Getting Manly
I’m fixing
to get manly.
On a recent
podcast of the “The Art of Manliness”
the discussion was Why
Men Hate Going to Church. It explored the reason so few men are active in their Christian faith. It was based on the book
by David Morrow.
Mr. Morrow
said for most men, the Christian faith is not manly enough.
Feminist
protest the Church as patriarchal; but, statistics show different. After the male dominated
professions of the ordained clergy, Darrow said seventy-nine percent of church ministry is by women. This positions include administrators, liturgist, outreach ministry, and support employees.
He further states this has cause worship in many churches to become feminine. Worship
is horizontal instead of vertical. Vertical is worshiping God,
heavenward. However, many churches focused on horizontal worship. Worship of God based
on bringing the church to the community, the neighborhood, and to others. Men see
this as nurturing, maternal, and feminine. Darrow hypothesizes that calling the Church the “Bride of Christ” alienates men.
He pointed
to studies showing men like strength in their worship. An example is songs
of the power and might of God that men prefer like Onward Christian Soldiers
or A Mighty Fortress is
our God. Men want strength and familiar.
The most
popular men’s missions are where leadership and bravery stand out. Darrow cited
men involved in ministries fighting child trafficking and in war
torn areas.
I see that in the example
of Fr.
Stanley Rother (Archdiocese of Oklahoma) who despite being evacuated from
Guatemala returned to bring Christ to the poor. In 1981 at the age of 46, he
was killed in the rectory of his church. Fr. Rother is recognized
as the first American born martyr of the Church.
In the readings for this Sunday we have strong manly heroes. In Isaiah we are told
of the messiah king. He is a king of strength, justice, wisdom and good counsel.
He is faithful and in God’s favor.
The Gospel
tells us about a real man’s man, John the Baptist.
John is “A voice of one crying out in the desert.” He lived
off the land, “John wore clothing of camel’s hair and
had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”
Isaiah said
he would “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight
his paths.” John was like a construction worker, a man’s man.
John was a
man who didn’t back down. “When he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of
vipers!” Their boasting didn’t impress John in
the least; he told them “Produce good fruit as evidence
of your repentance. And do not to say, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I
tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”
John was a
man’s man; yet, he said “the one who is coming after me
is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear
his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will
burn with unquenchable fire.” In Romans, Paul says Christ ministers to
all.
I’m fixing
to get manly. I’m going John the Baptist on you
men.
If you’re not at Church because it’s not manly enough, then you are in
the vipers den. You’re not bearing good fruit. You’re not being a good leader, good
husband, or a good father. You’re not
sharing your faith.
Still not manly enough then listen to these words from scripture, “On your walls, Jerusalem, I have set my watchman.” Men,
you are the watchman. What a tragedy that souls are lost on your watch.
A real man
emulates the man, Jesus Christ. A man finds endurance, encouragement, and hope through the Scriptures; so that God grants harmony in keeping with
Christ Jesus.
Maybe that’s what being human is about, man or woman: endurance, encouragement, hope, and harmony. Real men
and women of faith are voices preaching in the desert of this world.
The Church needs vocations: priests, deacons, religious men and women. It
has been said that many are not Christians for one reason because there is nobody
to tell them about Christ, no voice crying out in the desert. Through faith in
Christ is the strength to minister to all.
Yall be good, yall be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live and
love. Amen.
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