What God Can Do in One Conversation: Recovering the Power of Personal Evangelism | Desiring God
Monday, April 11, 2022
Sunday, April 10, 2022
Recommended Viewing As We Embark Into Holy Week
I remember seeing this years ago, and having a good laugh. I'd not had any exposure to The Onion prior.
The fact that Jesus was God in the flesh can be / should be our focus this week. He was definitely selfless and brave, but it's his flesh that made him one of us.
Today, he's just as God in the flesh as he was when he was here on Earth. We know this from the Bible. When he ascended, he didn't leave his flesh behind. Only the Holy Spirit was left.
Therefore today, as New Testament (Gentile) Christians, our identity in Christ is one that's mated to a God in the flesh.
As a man, particularly a Samson man, I can find myself at times having difficulty making peace with my flesh. And it's during these times when I absolutely forget that Christ is no different than I am as the son of God. God in the flesh. Flexing his muscles for the angels.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Monday, April 4, 2022
Devilishly Alone Amongst The Throngs
"YOU DO NOT FIT IN HERE!"
My one and only BPO (Business & Professional Outreach) International deer camp retreat experience happened back in February of 2014, and unfortunately, I did not come away feeling known or at all having had an intimate experience with the +/-30 men who accompanied me to rural Holmes County, MS. And that outcome had nothing to do with anyone but me for such a time as that.
For the timing was wrong. Just as the timing was wrong for me to attend the "Sportsman's Night Out" at First Baptist Church Jackson last Friday, (4/1/22) night, but I did it because I wanted to please my dad. And he did come away pleased that I made the effort on his behalf (which put a smile on my face).
The problem therein is I've no idea when the timing is best for me to take part in these type of events. Yet, when the timing is right, they're awesome to experience for I then know myself better (& believe that knowledge as truth).
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When I worked as the Campus Architect at Delta State University back in 2012 / 2013, the timing could not have been worse because at that time, I was not at all well-equipped to see / appreciate my place within that group (of men). Yet, I never would have come to know this had I not stepped into that position on faith, leaving my comfort zone behind (& the same applies to my aforementioned deer camp retreat experience).
What it comes down to is knowing yourself, and for Rob, there have been some distinct seasons (life stages?) where I was completely ignorant therein. Considering that statement though, I must say that I'm thankfully experiencing shorter and shorter blind spots as I settle into middle-age.
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Another sizable factor in all of this is how perpetually focused I can become on the men around me during these (gathered) events / within these settings. And this isn't an enviable focusing on my part (like it was within my youth). It's not that at all. Today, it's more of a silent shakedown, fueled by an energized curiosity, more than anything else.
After leaving this past February's Samson Society regional retreat, I agreed to provide a ride to a new Samson friend (who is very close to my age) from our venue in Gulf Shores to the Mobile airport (for him to catch a flight out later on that day). It wasn't long into our trek that he confidently affirmed my spiritual gifting, having had the opportunity to observe me closely throughout the weekend. I wasn't sure how to feel about this except a bit exposed and sad.
When you're given the gift of seeing inside other men (which I am supremely honored to be gifted with), and your sexuality is schewed towards homosexual desires (versus heterosexual), a distinct outward bias can take root.
That statement represents a big part of my life in a nutshell. And it's why I have so little ability to resist readily available gay porn (moth to a flame). And, at times, it does make me sad. Today is one of those days.
Thanks. I'm Rob.
Sunday, April 3, 2022
Turn The Other Cheek; Take The High Road; Be Polite (Pour Burning Coals On Their Heads)
One (two) of the best observational lessons I took away from my second architecting job here in Jackson stood in stark contrast to another that was in (moral) opposition to it. Each of these yin / yang lessons played out during separate seasons via two distinct, much older than Rob, individuals, one of which was my boss and the other a colleague whom I greatly respected. As a side note, I was probably around 30 years of age whilst experiencing what I'm about to describe.
The first observational lesson played out over the course of +/-15-30 minutes, and it involved a very memorable exchange between my boss and a client (with Rob stationed naively off to the side). In a nutshell, the client used the tail end of a scheduled meeting (which I believe he'd calendared) to railroad my boss, and this individual (it quickly became apparent) was quite adept at railroading.
His gripe(s) was likely legit (I don't remember what it exactly was), but instead of professionally relaying his grievances, he chose to railroad. And this resulted in the client obviously feeling quite empowered, but in the end, it definitively exposed his true bully colors.
The lesson I observed herein was to listen, stay calm, and answer any and all questions courteously, enduring the vitriol 'till it's completely exhausted. And this is exactly what my boss did.
But this is super hard to do, especially when you're perhaps not rested or really inexperienced relative to dealing with a railroader. Nonetheless, I observed closely how he handled this event with aplomb, and as a result, I came away feeling pity for what he'd had to endure, but at the same time safely positioned beneath his guise. I don't recall recognizing how influential his low-key reaction had been to me for such a time as that, but I do remember the quiet resolve I sensed over the course of the somber ride back to the office (from McComb).
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On the opposing end of that observational lesson is one I learnt via my aforementioned well respected, older colleague.
This guy was Type A, machismo, full-steam-ahead 24/7/365. And I thought that was cool though quite intimidating as well. In fact, I'd never engaged with anyone (up to this point in time) who did life with quite this much intensity. And just to give you an idea as to how intense this middle-aged guy was, he'd no qualms relative to opening up his slacks - off the cuff - (after swiftly unbuckling his belt) in order to re-tuck in his ENTIRE shirttail. I witnessed him do this countless times both in my office as well as our boss' office. He was just that kind of no-holds-barred dude who never gave a shit about formalities.
This intensely engaging fellow was also a seasoned deacon at a prominent Baptist church here in the Jackson Metro. Yet, when he discovered that he'd been intentionally unincluded from the church's building committee (they were gearing up to plan a new church campus), he protested by walking away from the church.
Now, you need to know that this man's job title was "Construction Administrator" at the architecture firm we were both employed at, therefore he certainly had the vocational credentials / experience to contribute therein. Nonetheless, the decisionmakers had decided against including him on this particular committee (conflict of interest), and as a result, it no doubt pissed him off to no end. From there, he picked up his toys and "moved his letter" to another Baptist church across town in disgust.
What was so stunning about his protest though was how many relationships he forfeited / left high & dry whilst doing so. Imagine with me how much history he and his family were immediately severed from! Over a stupid church committee sleight. It was readily apparent that this was a ridiculously juvenile reaction on his part.
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Involving oneself within the Samson Society, over time, is going to result in some complex relational dynamics. Samson Society is populated with loners. We're men who have proven our mettle relative to surviving within extreme isolation. Nonetheless, because of this, there can be, at times, not a whole lot of regard for "keeping the peace" / "playing nice" due to our survival instincts (pre-Samson Society existence) being our default.
To be frank, you're going to rub shoulders with men that you don't like one bit within this community of men. You're also going to find yourself, at times, not at all liked. If you're like me, you must recognize that being involved within Samson Society, no matter the tension, is ultimately for your personal gain / maturation. Therefore, ushering oneself into other men's (dis)comfort zones (as well as your own) is a vibe you're simply going to have to become accustomed to at times.
A big part of doing this with ease is taking the high road, thereby doing your part to keep the peace. Otherwise, Satan may very well succeed in derailing God's good work therein.
In closing, only as a very last result should you jump ship in search of another group to continue forward relative to fulfilling your needs. And this is due to the fact that it symbolizes a semblance of defeat, and don't nobody need no more of that within our ranks.
Friday, April 1, 2022
Need A Handout? Samson Society Is More Than Willing To Serve, But Especially So If You're Looking To Expand Your Horizons.
Mississippi is the least expensive place to live in America. Everything here is below national average costs, and this includes real estate, retail items, fuel and so forth. Much of this is due to the Magnolia State being on the opposite side of a thriving economics (engine) paradise. Hence, (from a retailer's point of view) there's simply no logic to slapping those who're hardly able to feed themselves, so to speak. When 25% of your citizenry is enrolled in Social Security Disability, that says a lot relative to income thresholds / capabilities.
The latest census numbers too show that Mississippi's citizenry is shrinking. People either haven't moved here during the last decade or many have died, not to be replaced (Mississippians' lifespans are shorter) by subsequent generations (who've survived). If you travel to certain rural parts of our state (& even within vast sections of our capital city, Jackson), and bring newcomers along, more often than not, they'll make comments like "it feels like we've entered a third-world country, or we've gone back in time". Regarding the former, think of it as a dystopian Mayberry.
And this is where handouts come into play combined with shunning / ostracization inside of closed (to the outside world) communities.
For a handout lifestyle comes with compromises and a massive reduction in expectations. More often than not, it's a longstanding marination in shame that literally has become the vernacular.
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As we all know, Samson Society is about combating shame in and through relational accountability. I've said this for years, but I need to personally expound. Our community in 2022 (& it was not like this when I first walked inside) offers an almost unlimited amount of opportunities to connect platonically with men. And, I would argue, this ever expanding vastness adds exponentially to our community's capacity for healing.
For Rob (& I know I'm not unique), inclusivity within the Samson Society (localized) hasn't been near enough for me to obtain God's best relative to my recovery. It was a wonderful starting point (back in 2014), but bigger / beyond Mississippi was / has been beneficial.
Why?
Being from Mississippi is embarrassing. No one here admits to that, but it's true. Plus, there's a finite quantity of Samson guys available to me here. They're all wonderful men, but there's simply too few to meet my needs.
Putting yourself out there amongst Samson guys who're from everywhere but Mississippi takes much more work than I ever expected it to. But, it's worth the effort. It's worth overcoming the embarrassment. It's worth engaging with men who're from everywhere but Mississippi because it works to resist that stigma that permeates so much within this beautiful state.
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In closing, I cannot overstate how cool it is to be accepted into a Samson community made up of guys from all over the world. Guys who know of Mississippi for what it (public relations) is (& now in & through Rob), yet have put that aside to accept me - as well as our entire state - as I am / we are.
We cannot separate ourselves from where we come from / call home, but we can find acceptance / love outside of that place (even whilst humbly residing within!) so long as we're willing to take the necessary risks in order to begin that process. If you're like Rob and feel so moved to expand your recovery horizons beyond Mississippi, I would encourage you to jump into the Samson Society virtual meetings today. It is an amazing resource for us to consider when we feel the timing is right.
You really can have your cake and eat it too.
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