Connecting
man to man to God
For week of June 29, 2008
Issue 214
“A
gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Proverbs 15:1
CONSIDER
“If
you lose your temper, it is a sign that you have wrong on your
side.” Chinese proverb
THE
EXPEDITIONARY MAN: THE ADVENTURE A MAN WANTS, THE LEADER HIS
FAMILY NEEDS
by
Rich Wagner
When I began brainstorming with my wife and 3 boys
on the best way to reach out to men and families about my new
book, The Expeditionary Man, we decided that it had to be
something in line with the spirit and energy of the book
itself.
"How about climbing Mount Everest as a
family?" I asked. With more than a little understatement they
responded, "No, Everest is probably not too 'family
friendly.' "Ok, what about a multi-city author tour?", I
suggested. "No, too solo. Too expected, dad," they
said.
"Hey, what about a cross-country bike
tour?"
The Expeditionary Man focuses on how a man
discovers his true adventure and purpose, not out in the world,
but by becoming the hands-on leader of his family. As a result, a
transcontinental, family-oriented bike tour seemed like the right
combo. It symbolized a true adventure, a unified family, and a
common biblical purpose.
Everyone signed on.
Our
family's motto for the tour became ad alta simul, which is Latin
for "to the summit together." We would go as one team,
one family. Jared (my middle son) and I would ride the whole
distance. Jordan and Justus (my oldest and youngest sons) would
ride part of each day, and my wife would drive the support
vehicle. Along the way, I would talk with men and families in
churches across the country about the core messages of the book.
The tour began June 28.
We invite you to join with us for
the duration of the tour on whythebike.com. Each day, we'll be
updating our tour blog with videos, pictures, and interesting
stories of adventure from the road. And, if you are in any of the
route cities we are passing through, we'd love to stop and talk
with you.
http://whythebike.com/blog/
A
SAMPLE FROM THE EXPEDITIONARY MAN
by
Rich Wagner
A man is hardwired for adventure. I see evidence of
this truth everywhere. It’s found in the films men love to
watch and the sports they pursue. I spot it in the gleam of my
friend’s eye as he talks about his career change. And, more
personally, I see it in the exploits that are written on my
heart.
The question every Chris tian man wrestles with,
however, is what to do with these desires. Is it possible for a
man to pursue a life of adventure when he is married, raising
kids, and paying a mortgage? How do I prioritize, a man asks
himself, what I am driven to do with what I am responsible
for?
Some men choose to live out their dreams, no matter
the cost. Others stifle them in order to be a good family man.
Many attempt to balance their pursuits with their responsibilities
as husband and father. The problem is that when you look at the
lives of men in the church today, nothing seems balanced at all.
Too many Christian homes are falling apart. Too many youth are
abandoning their faith as they hit college campuses. Too many
Christian men are leading unfulfilled, mundane lives.
This
battle of “adventure vs. duty” is brilliantly depicted
in the Pixar film The Incredibles. The film chronicles the
struggle of Bob Parr, a man who reluctantly gives up his
livelihood as superhero Mr. Incredible and settles down into a
normal suburban life. But after fifteen years, Parr’s life
has become one of monotony, boredom, and purposelessness. Working
as an insurance agent, he spends his days cramped in a tiny
cubicle, lost inside a faceless bureaucracy. Parr goes through the
motions at work and zones out at home. In his glory days as Mr.
Incredible, Bob Parr saved the world by capturing evil criminals.
Now, in the words of his wife, his humdrum charge is to “save
the world, one policy at a time.”
Bob’s thirst
for adventure, however, can’t be stomped out entirely, and
it eventually surfaces again. Bob and his buddy Lucius
(ex-superhero Frozone) go out every Tuesday night together. Their
wives think they go bowling, but the two are actually listening to
the police scanner so they can go fight criminals or help out in
an emergency. Over time, Bob’s “recreational”
crime fighting ends up becoming his all-consuming focus when
behind his wife’s back he takes on a new assignment as a
superhero. But when the mission goes awry, his family is nearly
destroyed in the process.
Bob Parr tried to live a normal,
quiet life. It was a life that his family and others expected of
him. But, just like the real world, a man cannot live forever
inside the walls of expectation. Adventure inevitably springs from
the soul of a man.
Let’s face it: adventure just
isn’t the same nowadays. For nearly all of human history,
this word signified real risk, genuine danger, and life-or-death
competition. Uncharted lands were explored. A family’s
survival depended upon defeating enemies. And hard work was
essential to surviving in a hostile environment. While most men
wouldn’t want to turn back the clock on the comfort and
conveniences of the 21st century, they do grieve over what has
been lost in a tame world. In fact, our situation today is
reminiscent of a scene in the Jim Carrey film The Truman Show,
when a young Truman eagerly tells his teacher that he wants to be
another Magellan. Dousing all of his enthusiasm, she responds,
“Oh, you’re too late! There’s nothing left to
explore!” Like Truman, a man can feel as if he was born too
late, that there’s nothing left but a giant “Been
There, Done That” sticker slapped on the earth.
God
designed men to be resilient and adaptable creatures, however.
Even if the grand discoveries of the past are now found only in
history books, adventure is still alive and well in the heart of a
man. In fact, the experience of the past century has shown that if
a man can’t find adventure in his daily life, he will
manufacture it in his career, recreation, and, for Christians, a
ministry....
http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310276609
LEADERSHIP
TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
“Security
is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the
children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no
safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a
daring adventure, or nothing.” Helen Keller
VERSE
TO PONDER
“The
Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
CONSIDER
“God
does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us
comforters.” John Henry Jowett
SOARING
MOTORCYCLE SALES SPARK FAITH OPPORTUNITIES
Motorcycle
sales, like gas prices, are soaring -- and in the process churches
and believers are discovering opportunities for witness and
ministry.
While gasoline prices have jumped above $4 per
gallon in various states, motorcycle dealers say sales have leaped
as well -- anywhere from 20% at a Triumph motorcycle dealership in
Anchorage, Alaska, to 27% at a Harley-Davidson shop in East
Hartford, Conn. Motorcycle enthusiasts today not only include
Hells Angels and wheelie-popping sport bikers but also middle-aged
recreational riders and businessmen who ride motorcycles to
work.
At the same time, chapters of the F.A.I.T.H. Riders
motorcycle ministry are popping up all over the country.
"It's
incredible the number of motorcycles you see on the road this
year, and God has just been phenomenal in the way He is
orchestrating the growth of F.A.I.T.H. Riders," said Danny
Moats, national chaplain for the ministry based at First Baptist
Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Fla. "Oklahoma has just blown
wide open. We'll probably have 14 chapters there before the end of
the summer."
Excitement about motorcycle ministries
was evident at this year's Rally to Ridgecrest motorcycle rally,
which drew 319 participants -- a 50% jump over the inaugural rally
just 18 months earlier. Under the banner "Eternal Vigilance,"
bikers from 14 states gathered over the Memorial Day weekend for
worship and workshops at the LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center
in North Carolina -- and exhilarating rides through the Blue Ridge
Mountains.... Read this in full
at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28328
COUNTERCULTURAL
“One
of the most exciting of the Sabbath laws was applied every 7
years. Just like the Hebrew people were suppose to refrain from
working every seventh day so that their land, animals, and
servants could rest, every seventh year, the Hebrew people had a
celebration called the jubilee, during which they would take the
whole year off from work. During this 1-year break, all the food
that continued to grow in their fields was free for the taking for
families who were struggling to get by (Exodus 23:10-11). And any
debt that folks had incurred during the past six years was erased.
These laws ensured that those in society who were intent on
getting ahead had to take a break so that the gap between the rich
and the poor would be kept to a minimum. It is almost impossible
for us to grasp how wildly countercultural (and difficult) this
economic practice really was. God's idea for this peculiar people
was that there be "no poor people among you"
(Deuteronomy 15:4-5).” From Jesus for President: Politics
for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne
THE
JOURNEY TO DEEP CONNECTION
“Dad
talks need to be conversations, cover all kinds of topics (see
Proverbs 23 for ideas), and take place frequently. As such, they
can provoke laughter, tears, hugs, and high-fives. Father-son
conversations should be lifelong dialogues, where short and simple
parent-to-child check-ins mature into a delightful exchange
between deeply connected men. If you have a son or know some other
younger man whom you can influence for God, take a cue from
Solomon. This young man needs to know he can trust you with his
heart. For that to happen, you need to trust him with your heart.”
From New Men's Devotional Bible
HAPPY
MARRIAGES ARE BASED ON A DEEP FRIENDSHIP
"It
is not a lack of love," said Friedrich Nietzsche, "but a
lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages." We tend to
agree. And so do a lot of other social scientists. In fact,
world-renowned marriage researcher John Gottman of the University
of Washington told us one day over lunch: "Happy marriages
are based on a deep friendship." And get this, Gallup's
research indicates that a couple's friendship quality could
account for 70% of overall marital satisfaction. In fact, the
emotional intimacy a married couple shares is said to be five
times more important than their physical intimacy. And, of course,
your level of emotional intimacy has a lot to do with your
physical intimacy. So, in a sense, if trading places can boost the
quality of your friendship, that means it will, by default, ignite
your love life too.” From Trading Places: The Best Move
You'll Ever Make in Your Marriage by Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott
FIVE
SYMPTOMS MEN SHOULDN'T IGNORE
Women
listen to their bodies and go to the doctor when something isn't
right. Men tend to seek medical attention when they're at death's
door -- or when their wives prod them into going. "I think
it's a macho thing," says Dr. Barron Lerner, professor of
medicine and public health at Columbia University. "Or maybe
it's denial. Maybe they think if they deny a problem, it doesn't
exist." While the list, according to these physicians, is
endless, here are the top 5 symptoms men ignore -- sometimes until
it's too late....
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/06/12/mens.symptoms/index.html
BELIEFNET’S
LIST OF 10 BEST FILMS ABOUT FATHERS
Some
of the fathers in these classic films have to learn how important
their children are to them. Others have to learn how to
communicate their feelings and the values they consider most
important. And others have to learn how to let go. But all of them
illuminate our understanding of our own fathers and inspire us to
be better parents ourselves.... Read this in full
at
http://www.beliefnet.com/gallery/fathersinfilms.html?pgIndex=0
ECONOMIC
DOWNTURN TAKES TOLL ON CHARITABLE GIVING AMONG CHRISTIAN
COMMUNITY
Nearly
half of the Christian adults in America have reduced their
charitable giving because of the economic downturn, according to a
recent Wilson Research Strategies survey commissioned by
Dunham+Company. "This study shows that the sharp rise in fuel
costs has already begun to impact giving by Christians who are the
backbone of philanthropy in America," said Rick Dunham,
president and CEO of Dunham+Company, which specializes in
fundraising for Christian ministries. "Christian nonprofits
need to understand that now, more than ever, it's crucial to be
proactive in communicating the importance of their mission and
their organizational effectiveness to their donors in order to
sustain the same share of donor dollars that are becoming more
scarce." Read this in full
at
http://christiannewswire.com/news/908836956.html
THE
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Little
Denmark, with its 5-1/2 million people, is the happiest country in
the world, says a study done by an English University. CBS News 60
Minutes Journalist Morley Safer reports why the Danes are so happy
and explores why the USA is way down the
list....
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/14/60minutes/main3833797.shtml
CONSIDER
Do
all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the
ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times
you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you
can.
John Wesley
VERSE
TO PONDER
“You
are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call
to you.” Psalm 86:5
THIS
WEEK'S HYMN: DO ALL THE GOOD YOU CAN
Words:
Fanny Crosby (1820-1915)
Music: W. Howard Doane, 1905
Onward
go the sunbeams,
Shining all the day;
Looking down upon
us,
Now they seem to say:
Let your smile be cheerful,
Ever
warm and bright,
Make the hearts around you
Happy with its
light.
Refrain
Marching on together,
Thro’ this
fleeting world below,
Helping one another
Onward as we
go;
Think of what a blessing,
God the Father gave to
man,
Try and do for others
All the good you can;
Let your
smile be cheerful,
Ever warm and bright,
Make the hearts
around you
Happy with its light.
Hearts and hands to
Jesus,
Gladly we will give,
In the path of duty,
Walking
while we live;
Cheering on the sad ones,
Lifting those that
fall,
Shining like the sunbeams,
Doing good to
all.
Refrain
With a loving spirit,
While the days
are bright,
Let us work rejoicing,
Till the dewy
night;
Grateful for the blessings
Jesus brought to man,
Let
us do for others
All the good we can.
Refrain
>from
CyberHymnal
at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/d/a/g/dagyouca.htm
ON
PRAYER
“We
should begin to pray before we kneel down and we should not cease
when we rise up.” C. H. Spurgeon
PRAY
FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS
TODAY
http://christiansincrisis.net/
DAILY
BLESSING PACT
Use
the following list as your daily prayer guide. Think of a brother
or situation that applies and lift them up in prayer.
I am
agreeing in prayer with you for God’s blessings to overtake
you!
PERSONAL
Marital harmony
Family unity
Children
saved
Faithful pastor
Spirit-filled church
Real
friendships
Relatives redeemed
Educational
benefits
Recreational time
Fulfilling career
Favor with
God and man
Be in God’s will
FINANCIAL
Better
Jobs
Raises or bonuses
Benefits
Sales &
commissions
Business Growth
Settlements
Estates &
inheritances
Investment increase
Rebates &
returns
Checks in the mail
Gifts & surprises
Money to
be found
Bills decrease while blessings increase
"And
all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou
shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God" (Deut.
28:2).
[As you travel on business or vacation, let me know
if you'd like the church guys to pray for your safety and
spiritual effectiveness. I'll add your name to the list for
the time you'll be away.]
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All
links to websites are provided as a service, and do not imply
endorsement by our church.
(BTW: whenever the URLs in this
newsletter are too long to turn into links on your e-mail program,
just copy the entire URL (two lines or more) and paste it into a
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It’s
the daily grind that gives a person polish.
Min.
Frank Coleman, Editor
[email protected]
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