Our New Year's Mantra---"DOWN WITH JESUS!"

To All the KING'S Men,

A blessed 12 days of Christmas to you...pray with me that all the men we know and the ones they love are full of faithfulness and experience good health in these days and deep into 2011...

Our New Year's Mantra---"DOWN WITH JESUS!"

The world seems to shout sometimes a bit louder than the Church… "Down with Jesus,” they say…

People in our country jockey for sides…some saying that God is our problem and Christians aren’t helping bringing people together… it’s a difficult time for some to sort things out and so we hear from others, “Down with Jesus!”

Even some of our closest friends and family members shout out, “Down with Jesus,” as they try to make sense out of lost jobs, illnesses not cured, marriages that have fractured, etc and unanswered prayers covering a host of ”gimme” petitions and personal requests that even if God wanted to say “yes” to he would end up being in collusion with the most selfish of behaviors…

“Down with Jesus” … words that we hear and may even say ourselves from time to time, but words that cannot and will not rattle Jesus desire to bring abundant life to every one who would believe… and don’t worry…he’s used to it… he can take it… because the words, “Down with Jesus” have a whole different meaning to him than they do to his detractors and those who keep trying to discredit his work and proper place in history… in fact, they are good words for people like us in times like this…

Think of it this way… the time had come…all the angels in heaven, archangels, cherubim and seraphim shouted out … "DOWN WITH JESUS!!!” And so they lead the way…the advance guard sharing a message of the ‘new life’ God is bringing to his creation… announcers to Mary and Joseph that God was up to something BIG!

Then there is the Holy Spirit… preparing the way to calm the heart and mind of a young Jewish woman… “Down with Jesus”… words she would ponder in her heart…

And what transpired? “The Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out!” John wrote in his opening gospel sentences… “Down with Jesus“…yah, sure you betcha and watch out now as the best is yet to come…

Jesus did come down… and became one of us…IMMANUEL… “God-with-us“…EMMANUEL… God incarnate…God in the flesh…

Herod tried to snuff his young life out… “Down with Jesus!” The people of Nazareth tried to throw him off the cliff… “Down with Jesus… The Pharisee and Sadducees tried to do him in…“Down with Jesus… and when the mockers and scoffers of Jesus gathered at Pilate’s courtyard… the insisted… “Down with Jesus”… and the soldiers shouted… "down with Jesus” on his way to the cross…these were words he was already familiar with…words declared by the angels and archangels, words announced by his Father and words echoed by the Holy Spirit…words that reminded him of his purpose in life…GOD COME DOWN…giving up his crown…to die for sinners like us…

St. Paul wrote to the Romans….

“Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life – no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: 7 8 If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. 9 We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. 10 When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us.” – (ch 6:6-10)

Jesus came down more than once… he was present at the creation… with Elijah in the cave… he helped shut up all the lions mouths when good Daniel he did save… he walked with Moses and God’s people across the desert sands and he went down from the hillside after feeding a hungry multitude, he went down from from the mountain after sparring with Evil One and he went down from Judea to Jerusalem…

John reported it this way… “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth…”

So, down with Jesus can only mean… "up with US!”… down with Jesus can only mean grace for the world… down with Jesus.. the victory cheer that God has brought new life to his people …

So, the next time you encounter one of God’s detractors…and you hear... "down with Jesus,”… give ‘em a “hell yeah!” as it is the power of God that has come down to us and now lives in us that we would amplify God’s light and life in the world…

       Brian

CHRISTMAS TIME'S INCONVENIENCE

TO ALL THE KING'S MEN...

Guys, our place in God's kingdom is powerful...let's pray with the Blind Boys from Alabama..."Lord, help me find my proper place..."  Men, our work in Christ's Church is urgent, important and necessary...let us pray with Peter Mayer... "Lord, stir up the water in  our souls... let the light come in the darkness...come and make us whole..."  Men our witness is daily...let us pray with Jesus..."Father, your kingdom come; your will be done..."  The world needs our prayers; needs our work.  We need to pray for each other... our work is better done together...

We are coming to the days of Christmas.  It can go a lot of ways for us.  Our culture has taken the core meaning of Christmas and marketed away its soul.  Long lines.  Bargains galore.  Fist fights in the mall parking lot over a rectangle of concrete.  Overextended credit card purchases wear on our shoulders weeks and months into the coming year.  Way too much eating and drinking.  Our senses and our feet are numb and the celebration of Jesus' birth comes to us as an intrusion to our personal merry-making.  We've lost touch with the voices of the angels, the mystery of God-in-the-flesh and this year...Pampers is selling diapers to the words of "Silent Night."  How will Christmas go for you?  Perhaps a good question to ask first, though, is this:

Why Men’s Ministry?

The data is startling. Only one out of every 18 men in our culture is churched. Imagine that 18 men went out to the local sandlot to play America’s favorite past-time and only 1 of the 18 men actually knew how the game of baseball is played. Only 1 knows the order of the base path. Only 1 knows what the glove, ball, bat and helmet are for. Only one man knows how to keep score and for how long.

What do we see? Bedlam?  Chaos? Mayhem?  Of course.  Misunderstanding of purpose. Men running the wrong direction; some sitting in the bleachers. Men wearing gloves on their heads and others chasing each other with bats and throwing balls at one another. Eighteen men. Only one man knows how the game is played. No coach. It’s no wonder that so many find church a difficult place to be.

For every 10 men…

• 9 will have children leave the church;
•  8 will not have a satisfying job;
•  6 will make minimum payment on credit cards;
•  5 will have major pornography issues;
•  4 will divorce impacting 1 million children

Staggering?  Some are surprised; others not.  Is this the last word?  Certaianly not...espeically for men like us...KING'S men...

     K now Christ;
     I  nvite others to "come and see;"
     N urture the relationships we have as Jesus' friends;
     G row your faith via worship, study and prayer;
     '  ...remember always to whom you belong...
     S erve Christ's Church in the world generously via your time and treasure   

Some would advocate that in order to get the world right, we need to get the church right; and in order to get the church right, we need to get families right; and in order to get the families right we need to get marriages right; and in order to get marriages right we need to get the men right...and Jesus is the one who gets it right for us...so, men’s ministry IS Godly work!  That's also why we can say..."one man at a time; no man left behind!"

So, how will it go for you this Christmas?  Will Christmas be an intrusion?  Is this time of year an inconvenience to our already busy lives?  Is Christmas an intrusion that just ups the ante on our already stressed out days and fractured and fragile relationships?  Is Christmas the time we cringe when we get a sugary sweet greeting when deep down inside ourselves we know that we have played house, played games,  faked our way through another day and used the ancient masks to hide behind so others will not know those things deep inside our hearts that scare us to death and prod us to do and say things that only lead to a lifetime of regret?

Well, be of good cheer.  Christmas IS an inconvenience!  Christmas IS an intrusion! Jesus IS God's surpise insurgent of love and grace into our lives...described by St. Paul as a "stumbling block!"  Not just can be...IS... Why?  Everyone will bump into Jesus eventually and have to decide what to do...  and it's always been that way...

Check out the players as first recorded in the Gospels... How was Christmas for them?  Here's a list of the men in the Christmas story and in each case the entry of Jesus into the world pushed them out of their own comfort place requiring them to act differently than they thought they would on that particular morning...

• JOSEPH -  had a plan.  He had set up house and was living with Mary, his betrothed.  Then he finds out about a baby that is on the way and  he knows like Maury Povich says, "Joseph, you are NOT the father!" and has to have God's angel come to convince him to not dismiss his bride to be.  And if that isn't enough, the local city leaders send the message that he has to take his family from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be enrolled in the Roman census.  Road trip!  No Amtark.  Nice.
• The Inn Keeper -- now here's a guy who finishes Holiday Inn Express Manager's training and is given the job of being the new innkeeper in Bethlehem.  That's like the boss telling you, "we're world wide" and when you hear you are going to be "around Houston" you find out that you are the new manager at Holiday Inn in Danbury.  I think he was spoofin' Joseph when he said, "I have no more room."  His place was normally empty, but with the enrollment this new found opportunity to make a buck was just the ticket... actually, he was content to have a full house and now could relax... and saying 'there was no room in the inn' was an announcement of success!  Though Joseph is disheartened; he pressed.  The innkeeper gives in.  Two little inconvenienced men.  Really nice.  But, look around...God winked and Mary smiled.
• Herod -- the King of Judea...just got back from his winter palace at Masada at the Dead Sea and is busy packing to head to his summer home at Herodian, half way between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.  Life is good when you are the king... until 3 visitors come and ask the big question..."where is the king?"  Huh? Herod was the king.  Now Jesus' entry on to the scene causes a certain paranoia prompting him eventually to send soldiers to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem under the age of 3.  Now there's a thorough and sick guy.  Herod the Great my eye...
• The Magi --aka 'the wise men.'  They were.  They took flight and followed a star.  Try 'splaining that to the young boys along the road.  They irked Herod and yet found time to bring gifts to the real King... the angel comes to them and says, "you better go home a different way" ...inconvenience all the way around but most likely saved their lives...
• The Shepherds ---now here's a group of guys where inconvenience is a pleasure trip... shepherds were equal in status to 'garbage collectors' in our day.  Junior high drop outs at best being paid little for a job no one really wants to do.  But, hey, sheep are important... somebody's got to watch them---garbage piles stink...but, someone has to pick up the trash... so, these guys get the night off...and not just one angel...but a choir of angels tell them that God is up to something BIG...and despite a change of venue... they dare not miss it!  They didn't!  When was the last time you sang a song in church about a garbage collector?
• The Soldiers--- we cannot not say anything about the soldiers... the ones called to protect the king and his family.  Protecting them from tyrants, treasonists and conspirators maybe...but not babies...not infants... how sad and inconvenienced the soldiers must have felt when they got orders to kill ALL the baby boys in Bethlehem and...when they got to Bethlehem...the babies' fathers?  What of them?  What did the fathers of the little boys do...what could they do???...

So, men, welcome to Christmas time... KING'S men... enter these holi-days with courage and hope...your life may not be exactly like theirs but we are no different than the men in the first Christmas story... including this one reality... the inconvenient words God speaks to his son, Jesus...."it's time; now is the time..." and  peace, freedom and grace come to town... the love of the parent... inconvenient but necessary... Love is that way... St. John said it this way... "For God so LOVED the world that he gave..."  And so this moment and time when Christmas's inconvenince is thrust upon us...it it the very thing we celebrate...as this story makes all the difference in how all the other stories of our lives unfold...

This is God's work; our hands. Holy days...  A joyful Christmas time to you all...may you see your inconvenience as gift and as the very ministry to others the world so desperately seeks...

One man at a time; no man left behind,

    Brian

AN OPEN LETTER TO COLLEAGUES AND MEN OF THE GULF COAST SYNOD...

CAUTION: Men @ Work

+MEN'S MINISTRY VALUE +     

UNDEREMPHASIZED & UNDERESTIMATED!

To All the KING'S men,

Put on your hard hat---it's time to go to work...so let me just say this out loud...not in anger nor with brashful boasting...just an honest announcement...

"Our synod's men's ministry is underemphasized & underestimated..."

There, now, I feel better and after reading this post, I hope you will too...laymen, clergy, AiMs and youth ministry network leaders alike...I really do beleive this---men's ministry in the Gulf Coast synod is underemphasized and underestimated... at best... and misunderstood at least...

A number of years ago, the Washington Post shared an article that stated (my paraphrase)

"even though our budget will present itself with more shortfalls equalling millions of dollars and the mayor has been arrested for posession of cocaine, everthing else in Washington D.C. is just fine." 

Some of you when reading this would say..."that does not pass the smell test!"  And you would be right.  There is not shalom in Washington D.C. and there is not shalom in the Gulf Coast synod when it comes to men's ministry.  Why do I suggest that?  Here are some symptoms...

• I read a lot of newsletters.  Most of our congregations have no visible sign of an attitude for men's ministry or seek to be engaging men in an intentional way by looking at their monthly calendar and in the body of the newsletter itself;
• After four years of seeking to reach out to all congregations to coonect with men, many of our congregations are still not in the KING'S MEN network;
• Only 3 pastors in the last 4 years have called to ask me about ramping up their men's ministry in their local setting;
• I don't always add a 'read receipt' to e-communications, but occassionally when I do, there are a couple of pastors who dump it..."unread;"  AND MOST RECENTLY...
• The Men's SpiritualityRetreat @ Camp Lutherhill with Campus Pastor Greg Ronning of TLU set as the presenter was cancelled due to lack of registrants...

Even though our bishop is a proactive voice for men's ministry and we have no worry of lack of funding for there is no budget, everything is not just fine...and again, I'm not angry, sad or being brashfully boastful...I am only sharing what I see...

Now, please understand... I cannot NOT do this work.  God's Holy Spirit has gripped my heart, mind, eyes, hands and feet and my attention to this ministry to, for and with men per all men's sake is a primary focus for me as a parish pastor.  We all have our passions and I have mine  ...ending global hunger in our life-time, tending to 21st century 'reformation' worship, and nurturing the family...especially 'blended' families to name my personal few and these do not take a back seat to all the other things that I find myself involved in pastoral ministry...preaching, teaching, coaching, ecumenical work, community service and being SEO (Second Executive Officer and subservient to Christ and his Gospel) tending to the visioning and administration of congregational life.  Understand---pastor or church staff or member...we are all busy... so that is why it is important to work and think and live 'smart' for the sake of the gospel we preach and the perfect and preferred kingdom work we are welcoming as we must all admit...this kingdom comes all by itself and thus OUR personal "busy-ness" should not get in the way of God's work...

Thus my point... men's ministry is NOT something 'extra' pastors and men and the church at large do...rather it is a way of seeing the ministry we do using the gifts of men and reaching out to all men with the good news of Jesus and inviting them to take their rightful place at the font and table and lead the church, their families and communities in lives of prayerful devotion to God and service to the world... let me try to say it again... a bit differently...

Men's ministry is NOT something extra... it is an attitude of faith that permeates the household of God and impacts the lives of men...one by one...two by two... and in small groups and large gatherings... men's ministry is not a program...with a goal to begin and a deadline to meet...men's ministry may very well be the ONE thing (beyond Word & sacraments) that every church in the ELCA can rally around for the sake of our work as God's people...

Said a bit more simple... it would seem obvious that if every man in every congregation were engaged fully into this ministry...the women and children would follow.  Men are called to lead.  So many don't and when asked...they don't know how... what kind of churches do we want?  That seems obvious, too!

Another way of lifting this up is to be a bit brash and confrontational... and that then comes with a challenge...simply stated... PROVE ME WRONG... there, I said it and I feel better now that I have... "prove me worong" and I say this with an honest understanding that if you try to do this..."prove me wrong"...I'm am confident  that God's Holy Spirit will prove this work to be of value to you and if you tend to this work over the next 2-3-5 years...your congregation and ministry will not be the same and will in fact be something I dare say you've not anticipated...

Four years ago, Bishop Paul Blom appointed me to serve in a volunteer position as Co-ordinator for Men's Ministry in the Gulf Coast synod. I have no real job description and yet I think I have a very big drum to beat and some of you have thanked me for beating that drum with passion and power.  You're welcome. Thank God, too..OK?  Because that's what I do when I hear from you that you appreciate that I keep this ministry out in the foreground of our collective synodical work...

Two years ago, our newly elected bishop, Mike Rinehart, asked me to continue in this position and do this work and that I would have his blessing for the next 2 years...and now at the end of September 2010 that time period has expired and the bishop has asked me to beat this drum for at least two more years...but as I said earlier...there is no deadline for men's ministry...so, I'm writing to you today to let you know...

1. I am honored and humbled to serve our synod and the ELCA in this role and will soon have a job description to present to synod council for affirmation and adoption;
2. Lutheran Men in Mission is a movement of the laity...they are called "KING's MEN" in the Gulf Coast Synod and some congregations are embracing this reality better than others.  Our best days remain the days to come;
3. The pastors, AiMs and Youth & Family Ministry network MUST get on board with this ministry attitude so that every man in every congregation gets the idea that they are LMM and have a ministry which is God given and intended to be shared.  You can find out about the importance of this ministry by simply reading the church newsletter, weekly bulletin, and listen for ongoing opporotunities to grow and serve.  Look.  Listen.  Respond.  Plan.  Act.  Review.  Look.  Listen, etc;
4. LMM serves the work of pastors and lay leaders in the church.  Thus, pastors, above all will benefit from this ongoing work...EX---teaching and coaching 5 men to make hospital visits IS an extension of pastoral care and also IS ministry by and for men...
5. Lutheran Men in Mission works to reach out to every man we know...those who are unchurched; those with a developing faith; those with a deep faith; those who are leading and coaching other men; AND men who are hurting...even their pastor who may be male OR female... Does your men's leadership team have a list of these men and a strategy to reach out to them?  Perhaps, that's the place to start...

Lastly, see it this way...men's ministry is NOT the best thing since sliced bread... It IS the bread...or at least one of the 5 loaves a young boy gave to Jesus to feed a multitude...5 loaves... worship...teaching...outreach...service AND men's ministry... and when congregations and pastors are tending to these five loaves...a couple of fish show up too... and you can call those whatever you like...but in the end a miracle occurs and their is great contentment on the plain (or mount!).

Please wander around this web-site for a bit... read some back posts...  check out some of the links... and so I invite the men in your church...including the pastors... to take time to gather at Peace LC in Pasadena on FRI-SAT  November 12 & 13... to hear David Dusek share 'hands on' ways that each congregation can use to amplify their ministry to men and for men...

Please know that you can call me anytime...832.858.4076... there I posted my cell number and I feel good about that...men's ministry may be undersestimated or at least misunderstood... but can never be under valued!!!.... and your call would never be taken as intrusive or considered an interruption... and when you call remind me to tell you the old story of the father who had little time for his son...and how the young boy set out to get the world together by first putting the man together...

One man at a time; no man left behind,

   Brian

A MEN’S PRAYER BREAKFAST TO BE ENVIED!

A MEN’S PRAYER BREAKFAST TO BE ENVIED!

According to the Bible, ‘envy’ is one of the seven deadly sins and at all costs is to be avoided…it’s related to that old saying, “be careful what you ask for…” or hope for...or dream for… or scheme for or deceive for… uh-oh...see why the caution...

However, if there is a good side to envy...like to ‘model’ or to ‘emulate’ or to ‘strive to be like’ then the men’s breakfast I attended in Scottsdale, AZ is one that others should take note of…

The place was La Casa de Christo Lutheran Church in north Scottsdale, an All-American city on the NE spoke of Phoenix...just about 30 minutes from the airport there as well as in close proximity to ASU Sun Devil stadium and the place where the lowly Arizona Diamondbacks play. Easy to find, the church sits on 20 acres and has shown significant growth in the last 15 years. Having a full-time pastor on staff to devote much of his time to ‘men’s ministry’ doesn’t hurt...you need to know. Pastor Andy has been there almost 40 years. Pastor Jeff just under 3 and he followed a pastor who set the tone for a growing attitude of men’s ministry including holding a prayer breakfast...but only for the last 7 years…

I went to visit La Casa at the urging of former TLU President, Dr. Charles Oestreich. “you need to get out there and see what those guys are doing,” he said. Chuck said this to me well over 2 years ago and so it was good to finally be able to walk the campus with their pastor and to meet with some of their key male leaders. Their ‘hospitality’ to me a stranger (yet a brother) was to be envied!

You need to know that La Casa voted earlier this year to leave the ELCA and become and independent Lutheran congregation. And you ALSO need to know that this church is one of the 3 largest ELCA churches in the Grand Canyon Synod to bolt from the ELCA which has placed a terrible burden on the ability of that synod to function well to the point of not being able to afford a hotel to have their annual assembly. BUT, you also need to know that Pastor Andy and the good people of La Casa de Christo have offered their facilities to “HOST” the synod assembly as a way of maintaining good relationships with the friends and co-workers in the kingdom… oh yeah...the breakfast...and here's what happened...

• Prayer Breakfast is ONCE a month during the school year only
• First Saturday of the month.  Everyone is reminded.  Not everyone attends
• Coffee pot goes on @ 7 AM.  Food is served at 7:30 AM
• Attending were men from the 20's to their 80's....over 150 in attendance and each person wore a name badge...and even a badge was prepared in advance for me...
• Cooking is done by 'teams' of men on a rotation basis.
• La Casa's "Music Director" led the men in a variety of songs covering different generations w/ guitar
• Everyone was greeted by Pastor Jeff (staff pastor for men) and he turned the meeting over to their 'lead man' for 2nd welcome and announcements including men standing and introducing their guests
• The opening prayer was also led by La Casa's lead man...
• The Lead Pastor did a cool thing...

          Sometimes pastors get to the end of the line and chat with the tail-enders...sometimes the pastor gets
          to the front of the line and then "works" the room while everyone finishes eating.  THIS pastor stood at
          the head of the line and handed out plates to EVERY man.  Members, visitors and friends all got to be
          eye-balled by the pastor and he was able to greet each person there!  Never say that done before !

• A team of men work on the monthly keynote speaker schedule. It is always a key to gathering the men.   This particular Saturday's speaker was a member of the La Casa and came forward 9 months after the death of his son (post-college age) and shared the incredible story of how he is now able to see God's hand in all the details of a story that became known nationally and internationally.  Truly amazing despite my intentional lack of details here.  And as many of us have similar stories to tell, it's not often any of us get up in front of 150+ other men and tell it.  But, perhaps, that's one of the dynamics that makes the men's ministry at La Casa a safe and enviable thing...trust...
• There were prayers for the family and also for those soldiers who serve the USA at home and abroad.  The prayers included an older man's family as news of his grandson's death was shared.  Men were sitting at tables of 8-10 so there was a sense of community and shared grief and joy as news both good and otherwise was shared.
• The host team went to the tables to take an offering for the food...everybody gave something...
• Pastor Jeff gave a blessing for all attending...Go in peace; serve the Lord...which had huge meaning for all there as the who shared the story of the death of his son, while in Germany, made it very clear to all that he had been a spiritual slacker...church attender..good dad, husband and worker...but didn't act out his faith via his church.  He also made it clear that this was not God's punishment but rather he sees in himself an opportunity to "go in peace and serve the Lord" in a brand new way...

So, that's the simple visible picture....intentional gatherings; invitations; coffee; food; song; prayer; story; purpose; and a sending into the world for Christ's sake.  As I've said before...it's not rocket science...just intentional planning and follow-up?

But, what about the sense of community?  Partnership?  How many congregations in the ELCA or in our synod could pull together 150+ guys on the first weekend when school just started...and it's the last weekend of the summer before Labor Day weekend?  Answer...very few...if any at all... But perhaps the visible was a product of what is less visible at La Casa...

As I met with 3 different men...late 20's mid-50 and mid 70...after breakfast, they made clear the following of their journey...

1. Having the pastor's support is incredibly essential for all...newcomers and old-timers;
2. Having a staff pastor to provide vision, energy and spiritual support makes all the difference from where La Casa was to where they find themselves today;
3. Having a year round calendar of events and gatherings is critical.  Some of the men who came to the breakfast had just returned 2 weeks prior from doing a project at the Navajo reservation 2 hours away.  See?  Not hard...just intentional;
4. Small groups and one-time events has led to the men's ministry expansion.  Holding a golf tournament (wow, in Scottsdale, AZ?) for their Spanish ministry outreach project, starting a 'hiking' team for young and younger men; having "bikers" group that hits the trails once a month; etc are just a short list of examples of how La Casa is building friendships, trust and honest relationships with their men...
5. There is also a variety of adult education (there is another pastor on staff for "life-long" learning!) classes that men can attend together or with their spouse or a friend.  Clue..."go, preach, teach and baptize.." Jesus said...
6. Lastly, La Casa has an intentional 'training' system built into their year-round men's ministry...call God's Men 101, 201, 301 or whatever...they do have a way for men to get together and gain skills and confidence to lead other men... and shucks, guys...our men do that at work...gain skills and confidence so that they will have a greater sense of being part of the big team...

And so I leave you with that and then this one final thought...was it worth going to Scottsdale?  Sure.  With one regret and that is there are still too many Starbuck's Coffee shops in the USA as on Friday AM I had scheduled an appointment with Pastor Jeff and another of the leaders of their men's ministry but as bad fortune would have it...we went to different Starbuck's on the same street just a couple of miles apart and waited each out til neither of us showed.  So if Pastor Jeff makes it to Houston anytime soon...the coffee's on me....

It would be good of all congregations (ELCA and others) to envy what is happening at La Casa de Christo...

One man @ a time; no man left behind;

   Brian

  

FREEDOM---Where are YOU From?

"FREEDOM" ---Where Are YOU From?

To All the KING's Men,

Janis Joplin sang, "Freedom's just another word...for nothing left to lose..." Richie Havens just sang, "Freedom, Freedom." Maybe you can hear Mel shouting that same mantra dressed up like Willyum Wallace in "Braveheart." Martin Luther King, Jr. preached about it. People have lived and died over it. They have marched for it. They have sat down for it. They have gone to war for it. Some even came back from the battle zone to appreciate it. This weekend in America (AND ESPECIALLY THIS SUNDAY all around our synod) we celebrate it. Freedom. And, actually, Janis, it just is not another word...but I know you were singing Kris's song...

Bishop Rinehart has asked us to consider where we have come from to the land called the United States of America. As "sojourners" we all have roots even though it can be said of most of us that we are "not from around here..." yet some of us have been here a while...and there are still some who are coming to live in the USA. Have you given any thought lately to the freedom you have and what price your family paid to secure it? Here's my short story...

In my my family genealogy there are four main bloodlines... the Gigees, the Halls, the Wilsons, and the Schultzes. My mother's mother's family (Schultz) came to America around 1870. They came to build steel mills and my Great-Grandmother learned to walk on the boat coming from Mecklenberg, Germany to the USA. My mother's father's family (Hall) have been in the Carolinas as far back as the 1600's. They were farmers and later worked in textile mills. My father's mother's family (Wilson) has been around a long time in New York and my father's family (Gigee with a variety of spellings) owned land in NY before the Revolutionary War. They emigrated to the American colonies from England, Scotland and finally, Germany. They all ended up in Ohio. and one might say my roots, then, are deep in the American experiment. And then there was this Yankee boy from Ohio who came to Texas in 1972 and for all practical purposes...stayed...

P.S. That's also when I learned the difference between a "Yankee" and a "da*n Yankee."...just ask me...

So, how did you get here? How long ago? Was it just you? Your parents? Their parents? From where? Do you feel rooted? Do you feel displaced? What will you do with your freedom this season of your life? These are the kinds of questions that must be asked in from time to time... so, remember...that Abraham's (the Bible guy..not the president from Kentucky) father was a "wandering" Aramean... Joseph's brothers sojourned down to Egypt ... Moses led the 'hapiru' people out of slavery back to the land promised the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and that those who claim the name of Jesus seem to be always on the move...

Last thought...Jesus said, "if the Son makes you free; you are free indeed." Obviously, a freedom Jesus felt was worth dying for... AND Martin Luther made the great comment about the power our baptism and the identity we claim in it... "A Christian is a perfectly FREE lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject of all, subject to all." ...

And so we are... be God's servant...be a KING's man... you are free to choose...

One man @ a time; no man left behind,

Brian

"A Litany for Fathers -- Dads of All Kinds"

 

TO ALL THE KING'S MEN...
For some this first 1st part may be redundant...but please keep reading to get to the end...

My father is not your father...unless you are my brother or one of my sisters... and your father is not my father... unless you are my brother or one of my sisters...but OUR FATHER is my father and OUR FATHER is your father because God the Father is the father of us all...which also means that HOLY is his name and his Kingdom comes and his will is done...and that makes us brothers and sisters in our faith... in fact, if God the Father is the CREATOR of all...then all in the world are our brothers and sisters, too! So, happy Father's Day weekend...God the Father is gathering his children to praise him and serve his world...

Here are some thoughts about my father....I hope they help you have good thoughts about yours...

• my dad was raised on a farm, grew up in the projects, bought a house in the suburbs and thought he was a king!
• my dad's mother and father didn't make it 'til death us do part.' He and my mother did. I didn't. I pray my children will!
• my father turned down 4 promotions to be a route supervisor for the Wonder Bread Co. so that he could have time to coach Little League baseball. Neither of his sons were playing Little League at the time;
• my father helped at the church "men's paint day" of the Sunday School hallways and rooms. He was the only one who showed up that day. He stayed and painted as long as he had planned. Nobody knew but the pastor and God;
• my dad never took me hunting or fishing and never taught me how to tie a necktie. He did show me how to use a shovel, a rake and a paint brush and made me learn the words, "let the tool do the work."
• My dad loved his mother, took care of her in aging years, loved his wife til the day he died and "showed up" for his children's events as often as he could;
• my dad taught me how to cut the grass making certain the front right wheel overlapped the last cut from the back wheels. Extra work was to be avoided;
• my father worked two jobs most of his life. His part time job was a guard on a Brink's truck. We don't have any pictures of him working---just pictures of him relaxing at home and being with his family;
• my dad had a keen eye, didn't miss much and you were a fool to think you could beat him at horseshoes or matching baskets in the driveway;
• I only remember 3 good fights with my dad---a) when I quit baseball at age 14; b) when I didn't get a hair cut at age 17; c) when I quit my summer job in college with 3 weeks left in the summer. I had a back up plan to paint a friend's mother's house. Grace had it's way... my father enjoyed watching me play fast-pitch softball, let his hair grow out and helped me paint that house the last 2 days.
• my dad said an incredible thing to me when I got a little teary in the car watching my mother stand on the sidewalk in front of our house and cry as I was leaving again for college.... "she'll get over it," he said. She did. And I did, too.
• my dad told me from time to time--"I'm proud of you." I knew he meant it.
• my dad died at age 56. March 9, 1987. I had called him just a week before to talk (actually to brag about my new portable phone) on my daughter's 3rd birthday. The last thing he said to me on the phone that day was, "I love you." It was the last thing he ever said to me.
• my dad has a funny way of showing up in my life in this past two decades...ask me about that... yesterday I glanced in the rear view mirror of the car and saw the top of my dad's head...smooth graying hair... funny how his love and presence persist...

I'm wearing my black T-shirt today that says, "Fortunate Son" on the front. I am. I can't lose. OUR FATHER is your father and my father and your father and my father is OUR father...the one who loves us to the end and beyond...

And here is my adapted litany for Father's Day...

+ Let us praise God for those fathers who strive to balance the demands of work, marriage, and children with an honest awareness of both joy and sacrifice.
+ Let us praise God for those fathers who, lacking a good model for a father, have worked to become a good father.

+ Let us praise God for those fathers who by their own account were not always there for their children, but who continue to offer those children, now grown, their love and support.
+ Let us pray to God for those fathers who have been wounded by the neglect and hostility of their children.

+ Let us praise God for those fathers who, despite divorce, have remained in their children's lives.

+ Let us praise God for those fathers whose children are adopted, and whose love and support has offered healing.

+ Let us praise God for those fathers who, as stepfathers, freely choose the obligation of fatherhood and earned their step children's love and respect.

+ Let us praise God for those fathers who have lost a child to death, and continue to hold the child in their heart.

+ Let us praise God for those men who have no children, but cherish the next generation as if they were their own.
+ Let us praise God for those men who have "fathered" us in their role as mentors and guides.

+ Let us praise God for those men who are about to become fathers; may they openly delight in their children.

+ And let us praise those fathers who have died, but live on in our memory and whose love continues to nurture us. - adapted from Kirk Loadman

Men's ministry is not rocket science; it's harder. Keep up this vital work.

One man at a time; no man left behind,

Brian

"Generations of Fighting Men"

"GENERATIONS OF FIGHTING MEN"

"What fight are you willing to engage?"

My Great-great grandfather enlisted in the North Carolina 26th back in 1860. He was a farmer and was fighting for state rights. His Company I was attached to the Army of Northern Virginia and led by General Robert E. Lee as well as generals Ewell and Pettigrew. They all ended up at Gettysburg, PA in July 1863. His name was Andrew Jackson Hall.

I've climbed up Seminary Ridge where he was wounded on the first day of the battle there and I stood in the wooded area where the NC 26th and others gathered to take part in Pickett's Charge the 3rd day. Standing there brought a chill to my spirit. I could smell the stench of unkempt soldiers amidst the musket powder. I could hear the echoes of chattering voices by the treeline and sense the pee running down the soldier's legs as they looked across the open fields to see the Union army camped at the top of Cemetery Ridge. Have you ever been there? Go as a grown man, with stuff to defend. Go there and remember how cruel war can be and how brothers have treated brothers and how other men's politics take the lives of young men who often just don't know any better.

G2-Grandpa Hall was captured by Union soldiers on the 3rd day and while being taken to the train station, they stopped by a stream to get a drink and as family legend tells...he overpowered a guard, stole his gun and headed off into the woods. He didn't return to what was left of his unit and he didn't see any desire to continue any killing; so he followed the stars and the Indian paths from SE Pennsylvania and returned to NC like 100's of other soldiers who went AWOL each day at the end of the war. Perhaps this action secured the family tree. His grandson was my mother's father.

I have no recollection or proof that either of my grandfathers were ever in the military. Between the two of them they father 11 children...9 + 2...( at least that we know of) but truth be told they weren't very good at being "dad" and left a train wreck behind for two families. I tell people they loved Jesus...but the loved Jack Daniels more..." Thus, their battle lines were blurred as I'm certain that no good has ever come in a home where excessive drinking was the norm.

My father enlisted in the US Air Force in 1952. At age 22 he was a bit older than most young men his age that did so and his joining up became an answer to a certain lack of life clarity. I don't think he was ever really good military material but he did get some clarity...he'd rather be in Youngstown, OH with the young girl who would become my mother more than greasing planes prior to a bombing raid in some cold God-forsaken foreign country. He served barley 6 months being given a "sole surviving son" honorable discharge during the Korean conflict. And the one huge fight my father and I did have besides playing HS baseball ( or not) in 1970 and getting my haircut in 1972 was my announcing that I was going to register for the draft as a "conscientious objector." His line in the sand was bigger than Col. Travis's... and so I was on the list in 1972 as a 1A target of the draft board... garnering a number 123. No one in my class, however, was called up. That all ended the year before... a campaign promise of Richard Nixon ...to end the war in Viet Nam.

I have uncles and aunts who have served in the military. Some as short-timers and some who made it a career. They have served well and often where danger was near. I have a cousin who served on US Navy submarines and I have a nephews who are currently in the USAF and in the Army...one of them is actually "somewhere" in the Middle East...and in a message to me this past week he wrote these things...and I thought I would include them in this blog... and with his permission...

My room mate says hes going to start blogging. My response was "about what". He went on to explain too me that people blog about nothing at all. I told him
"Great! You got plenty of material to write about then". I read that I'm supposed to consume 18 calories per pound to maintain muscle growth so about 3600-4000 a day which I was doing for a while but I lost 2 pounds this week. Seems like the food is getting worse but its still very good by Army standards so I cant complain. It does make it hard to eat in excesses though.

On the upside my run has gotten better and I have put on weight so its a plus. Think I will gain a lot more back home though.

It rained here and I watched a local driving down the road and he got stuck in the mud. He got out and pulled a shovel out of the trunk, walked around to the passenger side and handed the shovel to the woman. Then he got back in the car out of the rain while she dug out the tires and put bags behind the wheels. After about 10 minutes of this the man spins the tires and the car gets free, and he takes off down the road, the woman running behind with the shovel in the rain with no shoes. After about 200-300 yards the man slows down and throws some shoes out the window. I was alternating between laughter and disgust. It didn't seem real almost like it was a comedy skit. Can't really see that happening back home, you get a flat and tell your girl to change the tire in the rain then when its fixed leave her on the side of the road. Can't imagine treating some one like that, or who would want too be with a woman that allowed herself too be treated that way. Some times I feel like the locals aren't worth helping, they are still stuck 500 years in the past. "

Yet, my nephew's tour of duty there is not his first. He signed up to go a second time!

So, there have been soldiers in my family surrounding me for over 150 years...perhaps even longer as we're pretty certain that William Gigee fought in the Revolutionary War as he was listed in the 1790 census in Ulster Co. NY...the town clerk...and yet I've never donned a military uniform despite playing countless hours of "army" with dozens of other young boys in the 700 acre woods behind my house growing up. And if you ask a soldier these days or their families, "Why?"...and we have a number of them in our congregation, too, they will say that they are not fighting for "taxation" or "state rights" or "slavery" as some have claimed..but that they are fighting for freedom...theirs, ours and even for the 'stranger.' It's a battle they are willing to engage themselves in. No doubt there will be a variety of opinions from the hawks and doves and those who waffle, like me, back and forth in the middle...

It's an odd thing for a Christian to engage in military combat some say. We speak the words, "peace be with you," Sunday after Sunday and we know the commandment, "You shall not kill," and we can quote some good lines like..."America, Love It or Leave It" and "End the War- NOW" or Benjamin Franklin's great quote..."there never was a good war nor a bad peace"... and yet we find that there are times when "a good fight" is our only resort... and ultimately reflects the battle lines men are willing to engage themselves in. Some will fight; some will not. Some will join up and others will run. What fight are you willing to enter?

I know some who think that Christians should be 'pacifists.' They say Jesus was a 'pacifist.' But, if that were true...I mean really true in the "pacifist" sense, then I don't think Jesus would have followed his Father's desire to "come and dwell among us" ... to "come and be one of us"...to "come and fight the powers of the evil one"....AND WIN!

It's what we sing these Easter weeks..."The strife is o'er; the battle's won..." Jesus entering the fight on our behalf...taking on Satan face to face...toe to toe...power to power...and giving us cause to shout..."Alleluia" ...Christ is risen... God is on the loose...

And this is battle that I have been willing to enter...I'm not alone...and it's the battle for men's hearts and minds...to fight for themselves, their families, their churches, their communities...to put both feet fully into the circle of faith and trust in God's ways for all things...Simple? Hardly. Important? Youbetcha. Some will be more determined than others...

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, the Bible reminds us and included in those witnesses are those who have given their lives ( A Memorial Day thought) for the sake of others as well as those who have engaged in life's battle in other ways as missionaries of the gospel and medical personnel who have brought a better quality of life to those who battle just to live one more day... or teachers who spend a lifetime equipping others to live well and be and do their best... or civil servants who seek to 'serve and protect' our communities and even the "good people" of our churches who do things for others as a sign that Jesus has entered the battle and won... and that makes all the difference...

At the end of John's Gospel, Jesus says, "My peace I leave with you...as the Father has sent me; so I send you..." which makes me want to believe that Jesus didn't say that so others would...he said so that I would go out and you would go out and engage the world with love and grace and purpose...

Thank you for being part of this generation's "fighting men." It's a battle we must fight as the war has already been won...

One Man @ a time; no man left behind,

Brian

HOLY WEEK---No Time for Wusses

"HOLY WEEK ---No Time for Wusses"

To All the KING's Men,

It might very well be urban legend, but there is evidence that my Texas Lutheran College, now University, fraternity, Omega Tau, coined the phrase, "WUS." I'm sure you've heard it. It is NO compliment! Call someone a "WUS" out of the blue and you very well get a sucker punch to the jaw...unless they really are one! A real WUS that is...

To refer to someone as a 'WUS' is to suggest that they:

a) "can't hack it" or worse yet---"won't hack it" ---whatever the task may be;
b) demonstrate behaviors others might refer to as "sissie" or "chicken"; OR
c) come from questionable background & exhibit character unbecoming of a human being

After all, one's first exposure to the fraternity's "WUS" savvy language is normally discovered in the form of a question. And that question was normally asked by an Omega Tau pledge (me and 100's of others over 50 years) upon learning that the letters "W S" were to be painted on the left sleeve or our pledge shirts. "What does 'W S' stand for, sir?" comes the query. Then comes the ego crash as Omega Tau pledges are asked a retortive question, "Pledge, what is the lowest thing on earth?" And whether they know the answer or not, the answer is promptly given----"Whale Shi%$#" which is then mentally and emotionally compounding as the fraternity pledge learns that his palce in life is LOWER than that! Worse than WS...wow!

But, whether the Omega Tau fraternity actually coined the term WUS, I cannot confirm 100%. However, what I can confirm is that whether you were ever involved in that fraternity or not, Holy Week is no place for Wusses...no place for chickens, no place for sissies and those of questionable character for Holy Week is time and place where the power of God was both placed under attack and unleashed into the world from Introduction to Epilogue. It's God's story and work as seen from the cross and God's redemptive work and glimpse into the future from inside the bowels of an empty hewn stone tomb...a story which requires courage and certain tenacity to enter into.

You see it's one thing to ride into Jerusalem and be hailed as a king! That had happened many times before...but never did the King ride in on a donkey. Jesus changed the story. It's one thing to go and celebrate the Passover meal with your family and closest friends; but it's another thing to change the flow of the dialogue and place a whole new set of rules about what happens when that meal is shared again. Jesus established new trends and traditions that are held tightly to even today. Normally, a king would not go out in public to pray with the expectation that "some" would be out to get him, betray him and hand him over to death. But, Jesus faced betrayal and arrest in a public place under the banner of prayer. It's one thing to be ridiculed and laid out to die for all to see...even the heroic story of William Wallace wants us to root for the good guys..but Jesus was hung out to die in between 2 common thieves. The new king of Israel...just 5 days prior is now equal to a couple of neighborhood thugs. No 11 PM news flash here.

Even his burial was strained and strange. No ritual. No preparation. Just hurriedly carried from the site of the crucifixion to a borrowed grave. You would think that the one who knew he was to go up to Jerusalem to die for God's people would have had the foresight to have a burial plot lined up. Then the disgrace of all the rumors and his own friends on the run, the Roman rulers placed armed guards at the tomb entrance to secure the body. Even Abraham Lincoln didn't get that kind of attention!

And then...what happened...the power of God at work...rolling stone, vanquished guards, empty burial cloths & an angel with a simple message.."He's not here. He is risen, just like he said."

No, this story is not for wusses. It is a whirlwind of terror and destruction followed by a peace that passes all human understanding. Have you ever considered what happened to Jesus on the cross? How many times have you heard other men...men of all ages say..."Church? Church? Naw, I don't want to hang around with all those goodie-goodies and sissies!" OR that wonderful moniker... "Church is for women and kids!" Do you think they have any idea of what Jesus endured on his way to the cross...the mockery, the spitting, the ridicule, the lashing of a whip to the back and having it cleansed with a lotion of lemon and salt? Have the "tough guys" we know ever heard that part of the story.... to say nothing of his being nailed at the feet and wrists, with a crown of thorns shoved into his scalp and forehead, having his side pierced and taking part in a slow death of self-asphyxiation? Very few cultures have ever devised such a cruel way of dying...most of us will die with much more dignity and far less pain. So much for tough guys...for when most men hear the real details of Jesus' final hours...they go running to the TV to watch another episode of "HOUSE", NCIS or take in an ESPN Classic show that they already know the outcome... No, my good friends...Holy Week and all that it brings is not for wusses...

But, Holy Week IS for all of us...in whatever place and posture of life we find ourselves. Luther discovered that great gift when he heard so loudly the words of Jesus at the Last Supper..."given and shed ..."FOR YOU..." which he, in turn, translated as "pro me,"...."FOR ME!" No matter where or how we find ourselves, the drama of Holy Week was all orchestrated by God for the benefit of God's people...the meek and mild Jesus we hail all to often was instead a man of great grit, a man's man who could take it...take so much that Paul reports he took on the sins of all the world...for all times and all places... I know no man who could do that.

So, here's the new line for Holy Week...from one man to another... "Life's hard. Jesus showed us that. I'll walk with you. Let's walk together alongside Jesus entry into Jerusalem. Let's gather with his disciples at his supper. Let's stand with John and the woman and the soldier at the foot of the cross. Let's run to tomb and hear the angel's message..."he's not here. He has gone ahead of you just like he said."

Fact is, most of my life I've been a WUS, but it could have been even worse had I not had others to walk with me and remind of the power of God at work and how Jesus' living and dying and rising places a model of Godly living before keep me focused on the now and the future...

Holy Week is not for WUSSES...but this WUS will be there and I invite y'all to come too and grab hold of the power of God that breaks the bonds of sin and death and leads us into the coming kingdom of God...

Holy Week & Easter blessings to all the KING's men...I'm always interested in what you think...

One man at a time; no man left behind,

Brian

In Memory of L.F. Cardenas

IN MEMORY OF L.F. CARDENAS---ONE OF THE KING'S MEN...

To all the other KING'S Men,

This past week I was in San Antonio, TX at the annual Tri-Synod Theological Conference. It's the annual gathering of clergy and AiMs to learn, connect and as our bishop Mike Rinehart said, "tend to our self-care." It was a good three days filled with both joy and a couple of heartaches.

On Tuesday, I was told by Pastor Steve Cauley (Advent, Houston) that "Mr. Cardenas was in the hospital and not expected to live." He told me this because even as I was never L.F. Cardenas' pastor, I considered him a brother and friend on this journey of faith we all share together. This news was echoed by Pastor Larry Beck the next morning and Saturday I learned that a celebration of Mr. Cardenas' life would be held today. So, I'm writing this note in his honor and to the glory of God during the time of the funeral of which I wanted to but could not attend.

It is a great thing that we do as Lutheran Christians. We do not worship our dead, but we take time to celebrate the lives of our family and friends and remind ourselves that "our day will come, too!" I did not know L.F. Cardenas well. But, what I do know of him will never be forgotten. I did not know where or when he was born. I did not know his wife or his family. I've never been to his home and I don't know what kind of work he did when he was younger. But, I did know that he was a quiet leader at Advent Lutheran Church in Houston and I did know that he had a bad heart and had surgery in years past. This "bad heart," though, was also a "great heart" and that is what I want to relay to you...

In the Fall of 2003 I shared an idea with the Lutheran men of this synod at a gathering at Redeemer Lutheran Church on Lawndale. About 3-4 congregations were represented. Mr. Cardenas was present. We had chicken and I recall the green beans were excellent! I met many of the leaders of men's ministry in our synod over the past 25 years. I and one other member of my congregation were the "youngest" ones there and the idea I shared was about having an old fashioned "father-son-grandfather" kind of gathering to raise money to purchase LMM Master Builder Bibles to give to younger men in our synod.

The idea was simple. Throw a party. Sing. Men can sing well when they are together! Eat a good meal. Have a great keynote address. Make it lasting as we DO something for others. It would take a lot of men to make happen and that night as I shared the idea, I said, "I'll do this; I'll try to make it happen, but as of right now...we have no speaker, no date, no place and no money." All agreed the idea was worth pursuing and over the next few months, it happened!

And here is where L.F. Cardenas comes in. As the Lutheran men left the gathering that night many of them shook my hand and encouraged me to 'get 'er done'... but one man came to me, did not even introduce himself but placed a tattered $10 bill in my hand and said, "here's some seed money for your project. Good luck." I thanked him and asked who he was and then went home with a spirit of great joy and hope. And I took the $10 bill and placed it in an envelope and tucked in my office desk drawer.

And so, with the help of many leaders in our congregations, the support of Bishop Paul Blom, and many other pastors in our synod along with some additional seed money in the form of a grant from Thrivent for Lutherans, we had an event...one that men still talk about and one that has yet to be rivaled...with almost 300 men in attendance represented by 3 generations and honoring our Jr. Hi and HS male athletes, then head coach Dom Capers of the Houston Texans gave a wonderful keynote address along with words of inspiration from LMM National Director Mr. Doug Haugen and with music from the Harbor Light Choir made up of recovering alcoholics and those with other chemical addictions. See the story on http://www.elca.org/ and click Lutheran Men in Mission to open the pdf file for "Foundations" Spring 2004 issue... We raised over $5000 via a silent auction of sports memorabilia and as they say, "a good time was had by all."

At that gathering I found Mr. Cardenas among the men from Advent church. I walked up to him with a big smile, reached in my pocket and pulled out a tattered $10 bill. "do you remember this?" I asked him. He smiled and didn't say a word. I went on, "See what your $10 got us? Thank you L.F., your 'seed' has blessed the lives of many!" He told me that he was glad to be able to do this and I was satisfied that his good deed was recognized and I thought that would be the end of it...not so...there's more...

As the evening was winding down and as people were leaving the Clarion Hotel on Hwy. 290, Mr. Cardenas approached me and was carrying a big smile as well. He grabbed my hand, and place what I perceived as another $10 bill with the words, "here, this is for your next banquet!" Then he walked away and as he did I turned my hand over to discover that the $10 bill was actually a $100 bill which led me to tears to think that there are those still in this church who have such a spirit of generosity. And then the miracle occurred...one that only God could have provided...

Now, the banquet hall was even less crowded, the hotel crew was cleaning tables and I told some of the men from my congregation of L.F.'s gift...Coach Capers was standing in that circle and heard the story and then reached in his wallet and said, "here, I'll match that $100! I had a great time tonight." And now you need to also know that Coach Capers came almost an hour before the event was to begin. He signed autographs, took pictures with fathers and sons and grandfathers and refused any kind of honorarium for speaking. "I only do this kind of thing 2-3 times a year, " he told me. While we were blessed by his words, obviously Mr. Cardenas' 'seed' had blessed Coach Capers too.

And that's my story. That's my encounter with a quiet yet generous man of God. And I suppose if you ask the men (and pastors) at Advent Lutheran Church on Pinemont in NW Houston they will tell you other stories of the quiet generosity of one L.F. Cardenas. And I know they will! That was not my last conversation with L.F. We have spoken several times since then and I will miss him at our annual synod men's gathering at Grace, Conroe this weekend. And I hope as many men in our synod as well as our pastors can come and give thanks to God for the life of L.F. Cardenas and all those who have helped shape the future of men's ministry in this synod.

One man at a time; no man left behind.

Brian

P.S. I have two $100 bills in an envelope. Anyone ready for another party?

SHORT THOUGHTS AND DIRECTIVES FOR FEB 2010

"SHORT THOUGHTS & DIRECTIVES FOR FEB 2010"

KING's Men, let's be quick about this...but let us be diligent...

THOUGHT # 1 - Our annual synod conference and gathering of men will be FEB 5 -6 @ Grace, Conroe. Thanks to the men at Grace and their friends at Tree of Life for working together to be good hosts...Cost will be $25 per person.

THOUGHT # 2 - This will event will be FUN, REFLECTION, TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS and POINT to the FUTURE...you should already have some info from the synod office to insert in your bulletins and FEB newsletters and e-mails to get this word out to the men in your church...

THOUGHT # 3 - FUN--for the men who arrive EARLY on Friday...they can go golfing or fishing...for quick info about times and cost...contact CALEB SHAW springmores@hotmail.com;

There will be a meal served in the evening for all participants...

THOUGHT # 4 --REFLECTION -- On Friday evening the men who have gathered early will share in a review of the moving, "GRAN TORINO" followed by a discussion and evening prayer.

On Saturday morning, Pastor Steve Cauley will lead a 30 minute worship service modelling, "Church for Men," and how that can be used to reach out to men in our ministry areas.

Other speakers and presenters for our assembly will be the men from Living Word LC in Katy and their "mission" story to the Lutheran congregations in Peru; DICK MOELLER of Water2Thrive will also share how men in our congregations can help with this ministry and hopefully, George and some of the men from First Lutheran in Galveston can share an update on how life on the island is...

THOUGHT # 5 -- BUSINESS -- On Saturday, Norm Smith, ELCA President for Lutheran Men in Mission will be our speaker. We will hold elections and take care of our synod business that day.

THOUGHT # 6 -- FUTURE POINT --- Our synod will host the 2011 Tri-synod gathering of LMM (Austin/2009; Waco/2007. We will want to choose a site for the that which will assist men from our synod as well as NTNL and SWT. July 2011 is also the year for our National LMM Gathering in Denver. Information on that is forthcoming.

Also, our synod has the opportunity to host a 1.5 day "Man in the Mirror" training to assist men, pastors and congregations in expanding and strengthening their vision for ministry with men...late OCT or the first weekend in November may work best...and I hope we can talk about that this weekend...

And as we all walk confidently deeper into 2010 I leave you with this prayer...

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

Body of Christ, save me.

Blood of Christ, inebriate me.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O good Jesus, hear me;

Within your wounds, hide me.

Never let me be separated from you.

From the malignant enemy, defend me.

At the hour of death, call me;

and bit me come to you.

That with your saints I may praise you

forever and ever. Amen.

-Ignatius of Loyola

Now go back quickly and pray that prayer in the plural for all the men in your life...us and we...

One man at a time; no man left behind,

Brian

For more information...

Velon Burnett mvburnett@sbcglobal.com

Pastor Gigee brian@newlifelutheran.com