Walking With God & Connecting w/ Men

"WALKING WITH GOD & CONNECTING w/ MEN"

To all the KING'S Men...

+ K now Christ!
+ I nvite others to join God's team!
+ N urture your faith through prayer, worship & daily Bible reading!
+ G ive your time & money supporting God's work in your congregation!''
+ ' ( ' = a sign of "possession" and it's about "belonging"---who we are and whose we are!)
+ S peak well of your pastor and the men in your life!

KING'S men...that's who we are! Or think of it this way...

"one man at a time...no man left behind..."

And if that doesn't strike you...try the ELCA's Lutheran Men in Mission "vision" statement...

"That every man grow in his relationship with Jesus Christ
through an effective men‘s ministry in every congregation."

KING'S Men...I pray that we all sense God's Holy Spirit leading us to be just that...

A few weeks ago, I preached a message to the people at New Life Church that began with this news..."I should be dead by now!" More than once! And over my 55+ years of living I can say that with confidence and as a confession. Some of the those near death experiences were when I was very young and a couple during my HS and college years and yes the stories include alcohol and a car and a woman and her boyfriend...and I'm not going to share the details here but I think you get what I mean and the last time was just a year ago...an episode that didn't involve alcohol, a car, a woman or her boyfriend but rather a river, an inner tube and three water shoots that seemed to have my number... and for a moment, death and I had a duel.

Yes, I should be dead by now...I could be dead by now...but I'm not and so I will give thanks to God for each breath each and every day until I have no more breath in which to give thanks which will then require those in my family and friendship circles...to give thanks in my absence...and I trust they will for a life of walking with God includes a life of connecting with others especially the men I know...they are all around us...

But, let's make sure this is a Lutheran kind of piece by first saying...

• God walks with us...as it's God's intention for us to never be abandoned...
• God's Holy Spirit places other men in our lives to nurture us, challenge us and for each of us to have opportunity to challenge and nurture others...
• Jesus' words to us..."follow me" and "go, teach, preach and baptize" are good reminders as well as good directives of both Jesus constant presence and the call to be disciple.

Therefore, walking with God and connecting to other men around us is indeed a "God Thing" and requires some effort on our part. Let me even go so far as saying that this kind of work requires a plan AND when it comes to plans I'm always mindful to recall, that... 1) most plans or new plans are always better than the plan we never had; and 2) all plans are worth review from time to time and updating and expanding. So, for me and for all of us...having a plan to walk with God and connect with the men God has placed in our lives is a worthy thing.

This is then a process of transformation. St. Paul reminds us in his letter to his friends in Corinth... "In Christ you are a new creation...the old has passed away and the new has come..."

How do we do this? And how do we model this for others? Transformation comes in layers. It's not just about me or you but it's about me AND you and it's not just about me or you or you and me but it's also about me and you and how these transforming connections involve others. It's like asking the question..."are you a thermometer or a thermostat?" A thermometer only reports the condition... cold, warm or hot or a shift from one to the other. The thermostat adjusts to the cool, warm or hot and changes the condition at hand. Let's look at it this simple way:

1. Transformation happens WITHIN! It is the result of God's Holy Spirit at work in and around us as we pray, worship, study, invite, encourage, give and serve as Jesus' disciples. It's God's own doing and as these faith practices are lived out...we are changed...
2. Transformation happens BETWEEN! This is the result of two others posed in an arena of change. Husbands and wives; fathers and sons, grandfathers and grandsons find themselves growing and developing a stronger and more intimate partnership and blessing comes to both;
3. Transformation happens AMONG! This is really the miracle work of God's Holy Spirit, for as others see transformation in us and in a growing number of others and the good which flows from this change there is a growing sense of "imitation" to be cultivated...and then families are changed, neighborhoods are changed, communities and nations are changed. Even churches can discover the joy of this kind of transformation...we call it "the communion of saints..." and as Martin Luther described it..."the mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren..."

Why? Some of us could be dead by now. Some of us have been more fortunate. But, we all know deep down inside ourselves the cries in our own heart and the cries in the hearts of others. They are longstanding and life-long...

• the cries to be loved by our mother and father who will hold us when we are hurt;
• the cries to be loved by a friend, one whom we can share our deepest secrets and trust without fear and whom we can love back;
• the cries of those who are weaker than ourselves who are hungry and thirsty to have God walking in their lives and to be connected with others

We don't have to look any farther than our own mirror to see and recognize the need to walk with God and see the face of Christ standing next to us in that same mirror and to hear him say, "turn around" (repent), "walk with me" (follow) and find someone near to introduce me to so that we might walk together (making disciples)...

That's a vision of men's ministry that requires constant effort, constant oversight and constant evaluation. And I know this one thing...congregations that are working at this are better off than congregations that are not. So, to the KING's men I know...Walk with God...connect with the men around you...

I don't always say things like this; but when I do, I say it on purpose...

Stay faithful my friends,

Brian

"Lutheran Men in Mission Stimulus Package"

LUTHERAN MEN IN MISSION STIMULUS PACKAGE


To all the KING'S Men...

• K now Christ!


• I nvite others to join God's team!


• N urture your faith through prayer, worship & daily Bible reading!


• G ive your time & money to support God's work in your congregation!''


• ' ( ' = a sign of "possession" and it's about "belonging"---who we are and whose we are!)


• S peak well of your pastor and the men in your life!

KING'S men...that's who we are!Or think of it this way...

"one man at a time...no man left behind..."

And if that doesn't strike you...try the ELCA's Lutheran Men in Mission "vision" statement...

"That every man grow in his relationship with Jesus Christ

through an effective men‘s ministry in every congregation."

KING'S Men...I pray that we all sense God's Holy Spirit leading us to be just that...

In February, I was able to gather with Doug Haugen, our Director for ELCA LMM and other leaders of Lutheran Men in Mission. We met in Chicago. It was cold. But, we were indoors, safe and warm and conversation boiled with enthusiasm and hope as we celebrated the "stimulating" news of LMM's 5.01 C.3 status and a certain Independence from ELCA benevolence support. And what was so exciting is that information was shared that LMM could now receive...are you ready..."free money"...

Yes, that is right...but, nothing's free, eh? Well, ya, sure, ya betcha...not exactly...but pretty close...so keep reading as I pass on this note from Doug...

Dear Partner in Men's Ministry:

Challenge! We are living in challenging times, yet the opportunity for reaching men for Christ has never been greater. Thanks to your support and participation 2009 is our most exciting year of ministry yet. We continue our emphasis on Bible distribution and study, events that make disciples of men and assisting congregations to become a culture that welcomes young men.

Along with that, we are focusing more than ever on leadership for your congregation. Through events we are sponsoring in each region of the country over the next two years we are helping congregations like yours make disciples of men by training leaders with the most up to date information and resources.

More exciting news! Challenge!
1) Three men have stepped up and issued a challenge. Our goal is to raise $60,000 in the next six weeks. These men will contribute $30,000- and challenge the rest of us to match it by May 15.
2) LMM is now enrolled in the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans GivingPlus program. If you are a member, Thrivent will contribute $1 for every $2 you contribute up to $600. In other words, your contribution of $600 would be matched with $300. Please see the attached form for more information and return the form with your gift to the address below in order to have your gift matched. (ACTUALLY, the form cannot be linked to this blogspot...but if you shoot me a quick e-mail...like right now...and ask for the form...I can send it back to you to download, complete and return to LMM with your gift...)

Now, that is exciting news...stimulating news and a way for Lutherans to share what is ours...our faith, our hope, our love and our gifts...

Second, allow me to wish you a joyful 50 days of Easter...may the risen Christ be your north star for all that you say and do...

And remember...do share this note with others in your congregation...and see who is willing to come with you to Camp Lutherhill Friday and Saturday, May 15-16 to help "spruce up" the grounds before the campers arrive in June...there is no cost for housing...just meals but we'll need to know how many from your church are coming so that the chef will have enough to feed us...

Lastly, whatever you have been doing with the men in your church...keep it up...keep encouraging...have them go back and re-read some previous postings on this blog...

One man @ at a time; no man left behind,

Brian Gigee, Gulf Coast Synod Men's Ministry Coordinator

"Resolution"

To all the KING'S Men...

K now Christ!

I nvite others to join God's team!

N urture your faith through prayer, worship & daily Bible reading!

G ive your time & money to support God's work in your congregation!''

' ( ' = a sign of "possession" and it's about "belonging"---who we are and whose we are!)

S peak well of your pastor and the men in your life! KING'S men...that's who we are!

Or think of it this way..."one man at a time...no man left behind..."

And if that doesn't strike you...try the ELCA's Lutheran Men in Mission "vision" statement...

"That every man grow in his relationship with Jesus Christ

through an effective men‘s ministry in every congregation."

KING'S Men...I pray that we all sense God's Holy Spirit leading us to be just that...

As people enter a new year, many find themselves barking out one resolution after another. I'm not even going to make a list of all the resolutions made on 12/31 or late in the afternoon on 1/1 because most of them are already undone...we've all been there...done that!

I did a quick look in five or six of my Bible translations, though...The Message, the NIV, the New Revised Standard Version and even in the People's Bible along with New King James Version...and as I tried to locate references to the word, "resolution," I found none.

The word, "resolution" does not appear in the scriptures! (If you find a translation where it does, please let me know!)

But, I'm not alarmed nor discouraged. After all, who needs a new year's resolution to begin to live a certain way or change a certain behavior, when Christian men like us are already given license to be reformed, transformed, conformed and informed by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God who is Jesus? But, if you are in compelled to look in the mirror of your own life and heart and if you desire to make positive adjustments in your doing and being...then consider some of these things before you leap...

When Paul wrote his letter to his friends at Ephesus, he reminded them that the world was dangerous. In fact, he called "his generation"---evil. He also reminded them that standing with one another, supporting and nurturing each other was a critical component to daily life in the Body of Christ. About 2000 years later, we see the world is not that much different...

• Of the men who married between 1970 and 1974, just 46% were still in that marriage after 30 years;
• Of the 72 million children in America under the age of eighteen, 33% of will go to bed tonight without a biological father in the house;
• Children in female-headed families are five times more likely to live in poverty, repeat a grade, and have signs of emotional problems compared to families where a father is present;
• More men in our culture will know that JFK and Marilyn Monroe hooked up once or twice than those who know Lydia was a seller of purple and provided a Jesus-style hospitality as reported in the Acts of the Apostles;
• By the time a child reaches the age of 6, he or she will have spent more face to face time with the TV or computer than they will with their father for the rest of their lives.

This may not sound like an overt list of evil, but this is a tell-tale sign that much in our life and culture is broken. Today in the news, a man with a good German Lutheran name (Schrenker) from Indiana was reported to have stolen investments monies from clients, his wife was filing for divorce, the local agents confiscated his 6 computers, his files and he was found at a road side rest in Florida after flying one of his two planes south, parachuted over Alabama (the plane was on auto-pilot and crashed in Florida) and then took a motorcycle out of the storage facility he rented and drove to Florida and is now in a Gainesville hospital after slitting his wrists. Was this guy a member of one of our Lutheran churches? I don't know and even if he wasn't, there had to be one nearby and so I ask, "how did the Christian men in his corner of the kingdom fail him?" "How did he fall through the cracks?" Is this just the first of more desperate actions to come by the men we know? What do we resolve to do about this?

Perhaps now more than ever, it is time for our pastors and our lay men to bond together to see that every congregation in our synod show signs of an active and engaging men's ministry. I'm not going to list all the ways that you can or should do this. Each congregation must prayerfully discern what is the best way to move forward in the context they find themselves. This blog-site is filled with stories and ideas and this blog-writer is willing to come and visit with your men (and pastor!) to find ways in your setting to train and support the ongoing work of men's ministry.

What are we RESOLVED to do? Who are we RESOLVED to become? When will we be RESOLVED to act? Why would we be content to be RESOLVED to do something else? And as the old Jewish proverb reminds us..."If not me, who; if not now, when?"

It is true that the word, "resolution" does not appear in the scriptures...

But the resolve of God in Christ is clear...we have been...

• created in the image of God to bear fruit in the world;
• wiped clean in our baptism from the stain of original sin;
• claimed by God and made members of the Body of Christ;
• gifted with the Holy Spirit with a power that the gates of hell cannot keep out;
• sent into the world to be light, leaven bringing hope and love to all around us.

Perhaps our new ELCA vision statement makes it more clear...

"God's Work. Our hands."

One of my favorite quotes is from St. Benedict... "ora et labora." It simply means, "pray and work" and that in the end is my daily resolution...it is the rythym of life...it is the path of God that gives meaning and purpose to life and reflects the resolve of Jesus whose prayers and work led him to the cross so that sin, death and the will of the evil one would no longer bind our hearts, minds and hands...

May your resolution be a revolution for you, God and the world...

One man at a time; no man left behind,

Brian