"Faithful Fathers--- Problem Solvers at Work Today!"

 

There is an old saying that goes like this... "every problem has a solution and each solution creates new problems which have solutions which create new problems which have solutions..."  The story of the 'Cats of Borneo' is an excellent example...

   http://www.rmi.org/spring_2012_esj_07_imagine_a_world

 

Or as Pogo once said, "we have met the enemy and he is us!".  Old pal, St. Paul referred to this reality as "the old Adam" in each of us.  And I've always liked the saying from recovery ministry... "if that thing you are doing is causing a problem, then that thing you are doing is a problem."  Word!

 

It's Father's Day 2013 weekend!  Hopefully, lots of dads will be in our churches this Sunday.  Hopefully, they will be wanting to hear a word from God about their lives.  Most men I know who are fathers would "lay down their lives" for their children...die for their children.  I'm not sure if that is a problem or a solution but I think our best hope is for the fathers in our churches to "live" for their children.  Will the men in our churches hear a word about "LIFE" this Sunday?  According to Pat Morley, founder of Man in the Mirror ministry ( a para-church organization and linked to the ELCA's Lutheran Men in Mission http://www.maninthemirror.org/) church leaders face 2 key problems...

 

• The "men problem" has become a crisis that is virtually out of control. The collateral damage among families is staggering. Men under 40 are especially vulnerable to an alien worldview that is gutting the institutions of marriage and family. Our government agencies, social sector organizations, and businesses are overrun trying to cope with the downstream damage of an increasingly fatherless, angry, and dysfunctional generation. 

      and...

• Unfortunately, we also have a "church problem." The mission of the church, of course, is to make disciples. We love the church. But the vast majority of churches we talk to are struggling to consistently make male disciples. As a result, they have not been able to cope with the changing climate among men. Their leadership resources are often depleted and most of them need fresh ideas. Churches know that there can be no meaningful solution to the problems our world faces unless men are equipped to be godly men, husbands, fathers, and citizens.

Now, granted, that's a lot to unpack and is really a description of the tip of the iceberg rather than the whole chuck of ice, but does offer a reality all pastors and leaders of men must address.  For, if we do not... then I think we've conceded to 'be" the problem versus tackling it head on.

 

So, where do you start?  It might be a different place than the next pastor or youth director or men's ministry point man... depending on where they are at present... And if that is the case then let me suggest... and some will find this unusual coming from me... that we use our 'liturgical' resources to tend to this... think words like... rhythm, diligence, persistence, authenticity and couple those with words like purpose, grace, renewal, reformation and molding just for starters... and it starts for me on Sunday...  God at work... for the sake of my life and for the sake of your life and those around us.

 

Men of God... Fathers... dads... sons... brothers... can we do this on Sunday...?

• Gather in God's house with gratitude and hope for days past, today and tomorrow?
• Make a point to greet other men around you before the worship begins... to suggest...'hey, we're on this road together... no one walks alone...' Smile... shake a hand... say, "hey... I'm..... (add your name...) and make sure you do that with another man you don't know well... 2 is better!
• Then sit down and shut up for moment and invite God to 'speak' in a way that you will understand and know that this is the best place you could be on Sunday morning...
• Rhythm... confession... owning up... saying 'brokenness' is real and I'm Humpty Dumpty as each of us falls off the wall and somehow can't find a way to piece it all back together...
• Rhythm x 2 ... silence... sense and feel water pouring over your head... know that the Word of God connected to the water washes you clean... trace the cross of Christ on your forehead... it won't rub off, trust me...
• Rhythm x 3 ... the silence is broken when the words of forgiveness and grace are shared... "all my sins are forgiven"  WoW!  Burdens are lifted... the door is opened to a new life... renewed, refreshed, restored...
• Rhythm x 4 ... how does this happen?  "The peace of the Lord be with you always!" is spoken... words to share with others around you... Jesus is God's peace... with each of us... in the center of all those smiles, hand shakes and hugs... Jesus in the middle of our life together... the peace that passes all human understanding... so don't try to figure out God... rejoice in the reality that God has figured YOU out!
• Rhythm x 5... even if you can't carry a tune in a bucket or whether you sing bass in the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJybtgsOYno) this is the moment of 'awe' and gives cause to sing and praise God and that's why we always sing after the peace is shared... the Reed Sea has split... Moses leads us to the other side of life and we sing our hearts out to the one who saves and provides...

And then we pray and are ready to hear the Word of God and be -reshaped for faithful living...

 

Isn't this really what we do on Sundays...

 

 

Now, when we do this... we will all appear like a bunch quietistic guys who aren't very certain about life or ourselves... Not so, though!  We gather, admit, re-think, renew, make plans, act upon those plans, review and assess and then come back the next Sunday and repeat...  Church is the place where we "practice our faith" so that when those moments arise outside the walls of the church we will have a faith to use...  we all have code... for some our code causes problems... for others the code is the problem solver... but it's life-long work... for all of us... every day... 24-7-365... modeled after the God who neither sleeps nor slumbers...

 

Last piece of business... cause this IS our business... making disciples... helping fathers be faithful and do more than die for their children...

1. Divorce rates have been dropping during the last few decades. Data indicates that marriages have lasted longer in the 21st century than they did in the 1990s.
2. The other side of that statistic is many couples are just not marrying and choosing to live together instead...
3. Which leads to Peggy Contos Hahn's comment earlier this year that in 2012 more children were born out of wedlock than those who are born of a married couple.
4. So, problems have solutions and solutions cause new problems... Here's a list of info you might find helpful before and after Father's Day 2013!  Enjoy... and pray...  http://buildingbrothers.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Men_Statistics.pdf

Happy Father's Day!  May your church be filled with men who "live" for their children...

Keep the conversations going... share this message with a friend or two...

One man at a time; no man left behind...

     Brian

 'WHAT'S NEXT?'

                                                -- an honest and rite question

To all the KING's men...
   + The man said the church was 'culpable' for the failure of his family.  "What's next?"
     + My friend tried to take his own life when he got fired at work.  "What's next?"
     + My nephew told me his girlfriend's pregnant.  He wants to know, "what's next?"
     + The young man just finished college.  The job market is thin.  "What's next?"
     + The men from our church just returned from a 'mission trip.'  "What's next?"

"What's next?"  It's always the right question to ask!  Whether it be asked in the AM on Monday after a restful holiday weekend, on Thursday at 4:45 PM with one more work day to go or at 10:30 PM on Friday as you climb into bed... "What's next?" is ALWAYS the question Lutheran Christian men ask in the middle of being servant-minded or as a new project, event or opportunity arises...

"What's next?"   I write this just about 10 days after returning from the National Lutheran Men in Mission Gathering in Denver, Colorado.  I'm encouraged by what I experienced, what I saw and heard and by remains in my heart now that I'm home and in my corner of God's kingdom...  So, "what's next?" is the nagging question in my head and heart and so I am asking you, too... 'what's next?"   NEXT for the Men in Mission in your congregation, NEXT for the men in your cluster of congregations and NEXT for the men in our synod...

In a recent memo to our men's ministry leaders in all three TX and LA synods I shared the following information and want all the men of our synod to know as well... pastors, AiMs, Youth & Family Ministry leaders, etc... what just happened and WHAT's NEXT!

  National LMM News

    A. Denver was fantastic... perhaps the best effort LMM has given us in a 12 years

            1.  Numbers were down 30% from previous 2 gatherings, but...

            2.  The average age of the assembly was lower also due to the work of the LMM Young Men's Council

            3.  We now have Bishop Hanson's ear... he stayed the whole time and preached us out on Sunday AM

            4. Almost 400 men were there... less than 20 pastors and only 3 bishops.  There needs to be a change in approach here...

                  NOTE: 2 years ago Saddleback Church (Rick Warren) 'cancelled a               men's ministry training for lack of registrants and this year the UMC               wanted to gather  500 men for their national gathering but cancelled it         when less than 75 registrations were received. ASTOUNDING NEWS!)

               

    B.  Emphasis for the "ONE YEAR to LIVE" retreat ...changing men's lives! More soon!

    C.  A site for 2014 has not been set; however talks of two gatherings (east and west) are          in the making.  We would be 'West.' This would be more work on planning teams but would reach more men overall.

II. Region 4 News

    A.  Region 4 has representation from all synods except OK-ARK and Central States 

            1.  Thanksgiving for the work of Henry Howe was acknowledged (more than once)

            2.  Tom Ness (from NTNL Synod) was elected our new Region 4 LMM REP over              another candidate from NE.  Both are committed to the ongoing work of LMM           

     B.  The three synods for TX-LA had young and older men in attendance;

            1.  From TX-LA Gulf Coast was me and Kenneth Peterson from New Life/Pearland; 

                   Chaplain Richard Brunk/Ft. Hood; Richard Baker/Christ. Brenham; Mark Dentler/Advent. Houston

            2.  Kyle Pederson (LMM Young Men's Ministry Specialist) sought out Kenneth Peterson @ New Life about reaching out to congregations in our synod re: LMM and seeking out the age 19-30 men.  Kenneth currently lives in NW Houston and will reach out to Pastor Brad Otto (Messiah/Cypress) as a first step. Then he can reach out to Celebration and connect w/ the men at Covenant & Living Word.

            3. A brief conversation was held in Denver at the Region 4 Caucus to consider having a REGION 4 gathering in Spring of 2013 as a 'pre-gathering to the Nat'l Gathering

III.  Gulf Coast LMM News

        A.  We continue to reach out to each other

            1.  Pastor, AiMs and Youth and Family ministers will need to keep talking... L M M!

        B. Facebook page needs some energy... we need to have a national LMM/FB push... where men all over the country log on to the local congregation/synod/national FB pages/groups

        C.  We have a weekend blocked off for a Men's Weekend @ Camp Lutherhill in LaGrange.  I spoke to Matt Kindsvatter and there is no program per/se so we have an opportunity here to promote and go... nice time of year to be there...

                1.  OR we could use Denver men to come here to lead a "One Year to Live" retreat;

                2.  But, Spring 2012 after Easter may work best

        D.  2012 Synod Meeting on the calendar!  EJ Hanhart has secured Christ the King LC/Kenner  LA for THRS - SUN FEB 9-12 for our annual synod gathering

                1.  In Brenham we spoke of doing it this way:

                    a. pre-gathering on THRS nite and leave early in the AM for a day's fishing trip for those who desired it

                    b. Friday nite gathering for all synod me @ CtK  (NOTE: this is also Mardi Gras season so we will need to stay on top of housing and airfare)

                    c.  This gathering has the intention of putting TX and LA men in the same room to build friendships for a return in July 2012 for the ELCA Youth Gathering.  Jessica Noonan in our synod is in charge of "service projects"

                2.  I met Rev. Jay Gamelin (campus pastor @ Ohio St) in Denver and he and I are talking about him coming to NOLA that weekend.  The best part of this event is to have the TX men stay in south LA to worship and have a lunch to talk about how we get back together in July.  Jay gave a great sermon in Denver and I think he is a classmate or knows Pastor Barb Simmers in Slidell.  Maybe he could preach there on Sunday?

                3. Evan Moilan could also come from LWR Malaria Initiative and bring more men in on this great opportunity!

That is what I know about where we are... KING's Men... "What's next for you?"  Please fill in the blanks... what are you doing in your congregation?  Your cluster?.... please drop me a note and I will forward it to those who need to know... 

Remember... if Lutheran Men in Mission in each congregation were 'a baseball' team ...only one of our 9 men would have a clear understanding of how we are, what we do and why... that's not good news...but it's the place we start...

One man @ a time; no man left behind,

     Brian

Coordinator, TX - LA Gulf Coast Synod Men's Ministry

"The Church as SHIP"

Men...        ...'it's time to go to work!"

St. Paul once wrote, "transformation comes via the renewal of your mind..." We all need that from time to time… and as Lent approaches… here’s a hope-filled transforming thought…

We all know the CHURCH is people...but we also refer to the ‘building’ as church… but whether it be people or structure… what if we considered church as ship?

One of the first images of the Jesus’ church is the "sailing ship". The Armenians adopted this image early on as they claimed themselves to be the first “Christian nation.” They sailed to the Holy Land to see where Jesus lived, taught, died and came back to life! Even today, they are the caretakers of the Chapel of St. Helen, Constantine’s mother, inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Having the sailing ship as a Christian symbol points to the idea that the church is in "mission" and when we read the writings of St. Paul, we recall that the fulfillment of the "mission" often required a vessel… From the earliest days to spread the message of Jesus to Corinth, Ephesus, Galatia, the British Isles, the New World of the Americas, the south Pacific islands and even back to the continent of Africa the sailing ship was an essential tool. Without a ship the message would have been passed on much more slowly…

Now, some church sociologists liken the modern 21st Century church to a ship... remaining ‘in mission' but some have suggested that there are now 2 kinds of churches...the Aircraft Carrier church and the Cruise Ship church… similar but not the same… How do you know?  Which is which?? What makes them different? What kind of ship is your congregation?

The Aircraft Carrier is prepared for battle. It goes to where the needs are greatest. The carrier is prepared to engage in battle and has provided "training" so that each person is equipped to enter the battle with confidence. The aircraft carrier is a 'launching' station for those who are ready for flight and now wanting to take on the battle face to face. Sacrifice is the theme of the day. It makes a noticeable difference. Right away. This is the kind of image of church that Martin Luther wrote of as he shared his thoughts about the "priesthood of all believers..."

The other kind of church is the Cruise Ship church. It's fun. It's easy. People just pay the fee and take a ride. It only makes fun stops and doesn't require anything except to pay for the ticket and show up! Everybody who rides the cruise ship church expects to be served...not to serve... Everybody who rides the cruise ship church is wanting to dock quickly when the waters get rough...Everyone who rides the cruise ship takes the journey that is equipped to meet their personal needs…

I could go on here about lights and glitter and sumptuous meals vs. blood, sweat, darkness and toil, etc...but by now you already see the difference. You get the point. You're smart people.

But, which one is your church? Are the members of your congregation on the Aircraft Carrier? Or are some of the members of your congregation wanting the church to be the Cruise ship? And what about Captain Pastor?  Where does he or she lean?  It all points to what Dietrich Bonheoffer (the German Lutheran pastor who plotted to kill Hitler) wrote about in his book, The Cost of Discipleship when he addressed "costly grace" vs. "cheap grace." Costly grace is just that. There is a price to discipleship--the total of one's own life. "Cheap grace" is the trust that God will bail me out of all my messes because that's God's job... God works... I cruise...

Taking stock of these distinctions can really be at the heart of the matter  where your mission is headed and as you look ahead to the season of Lent looming before us.... you may find value in having this kind of conversation with your ministy leaders and partners....

So, as you prepare yourself for worship each week and as you ponder what Lent might be for you… take a moment to look in the mirror and consider that...

• The time of the Lent is about knowing oneself, the renewing of spiritual disciplines and sacrifice;
• A life that does not take time for confession… is already dead… some suggest;
• There are men in your life… in your family, congregation, workplace and neighborhood are ‘wounded’ and are looking for an invitation to get things right with God and themselves;
• Getting on the ship and taking part in the battle DOES save lives;
• Your getting on the right ship reflects YOUR life!

Take comfort in the wisdom of St. Paul...as he wrote to his friends in Corinth...

"17 God didn't send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn't send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center - Christ on the Cross - be trivialized into mere words. 18 The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hell bent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense." -Corinthians 1:17-18

Ok, it's time to load up the Aircraft Carrier...or would you prefer this Lent to take a cruise...????

One man at a time; no man left behind,

     Brian



NOTE We had a great time in Brenham for our Tri-synod Lutheran Men in Mission gathering last weekend... thanks to our Tri-Synod LMM Leader team for all the planning, Ps. Phil Fenton and the men of St. Paul's LC, Brenham for hosting and to all who attended...

"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

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?

"GO THE DISTANCE; EASE HIS PAIN!"

"Go the distance; ease his pain!"

What are men willing to do?

A forced fast can be a spiritual experience...trust me, I enjoy a good Italian sausage sandwich or 3 scoops of Blue Bell Moolenium Crunch...but this time the doc said..."no food; no liquids" and in order to get my undivided attention...my forced fast lasted 3 days...

So, after laying in a hospital bed for 5 days I had the time to think and ponder over many things. Things to be thankful for. Things that are left undone. Things to be adjusted. Things to be renewed. Things that I thought were important and things that now have greater sense of urgency than ever before....The writer of Ecclesiastes was true to his heart when he wrote, "there is a time and place for just about everything."

Part of my forced fast included a re-look at one of my favorite movies, "Field of Dreams."I like baseball flicks and I still miss playing catch with my dad...but this is a movie of unresolved pieces of men's lives and goals not ever attained. And in this movie, we find 3 strangers (Ray Consella, Terrance Mann and Archie aka DOC or MOONLIGHT Graham) whose paths cross and each one has something to offer the other. The field was built; they went the distanced. They tried to ease each other's pain. And as a result, each of their lives get blessed. It is not an easy movie for me to watch but with each sitting I find myself looking ahead again and not backward.

So for me, it's time to ask, "what are men willing to do once they realize life has limitations and life is short and life is uncertain?" Will our answers cause us to balk? Walk? Bolt? Buck up? Carry on? Dig in? A man of faith will respond in a different way than a man with no faith at all or as Paul Tillich once said, "a man will show his ultimate concern (i.e. a man's God) by what is most important to him." ( My paraphrase!) Normally we can discern this by checking his debit card purchases and how he spends his time. More to come about that...and so this November, as we are on the heels of Martin Luther's birthday and baptism day ( NOV 10 & 11, respectively) and as we think about being a bit more thankful I share this reminder in the middle of this message....so keep reading...

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 church!'
+ ' ( ' = 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...

And lately, I've started asking the young men and older men at New Life Lutheran Church a simple question which evokes an immediate answer or a look of amusement...
"How's your D.A.W.G." ---your.....Daily Appointment With God... Get one if you don't have one!

The work we do is not rocket science. It's harder and it's life-long...so don't be discouraged... there's work to be done...

I have a classmate and colleague, The Rev. Dr. Johan A.A. Bergh who wrote this brief reflection...

I hope it stirs you as much as it has me...

"It takes some getting used to.
It’s not easy living in your own skin realizing that all your foibles are not irreversible and
all your fabulousness is not irresistible.
It’s not easy, in other words, coming to your senses to realize your failures cannot kill you
and your successes cannot save you.
You are saved by grace through faith.
This takes some getting used to.
Living your life out in Christ is not a matter of improving your prowess in being like Christ,
it’s rather a matter of getting used to the fact that at your baptism you were given the
promise that there just is no improving you! On both fronts: when God looks at you….
you are the worst and you are the best all at the same time, for Jesus sake, not your own.
To be totally cut down and then totally rebuilt all at one time….at baptism……well, this
takes some getting used to. It doesn’t call for you to improve on it. It calls for you to get
used to it.
Sanctification (the state of being holy) is simply (!) a matter of getting used to Justification
(the state of being saved).
You can’t improve on your salvation.
You can get used to it."

It's my prayer that all the men we know can get used to it...

I was sharing an Internet note with some of my old college friends who to this day cannot believe, "Gigee" He's still a pastor?" in which I reminded them that it's this GRACE thing that keeps me connected to this thing called CHURCH...for had God not grabbed ahold of me and said, "don't let go," I would have self-destructed decades ago...Truth be told, God's grace hasn't let go of me...or you...

Why? Because God sent his son into the world...to ease our pain...to go the distance...we built a field of unholy dreams...but he came anyway...and he promises to return and until then I hope that you will be a follower of this one called Jesus so that you will go the distance and ease the pain of the men around you...or as Sean Connery once said, "What are you prepared to do?" But that is from another movie.... and we shouldn't be surprised, then, at the blessing that comes our way...

One man at a time; no man left behind,

Brian