Kenny Luck  at “Every Man Ministries” sees a “third wave masculinity” rising in our nation. Traditional masculinity is out.  Reactive femininity is out.  “The ‘third wave’ of masculinity and femininity,” suggests Luck, “[is] not a reaction.  It’s a solution because it doesn’t seek to garner power and control or create distance to accomplish the important goals of life and…

Ron Rolheiser shares a story about soul fatigue in a recent blog.  “A number of men who made their living as porters were hired one day to carry a huge load of supplies for a group on safari.  Their loads were unusually heavy and the trek through the jungle was on a rough path.  Several days into…

Not long ago, Christianity Today published an article by covenant pastor, Jeff Long on Mark’s account of Jesus’ baptism in Mark 1.  He noted that the word schizomeneous is used twice in Mark. The word means “to tear or cleave open.”  The Greek root schizo implies a violent, forceful act. The first is at the baptism of Jesus,…

At one of our last small group meeting we discussed male and female relationships within Christian community.  Our group has been meeting for over seven years.  We care for each other, know each other’s story fairly well, and are respectful as to where each of us is on the spiritual journey.  We all honor Jesus as Lord…

“Men are easily threatened……Something good in men is stopped and needs to get moving.  When good movement stops, bad movement (retreat or domination) reliably develops” (Larry  Crabb).  In all the reading I do to better inform my desire to help men, one of the consistent descriptions of the masculine is the desire to take the initiative.  For example,…

I have not been to see the movie “Concussion,” but as a NFL fan, I have  read several reviews.  As many of you know the movie tells the story of how one medical Doctor was able to expose the hidden damage done to NFL football players due to concussions.  When Dr. Bennet  Omalu, a Nigerian physician, published his…

Fear is an emotion men have been conditioned to avoid when it involves intimacy in personal relationships.  Men become silent and flee, becoming passive for fear of failing, especially in relation to the feminine.   The fear of “not being enough” can  cause men to stiffen up in defensiveness, because of  the insecurity and inadequacy of  relating poorly.  Men hold back for fear of not connecting.   Larry Crabb maintains that, “Men generally…

Camille Paglia, the anti-feminist feminist, in a recent widely quoted interview expressed the belief that the rise of transgenderism in the West is a symptom of decadence and cultural collapse.  “Nothing,” she observed, “better defines the decadence of the West to the jihadists than our toleration of open homosexuality and this transgender mania now.”  Her concern is how we…

Brendan O”Neill has observed that “Self-identification is one of the most notable developments of the 21st century so far.”  The New York times calls 2015, “the year we obsessed over identity,” noting our nation is “in the midst of a great cultural identity migration.”  The phrase, “I identify as…” speaks to a crisis in character.  In past…

I spent years practicing what one spiritual writer called “spiritual bypassing.” In looking for a quick spiritual fix, I would  bypass or simply ignore want was going on in my soul.  I lived on the surface, in my head,  dependent on my thoughts and feelings, while dealing superficial with what was going on at the center.  My walk with God was not based…