Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/96

Contributor - Jim Moerman

Title - "Rise Up, 0 Men Of God!"

Topic - Men

The following shameless promotion of m-en's ministry is not intended to stir up the unhelpful (and very sinful) "battle of the sexes.' We acknowledge that "God created them male and female," after His own image, products to be celebrated as the apex of His six-day creative extravaganza. Rejoice! Again I say, rejoice!

But-one of the supporting pillars vital to the construction of a strong local and/or regional Church is that creature known as the Godly man.

And for about the last three decades or so, men have been slinking around in the shadows feeling vaguely guilty about themselves but not really sure why. They've been hanging their heads, keeping to themselves, and struggling-in some cases-to find a new identity.

They've picked up the considerable vibrations of society telling them that men are dangerous. Men are abusive and suspect. Men are insensitive, the kind who can watch their wife in the agonies of transition labour and say, "Gee whiz, honey, these rocking chairs are awfully uncomfortable." Men are insignificant (check out the families portrayed on television-men are the humbling idiots needing to be rescued by the women and children). Men are incompetent. Men are superficial. Men are uncommitted. In short, men are the problem with the world today.

Men you know have actually felt some of these societal vibrations. (Go ahead, ask them!) It's no surprise, therefore, that men aren't feeling too great about themselves these days. Though God has made him a lover, a warrior, a hero, an overcomer, a builder, etc., etc. . . many men respond to the vibration by being isolationists. He stops connecting with people. He keeps to his work, his sports, his newspaper, his TV converter, his hobbies. But no one knows who he is. A little boy once declared that his dad could climb the highest mountain, swim the deepest sea, fly the fastest airplane, and fight the strongest tiger. 'But most of the time,' he observed, "he just carries out the garbage-"

Some men respond by walking around in life angry-yet stuffing it all down deep inside. Some men respond by seeking avenues of secret adventure, giving into temptations of the flesh. Some men respond by giving up: men commit suicide four times as much as women; 70% of alcoholics are men; men account for 90% of all arrests; life expectancy is 10% shorter for men; men account for 80% of the homeless. It has been suggested (accurately, I think) that today's man is emotionally constipated: his emotions build and build on the inside, and every once in awhile, some poor unsuspecting souls (usually his wife and kids) try to make an emotional withdrawal and get a lot more than they bargained for!

Here's the nub of the matter: men are ripe for a revolution, a revival, a restoration of their God-given, created potential.

Its starting to happen. Witness the immense popularity of Promise Keepers urging men to return to The Ancient Paths. (This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16.)

1. Honoring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and obedience to His Word;

2. Pursuing vital relationships with a few other men to whom he is accountable;

3. Practicing spiritual, moral, ethical, and sexual purity;

4. Building strong marriages and families through love, protection, and Biblical values;

5. Supporting the mission of The Church by honoring and praying for their pastors and actively giving of their time and resources;

6. Reaching beyond denominational barriers for Biblical unity;

7. Influencing the world by fulfilling the Great Commandment and the Great Commission..

Effective Men's Ministries are busy reminding men that they are the families' pointman on the powerplay, the quarterback leading the team down field, the central defender coordinating family defense, the clean-up hitter bringing home the base runners. Rise up, 0 Men of God!

Please click the "Back" button of your browser to return to previous page.