Some veteran Jackson Mississippi Samson guys' musings, recommended resources, and Samson Society news / updates (all written by 100% Grade A - Human Intelligence)
Weekly meetings available to you are as follows:
Tuesday at 6:30 PM, Truitt Baptist Church - Pearl. Call Matt Flint at (601) 260-8518 or email him at matthewflint.makes@gmail.com.
Wednesday at 6:00 PM, First Baptist Church Jackson - Summit Counseling Suite - 431 North State St. Jackson. Call Don Waller at 601-946-1290 or email him at don@wallerbros.com.
Monday at 6:30 PM , Vertical Church - 521 Gluckstadt Road Madison, MS 39110. Mr. Roane Hunter, facilitator, LifeWorks Counseling.
Wednesday at 7:00 PM, Crossgates Baptist Church. Brandon Reach out to Matthew Lehman at (601)-214-4077 for further info.
Sunday night at 6:00 PM, Grace Crossing Baptist Church - 598 Yandell Rd. Canton. Call Joe McCalman at 601-201-5608 or email him at cookandnoonie@gmail.com.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Downtown - First Baptist Church Jackson
I stepped into my first Samson Society meeting at First Baptist Church Jackson during the summer of 2014. Because I was a member of this church, perhaps it was easier for me than those who were not. Nonetheless, it was an eye-opening weekly meeting, from 6 PM to 7 PM on Wednesday nights, and from there, we'd go out to eat at a local restaurant as a group. Weeks went by and I found myself seeing and subsequently engaging with more and more men, hearing their stories and constantly being challenged by the rich dialogue. Eventually, by the end of that year, I realized firsthand what this men's ministry was all about, and the only way I knew best how to describe it was relational accountability.
Relational accountability is essentially being intentional (communication) with other men relative to building authentic friendship(s) and from there, experiencing the opposite of isolation whilst doing life as a husband, father, boyfriend, friend, son, brother, employee, employer, and so forth. The assumption here is that men tend to be more vulnerable to temptation alone, and as Christians, all manner of work tied to avoiding sin is worthwhile because sin is what ultimately separates us from God (as well as potentially many other good things). Hence, Samson Society is worthwhile through and through, not to mention a great deal of fun (if you're into authenticity).
Friday, January 4, 2019
Clique
At the same time, I was living in the dorm with a stranger who was terribly homesick. Though he was much more outgoing and friendly than I was, he missed his family to the point of traveling home at every opportunity which in turn left me back in Starkville all alone.
Education was my second choice as a major, and by the time I'd reached the end of my freshmen year in Architecture, I was ready to bail. I remember meeting with the Associate Dean about this, and he advised me to stick it out for one more semester.
A few weeks into my sophomore year, I was approached one Sunday afternoon while working at my drawing board by a fellow architecture student about sharing a meal at a local eatery with he and his friends. I asked who exactly would be going, and all of the guys he listed I knew of simply by seeing them and their work within Design Studio (the primary architecture school class).
So, I had a choice to make. Stay put at my desk or take a risk and join them for dinner on this fateful Sunday evening.
I'm sure glad I went with them.
In high school, I was always the boy in the background, making a point to be as invisible as possible. I never felt all that comfortable in my own skin, but especially in high school. Thankfully, Architecture School was somewhat different in this regard, but I had the previous years of existing socially incognito that had been ingrained in my way of living out my life.
At the restaurant (pizza), after we ordered our food, I sat down amongst 6 or 7 guys, and the one who'd personally invited me then proceeded to immediately take me through his newly developed initiation trope. It was hilariously ridiculous and by the end, we were all laughing hysterically at this guy's good humor. And by now, I was elated to be there, feeling welcomed and comfortable.
For years after this, our group ate pizza together on Sunday nights at this same restaurant. We even named our clique, but I can't remember what we came up with. These young men and all of the friendships that grew out of that group enabled me to move out of survival mode as a college student.
This was my first real taste of relational accountability, and it was heavenly.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Proactive encouragement
And there's no doubt that the most effective encouragement comes from within a relationship that's authentic. Where men know each other through and through.
Considering these truths, most men are unwilling to encourage. They're either too self-focused or simply prideful. Therefore, finding week to week encouragement can be very challenging.
When all hope is lost, one can encourage himself whilst looking to the promises of God in Scripture, and these are good things. Taking that into account, life's circumstances often do come to bear, restricting encouragement as such.
But, when available, pursue encouragement from other men whom you respect. It is such a gift to be known and to hear firsthand what you already know though cannot remember.
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Ignoring the technicalities
Undoubtedly, hands down, this is the most impactful parable that Jesus shared during his ministry on Earth. It's a story of family, and it perfectly syncs up with the outrageousness of the gospel. Jesus spent so much time teaching his followers that he'd come to fulfill the Law, therefore their penchant for obsessing over technicalities certainly now had no place in their lives. The parable of the prodigal son served as the zenith for obliterating the stronghold the Law still had over them.
When I was a teen, the challenge of the latest board game was how I spent the majority of my time with friends, and this was especially true around the holidays. Determining a winner within a board game is only possible whilst following the rules to the tee. Oftentimes, a minor technicality could turn the tide during the last few minutes of the game. All games are like this. That's why we have referees and officiating personnel who oversee the entire gaming process.
Later on in my life, I found myself caught up in travails that I was ashamed of, and it was then that those in authority over me used technicalities to punish me. And during that process, they took it upon themselves to demonize me as they reviewed what they understood of my life as it pertained to their expectations. Oh, how I longed for compassion at that point! But, it was simply not in their vocabulary.
If we could see forward into the narrative of the prodigal son, I believe we'd find a boy who continued to be somewhat intrinsically rebellious and haughty, even after his father's earlier display of extraordinary generosity and care. And similarly, the older brother likely continued to be a somewhat perturbed prick. Because of this truth relative to how people tend to continue forward within their fallen character, this is why we write people off / delete them from our lives in lieu of continuing forward in obligation to them. We simply find it easier to penalize them on a technicality, and in turn, punish them as they deserve.
Plus, it's rewarding in a sick and twisted kind of way, to watch people who are different than us suffer. Even if at times it's our own children.
But this is not how our Heavenly Father operates because he can do what we cannot. See our hearts. Our motivations. Where our allegiances truly lie. Plus, he takes the long view as the vineyard-keeper. Look at Luke 13: 6-9:
6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree [d]without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”
In other words, he saying, here's my idle son. He's taking up a space, only to leech off of everyone else's resources. Nevertheless, I have hope for him still. It's the possibility of him coming around that far outweighs my disappointment in him today.
May we as Christians consider everyone around us as we've been considered by our Heavenly Father, and henceforth be reminded daily of the monumental grace that's been willingly bestowed on us. In essence, may we choose to take the long view with people, resisting the urge to demonize, doing so in return as we consider fully what we've been given, forever hopeful that we'll see those buds sprout forth within our neighbors, signaling the inevitable fruit of the spirit. (Galatians 5: 22-23)
Saturday, December 29, 2018
The Blog That Rescued Me
Self-destructive behaviors / thought patterns ensued as I found myself feeling more and more isolated. Eventually, it was my personal blog that served as a catalyst for my employer to start asking hard questions of me.
This personal blog was nonetheless a public journal which detailed my story post after post after post. Hence, it had been reflecting the deep seated sense of isolation I was experiencing, and from there, served as a white flag for those who eventually took notice.
I began attending meetings of the Samson Society +/-1 year later in 2014. Mr. Don Waller had initiated a group at First Baptist Church Jackson that had existed for about a year, and these men welcomed me with open arms. Overnight, I now had a lifeboat, and I felt as if I could stop swimming out in the open water.
I had formally resigned my position which felt as if I had been the problem all along, but in reality it was the isolation that had made my situation unworkable for me.
Of all the fallout from that experience, the most heartbreaking anecdote had to do with our pastor. Early on whilst settling into our new small town home, I made a point to reach out to him with my story (via my former blog), and then even six months beyond that, I asked specifically for counsel relative to my sense of isolation. Despite my efforts, he chose not to respond which only served to darken my situation further.
One of my mantras has always been "Communication is a Key to Success". Would it not have been for my former blog, I don't know how I would have managed to continue to tread water much farther into my family's future there within that lonely scenario.
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Punk Drunk Love
Samson plows through as a type A persona. Using the jawbones of animals or simply his seductive prowess to "get 'ur done".
During his time as a judge, the Israelites are way, way off track relative to their understanding of who they actually are. Scripture explains that much clarity has been lost or simply was never passed down from previous generations.
Eventually Samson perishes, suffering tremendously at the end as he's captured and tortured prior to one final, cataclysmic, sacrificial close.
I would encourage you to read more about who this man was in Scripture. It's an amazing story of a good guy gone bad, caught up in himself and his own desires 'till almost the very end.
You'll recall as well hearing of Delilah. Her story intertwines with Samson. Scripture details her tragic story as well.
And who said the Bible wasn't inspired by God - for adults?