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THE 21st CENTURY GENTLEMAN
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Some people have been asking about a new series I've been doing with the young men of the youth group. Here is my best attempt to put it into writing.
A little while back, I released a post entitled the 21st CENTURY GENTLEMAN. I read an article in GQ (courtesy of my friend Jack Wells). A full list hasn't been developed for me to hyperlink for you but a lot of the material deals with digital etiquette (something that hasn't really been developed and really needs to), proper dress, work relationships, etc. When I began to read through this, I noticed how many people around me had never had an opportunity to hear such things. A couple of moments in our church have featured a common idea. We have a lot of young men ( and women) who are growing up without fathers. You have fathers who aren't around. Fathers who are around but aren't "present" with their children. Fathers who have not passed on what it means to be a man to their sons. Many sociologists have cited that most of the men who are now fathers weren't able to have one themselves due to the state of world (wars, etc). Therefore, there is no real idea of what it means to be a man nowadays. With GQ's understanding of what it means to be a man, we have a sense of what the secular (only for us to distinguish, not to diminish) view is. With Christianity, there is a lot more that comes to the table. I went searching and here is what I found :
1 Timothy 3:1-13 (ESV)
1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
Titus 1:5-9 (ESV)
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
In these two passages of Scripture, we find what the church dictates as a real man. These are the kind of men you want to lead, the kind of men you want to guide, the kind of men you want around your church. Every male is a male based on anatomy. Every male is not a man. These are the kind of men you want around. There are men all around us that you and I both want around. There are men who you enjoying sharing company with because of what they give to you, of how they challenge you, of the man they make you want to be. This is the kind of men we want to be.
I then thought that there is so much to being all the qualities embodied in a man that it takes a lot more than just reading these pieces of Scripture over and over and over and over again that makes us men. There is a swagger and a sway about it. Thus, the 21st Century Gentleman. Starting last night, we met with the young men of our church and are going to work through what it means to be a man (and a Christian man) in the 21st century. Pastor Gary (my boss) was having a final men's meeting for the year and brought in bratwursts, deer loin, deer chili and then a whole host of fixings. It was a great night for the men of our church to spend time together (young and old). My plan was to cover "How to Tie a Tie" (double windsor, windsor, half windsor, four in hand and pratt knots) but time ran a little short so we just decided to hang out (you don't have to always accomplish something in church right. Fellowship is ok sometimes?). Next week, we'll jump into it. We are going to cover topics such as driving a stick and driving with a trailer, learning to ballroom dance, grilling 101 (marinades, temperatures, smoking techniques, etc) and the other ideas as they come along. Ettiqutte and character are high on the priority list and it should help to develop an idea of what it means to be a man. Many of the men I know have grown up with a dad who wasn't always "present" and had to learn what it means to be a man from a different source. It never worked out right. Why not have the church begin to develop what it means to be a man to have the people of the world look at the men of the church and for us to "be well thought of by outsiders." Sounds like a novel concept to me. If you have any ideas, send them my way. I am by no means the final answer. I'm still trying to figure out myself. For those who were asking, hopefully this helps.
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Now playing: Oregon - Charango
A little while back, I released a post entitled the 21st CENTURY GENTLEMAN. I read an article in GQ (courtesy of my friend Jack Wells). A full list hasn't been developed for me to hyperlink for you but a lot of the material deals with digital etiquette (something that hasn't really been developed and really needs to), proper dress, work relationships, etc. When I began to read through this, I noticed how many people around me had never had an opportunity to hear such things. A couple of moments in our church have featured a common idea. We have a lot of young men ( and women) who are growing up without fathers. You have fathers who aren't around. Fathers who are around but aren't "present" with their children. Fathers who have not passed on what it means to be a man to their sons. Many sociologists have cited that most of the men who are now fathers weren't able to have one themselves due to the state of world (wars, etc). Therefore, there is no real idea of what it means to be a man nowadays. With GQ's understanding of what it means to be a man, we have a sense of what the secular (only for us to distinguish, not to diminish) view is. With Christianity, there is a lot more that comes to the table. I went searching and here is what I found :
1 Timothy 3:1-13 (ESV)
1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
Titus 1:5-9 (ESV)
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
In these two passages of Scripture, we find what the church dictates as a real man. These are the kind of men you want to lead, the kind of men you want to guide, the kind of men you want around your church. Every male is a male based on anatomy. Every male is not a man. These are the kind of men you want around. There are men all around us that you and I both want around. There are men who you enjoying sharing company with because of what they give to you, of how they challenge you, of the man they make you want to be. This is the kind of men we want to be.
I then thought that there is so much to being all the qualities embodied in a man that it takes a lot more than just reading these pieces of Scripture over and over and over and over again that makes us men. There is a swagger and a sway about it. Thus, the 21st Century Gentleman. Starting last night, we met with the young men of our church and are going to work through what it means to be a man (and a Christian man) in the 21st century. Pastor Gary (my boss) was having a final men's meeting for the year and brought in bratwursts, deer loin, deer chili and then a whole host of fixings. It was a great night for the men of our church to spend time together (young and old). My plan was to cover "How to Tie a Tie" (double windsor, windsor, half windsor, four in hand and pratt knots) but time ran a little short so we just decided to hang out (you don't have to always accomplish something in church right. Fellowship is ok sometimes?). Next week, we'll jump into it. We are going to cover topics such as driving a stick and driving with a trailer, learning to ballroom dance, grilling 101 (marinades, temperatures, smoking techniques, etc) and the other ideas as they come along. Ettiqutte and character are high on the priority list and it should help to develop an idea of what it means to be a man. Many of the men I know have grown up with a dad who wasn't always "present" and had to learn what it means to be a man from a different source. It never worked out right. Why not have the church begin to develop what it means to be a man to have the people of the world look at the men of the church and for us to "be well thought of by outsiders." Sounds like a novel concept to me. If you have any ideas, send them my way. I am by no means the final answer. I'm still trying to figure out myself. For those who were asking, hopefully this helps.
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Now playing: Oregon - Charango
