waste of my time to bring failures into the light nor the continued draw towards unrighteousness in all its many shapes and forms.
I want to be the best man I can be as I serve those around me. Samson Society promotes that by resisting that god awful worthlessness within a setting that harkens back to the community of Jesus. Thanks be to God for Samson Society!
Sin is an unrighteous solution to some form of fleshly desire. Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit as God's children, therefore there's definitive knowledge of righteous living that's available from the inside out.
Despite that knowledge, there's always a choice to be made as to whether sin is to be participated in. Whether it's deep inside one's mind or fully engaged with another individual.
Take for example, the fleshly desire to feel secure and safe. That desire can be placated in innumerable ways via sin, and of course, our pagan culture is here to assist!
Out of sin grows shame. At first, this is healthy shame, but once a man engages in chronic sin, the shame itself can become the problem due to the fact that it cultivates the "rationale" to isolate oneself.
Have you ever seen an animal who's been physically abused? Say, a dog? These pets tend to behave very differently than their healthier cohorts. I don't know if an animal can feel shame, but abused animals certainly know what it feels like to experience fear based on their circumstance. And when those feelings consume the natural identity within that animal, certain behaviors emerge that prove the animal's true identity has been compromised.
I clearly remember the first day I walked into a Samson Society meeting back in 2014 at First Baptist Church, Jackson. The shame relative to my sin was immense! It was as if my entire identity in Christ had been hijacked.
Now, too, I brought to the Samson table a boatload of worthlessness. Worthlessness that I'd wrestled with since I was a boy. Again, this worked against my true identity as a believer.
Jesus lived within a community of men as he ministered here on Earth. We see that chronicled within the gospels, and I believe that setting fostered his ability to be in perfect communion with his true identity as the Messiah despite the fact that he was also 100% fully human. Of course, Jesus didn't sin. Instead, he looked to his Heavenly Father to fulfill every desire he had. But, Jesus was tempted to sin, therefore he understood how pursuant to a resolve sin can look to be when men desire.
Stating firsthand one's goal to fulfill every desire in Christ / Father God certainly sounds admirable, but how do we model that today?
For Rob, Samson Society is a clearinghouse that provides me with platonic support in the midst of this pursuit. All manner of men are involved, and each speaks from his place in life as a bachelor, husband, father, brother, son, and so forth. From there, inevitably, dialogue involving temptation and sin occurs, and it's kept in strictest confidence. Every man who's willing to participate is warmly accepted. None are shirked or shunned so long as they bring their authentic selves.
This is what Jesus' disciples modeled for us.
Were they perfect in their community? Of course not. But, they were far better off walking alongside each other than on their own.
What's been made of my shame? Today, it's in proper proportion to my identity in Christ. In other words, it's healthy shame. Which means, I can actually learn from it versus being defined by it. Plus, I better understand now my desires, thanks to my involvement in Samson Society, and this in itself has given me insight into the intentional need to seek fulfillment of those desires in ways that please my Heavenly Father / align with his will.
For everyone who knows me, I relish the opportunity to talk about my sin / past failings. It's never been a waste of my time to bring failures into the light nor the continued draw towards unrighteousness in all its many shapes and forms.
I want to be the best man I can be as I serve those around me. Samson Society promotes that by resisting that god awful worthlessness within a setting that harkens back to the community of Jesus. Thanks be to God for Samson Society!
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Fall 2019 Samson Society Retreat Announced!
This week, I had the good fortune of listening in to a Pirate Monk podcast that was recorded recently, and on it, Mr. Nate Larkin announced the venue and dates for the 2019 Fall Samson Society Retreat.
Dates: November 1-3, 2019
Location: Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center Eva, Tennessee
This retreat is essentially one part gathering of Samson Society men from around the world and one part opportunity. The former caters to the Samson men who participate exclusively in the Samson Society virtual meetings. The latter benefits everyone by offering information / inspiration / training on topics that are usually very relevant to Samson men.
Last year, there were +/-100 men present, the weather was cool, and the food was great! The setting is clean and homey. Plus, it's sited on a beautiful (quite large) lake.
There's opportunity to participate in as much or as little group activities as one would like, but truly the highlight of attending is simply engaging formally with a group of men who are dedicated to a men's ministry that's making an impact around the world.
Dates: November 1-3, 2019
Location: Lakeshore Camp & Retreat Center Eva, Tennessee
This retreat is essentially one part gathering of Samson Society men from around the world and one part opportunity. The former caters to the Samson men who participate exclusively in the Samson Society virtual meetings. The latter benefits everyone by offering information / inspiration / training on topics that are usually very relevant to Samson men.
Last year, there were +/-100 men present, the weather was cool, and the food was great! The setting is clean and homey. Plus, it's sited on a beautiful (quite large) lake.
There's opportunity to participate in as much or as little group activities as one would like, but truly the highlight of attending is simply engaging formally with a group of men who are dedicated to a men's ministry that's making an impact around the world.
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Anticipatory
I anticipate attending a Metro Jackson Samson Society meeting each week. Since I facilitate the Saturday morning meeting at Lakeside Pres, that's the one and only I tend to attend, therefore obviously, I'm biased towards it. But, prior to Lakeside allowing me to facilitate that meeting, I still anticipated attending a weekly meeting somewhere within the Metro.
I'm an introvert, therefore meetings use up a lot of my personal energy. Afterwards, it takes time for me to recover from that, especially considering the after-meeting that immediately follows a Samson Society meeting. Considering that, I know the importance of meetings that are productive in terms of assisting everyone involved with direction and focus with whatever the group may be tasked with.
What's different about a Samson Society meeting is the only direction or focus given is that which is provided by those who choose to attend, and even then, I would argue, if they're Christians, the ultimate overseer during the hour is the Holy Spirit.
Typically a meeting is very much brought under control by the invitees. Each individual represents a pragmatic qualifier tied to why they're there, and through that, there's the inevitable hierarchy of importance seated around the table. Samson Society meetings are the opposite of that. There aren't any essential people, therefore rank simply can't be felt. It's refreshing actually to look across the room and not see any other man but horizontally, and this, for an introvert like myself, makes the situation much easier to stomach.
Too, this concept also applies relative to dress, race, demeanor, and so on. It makes for an incredibly level playing field.
Within these circumstances, everyone's prone to speak from their heart. It is so good. I love it! Thanks be to God for Samson Society.
I'm an introvert, therefore meetings use up a lot of my personal energy. Afterwards, it takes time for me to recover from that, especially considering the after-meeting that immediately follows a Samson Society meeting. Considering that, I know the importance of meetings that are productive in terms of assisting everyone involved with direction and focus with whatever the group may be tasked with.
What's different about a Samson Society meeting is the only direction or focus given is that which is provided by those who choose to attend, and even then, I would argue, if they're Christians, the ultimate overseer during the hour is the Holy Spirit.
Typically a meeting is very much brought under control by the invitees. Each individual represents a pragmatic qualifier tied to why they're there, and through that, there's the inevitable hierarchy of importance seated around the table. Samson Society meetings are the opposite of that. There aren't any essential people, therefore rank simply can't be felt. It's refreshing actually to look across the room and not see any other man but horizontally, and this, for an introvert like myself, makes the situation much easier to stomach.
Too, this concept also applies relative to dress, race, demeanor, and so on. It makes for an incredibly level playing field.
Within these circumstances, everyone's prone to speak from their heart. It is so good. I love it! Thanks be to God for Samson Society.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Hear Joe McCalman preach!
March 10, 2019 is a big day at Grace Crossing Baptist Church in Gluckstadt, MS. Our very own Metro Jackson Samson Society facilitator, Mr. Joe McCalman, will be preaching! Let's not miss this opportunity to support Joe as he provokes his audience towards the gospel message.
It will no doubt be a great day!
It will no doubt be a great day!
Sunday, February 10, 2019
The Pact
1. God is the sole owner of the Samson
Society and its only authority. No
member may speak for the entire Society.
2. All members of the Society are equals —
friends and fellow servants, bound by
love and honor. No member may
command the obedience of another.
3. The Society owns no property, collects
no dues or fees, pays no salaries, incurs
no debts.
4. The Society is an extension of the
Church Universal. It is not a corporate
entity and can make no contracts with
congregations, denominations, causes or
campaigns, regardless of their merit.
5. Any two or more persons who believe the
Fact, who agree to follow this Path and
join this Pact, may initiate a meeting of
the Samson Society.
6. We hold in strictest confidence any
personal information shared by other
members, unless permission to divulge it
is given by any whom its disclosure
might affect.
7. Members are fully authorized to create
and distribute, freely or for profit,
personal explanations and applications of
the Society’s principles — if they neither
alter nor violate its Charter and do not
prohibit others from copying their work.
Society and its only authority. No
member may speak for the entire Society.
2. All members of the Society are equals —
friends and fellow servants, bound by
love and honor. No member may
command the obedience of another.
3. The Society owns no property, collects
no dues or fees, pays no salaries, incurs
no debts.
4. The Society is an extension of the
Church Universal. It is not a corporate
entity and can make no contracts with
congregations, denominations, causes or
campaigns, regardless of their merit.
5. Any two or more persons who believe the
Fact, who agree to follow this Path and
join this Pact, may initiate a meeting of
the Samson Society.
6. We hold in strictest confidence any
personal information shared by other
members, unless permission to divulge it
is given by any whom its disclosure
might affect.
7. Members are fully authorized to create
and distribute, freely or for profit,
personal explanations and applications of
the Society’s principles — if they neither
alter nor violate its Charter and do not
prohibit others from copying their work.
The Path
1. Believing The Fact, I surrender to God in
simple faith — making no promises, but
merely asking for His aid.
2. I start attending meetings of the Society,
and from its members I select a Silas, a
trustworthy traveling companion for this
stretch of the road.
3. In honest detail, I describe to God and to
my Silas the course and consequences of
my attempts to live apart from God.
4. Encouraged by my Silas and others, I
develop the daily disciplines of prayer,
study and self-examination. I abandon
self-help, asking God instead to do for
me what I cannot do for myself.
5. I choose to trust the Body of Christ,
weighing the wisdom of my friends
when facing decisions and seeking their
strength when confronted by temptation.
6. When I can do so without injuring
anyone, I make amends for damage I
have caused. If direct amends are
impossible or inadvisable, I demonstrate
my repentance in other ways.
7. I offer myself as a Silas to others. Each
day I ask God for the grace to seek His
kingdom rather than my own, to serve
those He places in my path rather than
simple faith — making no promises, but
merely asking for His aid.
2. I start attending meetings of the Society,
and from its members I select a Silas, a
trustworthy traveling companion for this
stretch of the road.
3. In honest detail, I describe to God and to
my Silas the course and consequences of
my attempts to live apart from God.
4. Encouraged by my Silas and others, I
develop the daily disciplines of prayer,
study and self-examination. I abandon
self-help, asking God instead to do for
me what I cannot do for myself.
5. I choose to trust the Body of Christ,
weighing the wisdom of my friends
when facing decisions and seeking their
strength when confronted by temptation.
6. When I can do so without injuring
anyone, I make amends for damage I
have caused. If direct amends are
impossible or inadvisable, I demonstrate
my repentance in other ways.
7. I offer myself as a Silas to others. Each
day I ask God for the grace to seek His
kingdom rather than my own, to serve
those He places in my path rather than
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