I’m not sure how this blog series will be received. Like some of my past series on gender, it might arouse some ire. I’m at least hoping it will foster some discussion. Essentially, I want to look this week at how we can counteract the culture of egalitarianism and feminism and instill a sense of biblically informed femininity in our daughters. Today, I’m going to think through sports, and how involved girls should be in them. To look at the... Read more

Selection from Romans 13:1-2 “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” Later on in this same chapter the apostle Paul brings up the notion of “respect.” He encourages Christians to go beyond mere obedience to the law, and to adopt a posture of congeniality... Read more

Selection from Matthew 14:1-4“At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”The... Read more

Selections from Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” The Christian has a clear place in society. He is not to seek glory and honor for himself. He is not to simply scold the culture. He is to be a force for good. We deduce from this... Read more

A recent study of academics showed overwhelming bias against evangelicals. More than half of the professors polled by a Jewish research group indicated that they thought unfavorably of Christians. This study, if you have not heard of it, put into concrete terms what many Christians know on a very practical level: many people hate them. For a few days, I want to consider just what exactly our place in society is. I went to a secular New England college (Bowdoin... Read more

Leave it to guys to keep asking me for suggestions. We’re practically minded, many of us, and so we want to know what to do. Of course, this rule will not apply in the following situations: 1) when lost, 2) when putting household appliances together, and so on. My grumpiness is feigned, of course, because I myself love practical application and need it. Here are some ways to get the men in your church/life to go to coffee and develop... Read more

It’s tough to figure out where to start in trying to create a culture of meaningful male friendship. I suppose that at the end of the day, you simply have to see it modeled. This is especially true in a church culture. Your church, for better or worse (and often both), will take on the persona of its leaders, and specifically, its pastor. If your pastor can command the respect of the church’s men through a leadership style that smells... Read more

Why is it tough being a man? Because we don’t have the emotional abilities that women do–or, at least, those abilities typically lie buried beneath bravado, posturing, awkwardness, and a desire to hide vulnerability. A book which speaks well to the stilted nature of many male friendships is Norah Vincent’s Self-Made Man. I cannot highly recommend the book, as there is much objectionable content written from Vincent’s perspective as a lesbian dressing up as a man, but I can say... Read more

We all know that women connect with one another better than men connect with fellow men. I’m going to explore for a few days how men do attempt to connect and how one should understand the strange and complex rituals involved in male friendship. Today, I want to talk about the emotional lives of men. To start off, I should note that men are not less emotional than women. Lots of us believe and perpetuate this popular myth. Well, this... Read more

On my twenty-sixth birthday, I want to post a few thoughts on past birthdays. I remember my mother making me a chocolate cake with butter-cream frosting when I was quite young. She never did find that recipe again, but she made me many incredible birthday cakes. I remember so many special times–trips to Ellsworth, ME to eat at The Mex or Hilltop House, countless basketball shirts and shorts, Portland birthdays, Owls Head birthdays, and so much more. I had a... Read more