Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Welcome
Welcome to our new local blog of the Samson Society. Thanks to Nate Larkin and his book "Samson and the Pirate Monks" a must read, myself and a brave group of men, have decided to come out of our caves of isolation and claim the strength in community God intends. Our group was founded on Friday January 18th. We meet on Monday nights at 6:00 pm. We are confident in the assurance that in this place that we can safely struggle out loud....
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8 comments:
Guys--I am stoked about Samson Society coming to Charlotte and impacting many men I know. Honestly I am jealous as I cannot attend Monday nights because my wife works and I have a different kind of pirate time with my boys! If our schedule allows or the night of the week or location you meet changes--I'll be sure to join you. Until then--I am also journeying with some other guys that I have been learning about community with for four years. Nonetheless--I applaud your courage and remain with you in heart and prayer. Fellow pirate--Curtis
Curtis.....Thanks for your comments and support. I can definately see adding additional nights and times in the near future for those who can't make Mondays..
I am a part of the original society in Franklin, TN with Nate and the boys. I also lived near Charlotte and am very excited to see the growth of the society in other places. We also hope to interact with you in the future through a area conference or meeting.
Thanks,
Kortland Fuqua
Fellow Pirate Monk - Franklin
A father wound can cut the deepest of all. As little men we needed the affirmation and encouragement that only a father can give. We needed his example and his guidance on how to become a man. We needed him to show us our strength. We needed him to show us how to accept failure and success winning and losing. We needed him to show us how to treat our wifes and our children and our friends. We needed him to show us lyalty and honor and respect. We needed him to show us courage in the midst of fear. We needed him to show us how to follow God and to life our God given potential. In the absence of this man we struggle unnecessarly. Our heart is left with a whole, we feel a bit disabled in our ability to prove we have what it takes. I have spent many years trying to fill the void left by a father who was lost in his own inability to be an honorable man as a result of his own father wound. I have no respect for my father and most of the time I feel disgusted an appaled at who he became. He is a quitter and a loser and a selfish man, that's what he taught me to be. By the grace of my God my battle to not be those those things is being won a day at a time. I can only claim that victory for the past 10 years. Prior to that I was becoming my father by default. I used to wonder what God's will for my life was and now I know it is to say "NO" to the cycle of generational curses and be the father to my boys that I never had. The joy is that in some way i consider time spent with them to be reliving the childhood I never had.
Hi fellow monks!
Mortality
What happens if I died today?
Would my family stay faithful to God or question why?
I struggle with the idea of whether or not that I model a Christian life for my boys and my wife. We read the boys a Bible story or two and pray at night. We say or sing our blessings before meals. We go to church on the weekend and serve consistently, but it does not feel like enough to shape their core.
How can I assure that they do not assume a role as I did?
I grew up in the church as a pastor's kid where I basically lived at the church. I knew the role to play as the dutiful son and "christian". I could recite the stories, sing the songs, and merge into any group with no trouble. The problem was that as I left for college and left the church as well. I knew the stories and roles, but did not know authentic faith. I knew that God had done miraculous things for my mom and I from the kindergarten to when she met my stepfather in middle school to make it as she went back to college, worked full-time, and raised me. With all of the experiences in my life of God's miraculous love, I turned into the prodigal son until after a few years of marriage. I still struggle with lapses of not reading the Bible, praying daily for periods of time, and other personal battles.
How do I with all of my baggage, help to ensure my boys have authentic faith as they grow older?
How do I encourage my wife in her lapses without feeling hypocritical from my lapses?
Why is that that when I try to hear God, instead I hear and feel and fear the scattered thoughts and distractions of my lonliness. Sometimes the silence is incredibly loud. How easy it is to become carried away by what people think of me, what I need to do to please them, my anger, my ego, my lust and general discontent. I am called through this group to do something diffrent. To desire change.The deire to change is meaningless; however without the WIll to prepare. We are all moving toward change by acting on what God calls us to do. We are putting and end to being the actor and becoming real men. Thanks for all of you who care to hear the noise in my head.
I am so glad this has made its way to Charlotte. I moved from Charlotte to Middle Tenn over a year ago and never heard of the Samson Society until I moved here. Nate Larkin came to our mens bible study and introduced his book to us. We studied it and decided we need to form one for Murfreesboro. I have started one here and it is doing well so far. It is such a blessing to be able to get real with other men. When I am in town I will try to visit sometime. Where and when do you meet? In Christ's strong grip.
Is this group still active? I moved to Charlotte several months ago from an active group in Austin TX. Looking to get plugged in again...
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