Doug Giles: Where Are God’s Warriors and Wild Men?

I tripped over this interesting Doug Giles commentary quite by accident this afternoon.

You know, I think the guy may be hitting on something here.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Self … why do churches today look more like the lingerie department at Wal-Mart, than a battalion of men poised to plunder the powers of darkness?” Why do men avoid going to church, and what can be done about it?

Certainly, the lack of men in church is not at all difficult to see. Just open your eyes any Sunday morning and go to church. Then, count the number of ladies in the pews, and the number of men. The result: you’re slapped in the face with the Jose Cuervo-like reality that men are avoiding church like Michael Jackson avoids reality.

More and more, we are seeing fewer and fewer mature and responsible, evil-challenging tripods who love leadership, the struggle and aren’t afraid to boldly face an increasingly godless environment with conviction, power and the love of God.

So why do most men avoid church? Here’s the veneer stripped-away answer: going to church for the majority of men is an exercise in unwanted effeminacy. Church, for most men, has not only become irrelevant; it has also become effeminate. Hanging out in church for most extra-Y chromosomes seems unmanly and most men more than anything want to be masculine!

I've chronicled my own struggles in going to church on the blog, most of which I've blamed on my desire to simply be me and my growing discomfort with being the me I perceive I'm supposed to be in front of churchy people. Although I think Mr. Giles is oversimplifying things a bit, I think some of what he has to say may have some merit. For example, a few of his suggested fixes (things the church can do) include:

• Put an end to preaching by cheesy, whiny, quiche eating, preening Nancy Boys ... right now! It freaks us meat eaters out. Get it? Hire a pastor who throws off a good John Wayne vibe instead of that Boy George feeling. Know what I mean? And cheer on “Pastor Wayne” to serve up the solid meat of the scripture … the stuff that prods the congregation to biblical maturity rather than prolonging their infancy.
• Ditto regarding the worship/music leader. And make sure your new testosterone laden songmeister is outfitted with weighty worship music instead of the saccharine-laced slush we have had to sing ad nauseam et infinitum for the last, oh, 100 years. That’s a pretty simple can-do … don’t you think?
• Lose the Church’s “I’m in therapy for ever” feel. Yes, yes, we’re all a work in progress but the co-dependant, extended womb the Church has wrongfully created has allowed congregants to not get a life because of some difficult doo-doo in their lives. Sure life’s hard, little Sally, and the sooner, we celebrate the struggle the quicker we will draw men back to our houses of worship.

Although I can't say the church I attend (sporadically of late) today is as guilty, I can tell you that when I was a member of the Episcopal Church, so much of Giles words would've hit home... dramatically. In fact, when I was involved in my diocesan's Ordination Exploration Program, I remember clearly one priest's enthusiasm for my potential ordination being expressed by his stating that the church could use a few more priests of my size and demeanor (I'm 6'2'' and weigh roughly between 235 and 240 lbs, depending on the time of day), to compensate for the girly men that were stepping into Episcopal pulpits at the time (and I presume, given the headlines, who still do).

So, do Mr. Giles words warrant nods of approval or head shakes of disgust? I'm sure we'll find folks on either side... but I also know that his closing words would be words I'd want my sons to ponder:

One last word for the young Christian man: Do you want to grow up quickly? Then leave mommy’s familiar, safe haven and venture out into the danger zone. As Leon Podles said, “Go find your Holy Grail; go meet the strange, meet the unfamiliar.” Protect people; lead people; rescue people. Fight inequities and absurdities. Beware, young man, of parents and pastors who want to “mother” you. Avoid the secure; Fear over-protection; and happily accept the masculine task of the patriarch, the prophet, the warrior and wild man.

Get to a place, young warrior, where pain is not a big deal, where you embrace resistance. And by your example, you will encourage others to resist self-doubt, squeamishness, indecision and the impulse to surrender and withdraw into the warm, wet womb of Wussville.

Heh...

So, after scratching, sniffing, snorting, burping, spitting... and then scratching once more, I say...

Amen Doug.

UPDATE: Reverend Sensing has chimed in on this issue here. Don't miss it.

Comments

[Fr. Tim]

WOW! Someone has been needing to proclaim this from the highest rooftops. I think John Eldridge made a good start with the "Wild at Heart" book but Doug has taken it a step further with his suggestions.

I can only say that, as a man, I knew I had found the church for me when I sat in our Cathedral and heard the Bishop say quite clearly, "I don't care if you like me or not but I'm going to give you God's words. You can listen or you can blow me off but you can't say you've never heard." I swear if he had told me to storm the gates of Hell at that moment I would have. Our churches need more Bishops, priests and pastors who speak hard truth.

If Peter, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Wesley had not spoken the truth the church would never have spread. If men such as John Piper, N.T. Wright, John Stot, John Paul II and others had not spoken in our day the church would have faded into irrelevance. And if men like Doug, Rick, and myself fail to continue that heritage the result will be numerous men who will never know the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ.

Fr. Tim

[Totem to Temple]

http://www.availablelightonline.com/blog/wp-trackback.php/432

I've commented also.