"When Did You Last See Your Father?" is a movie recommended by David off the Movie Show as essential viewing for men. The relationship with our father is a formative one and often when we have the most difficulty resolving throughout our life's journey. For us to move on with our lives and to become fathers our selves it is important to reflect on our own experiences.
SUGGESTION: That we get together one Friday or Saturday night after it opens (31 July) and go as a group, having something to eat and drink after or before it. What do you think.
If you are interested let me know here or on my email dellmar@optusnet.com.au.
For more information on the movie go to http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony/whendidyoulastseeyourfather/trailer/
Monday 28 July 2008
Tuesday 22 July 2008
Fair Go For Dads' AT Work
Interested to read in today's (22/7) Telegraph www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24055799-5005941,00.html) that the Sex Discrimination Commissioner has stated she is interested in prosecuting companies who discriminate against Dad's who want to be Dad's and spend more time with their children. She is to be applauded but in a work culture dominated by casual workers and self employed contractors it will take additional effort on behalf of all men to change their mindset, to move from being the breadwinner to co-parent and to look at just what else must change (what we buy, what we own, how we pay for things and more) before a real change will be seen.
It is a case of putting first things first (www.stephencovey.com), listening to our children and what they are saying they really need (www.williampollack.com) or just reminding ourselves what it means to be a kid (www.stevebiddulph.com).
What do you think of the idea?
What needs to happen for you to spend the time you would really like to spend with you family?
What do you think the family would think if you were thee more?
It is a case of putting first things first (www.stephencovey.com), listening to our children and what they are saying they really need (www.williampollack.com) or just reminding ourselves what it means to be a kid (www.stevebiddulph.com).
What do you think of the idea?
What needs to happen for you to spend the time you would really like to spend with you family?
What do you think the family would think if you were thee more?
Saturday 19 July 2008
Blokes Breakfast at St Judes
Well we had our first Blokes Breakfast at St Judes – well attended and a great breakfast. Some 20 Blokes attended and a great time was had by all. The topic was introduced as per last nights blog and was well accepted.
We are looking at this being a forum for men’s issues, an opportunity for fathers and young men to join and discover new ideas and ways forward and to set up weekends away, seminars and self-help programs for one another.
The next breakfast is Saturday 16th. All welcome
We are looking at this being a forum for men’s issues, an opportunity for fathers and young men to join and discover new ideas and ways forward and to set up weekends away, seminars and self-help programs for one another.
The next breakfast is Saturday 16th. All welcome
Kevin Rudd Does Taize
World Youth day is nearing the end and yesterday we went to St James church for the final Taize service. This was the Adoration of the Cross, the normal Friday night prayer at the Taize community in France.
The surprise? Sitting a few seats in front of us in a crowded church, standing room only, was the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his family. They were in many ways anonymous in a great crowd of pilgrims and seemingly as intent on the time together as we all were.
For me it was a moment to remember for a number of reasons:
Despite the cynics who see WYD as a distraction from the bigger issues such as Climate Change it is encouraging to see the leader of our country taking time out with his family to do family things. Anyway, sometimes we need the time out from the big issues in our lives to get the perspective we need to find the appropriate ways to move forward. Simply immersing yourself in the problem at hand narrows the focus and the vision, resulting in rushed and inept responses being made.
On that note, it was great to see him there with, as I undestood it, at least one of his boys helping them to experience a type of spirituality not usually experienced in Australia. If this was the case, in a time when this country has a dearth of effective fathering, especially fathering of sons, any image of our leaders making an effort to be there is a helpful one and needs to be encouraged. I hope it was great for his family as well.
I expect he understood the significance of Taize as the home of the European prayer for peace. It has often by noted that the involvement of young people in the Taize experience has added to the work for peace in Europe especially after WWII. As a leader of our country it is imperative that we have a leader of peace, peaceful solutions to local and global issues, a voice that speaks and prays for peace is a voice we need to hear in these turbulent days.
And by the way, the Taize session was excellent.
The surprise? Sitting a few seats in front of us in a crowded church, standing room only, was the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his family. They were in many ways anonymous in a great crowd of pilgrims and seemingly as intent on the time together as we all were.
For me it was a moment to remember for a number of reasons:
Despite the cynics who see WYD as a distraction from the bigger issues such as Climate Change it is encouraging to see the leader of our country taking time out with his family to do family things. Anyway, sometimes we need the time out from the big issues in our lives to get the perspective we need to find the appropriate ways to move forward. Simply immersing yourself in the problem at hand narrows the focus and the vision, resulting in rushed and inept responses being made.
On that note, it was great to see him there with, as I undestood it, at least one of his boys helping them to experience a type of spirituality not usually experienced in Australia. If this was the case, in a time when this country has a dearth of effective fathering, especially fathering of sons, any image of our leaders making an effort to be there is a helpful one and needs to be encouraged. I hope it was great for his family as well.
I expect he understood the significance of Taize as the home of the European prayer for peace. It has often by noted that the involvement of young people in the Taize experience has added to the work for peace in Europe especially after WWII. As a leader of our country it is imperative that we have a leader of peace, peaceful solutions to local and global issues, a voice that speaks and prays for peace is a voice we need to hear in these turbulent days.
And by the way, the Taize session was excellent.
Friday 18 July 2008
Journey to Manhood
“I just don’t want to become a man, at least not the kind of man I have far too often seen.’
-Gordon, 18 “Real Boys’ Voices, William Pollack, Ph.D
The story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) explores the journey to manhood through the lives of three men at different stages in their journey:
The Youngest Son—the Wildman seeking to push boundaries and find his place in the world.
The Eldest Son— the Responsible man who does all the right things although fearing it may not be enough.
The Father - a man who embarks on the journey with both his very different sons only to discover he is being called to be a Grand Father, expansive, giving and accepting, beyond anything he thought possible.
Time to Think:
What is the challenge for us?
Where are we in our journey?
How do we reflect on our experiences to be able to help our sons, ours and all young men we meet, in such a way we walk them into being the man they desire to be?
Question to a successful man seen in a weekend paper:
What are you most afraid of: “Being found out.”
-Gordon, 18 “Real Boys’ Voices, William Pollack, Ph.D
The story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) explores the journey to manhood through the lives of three men at different stages in their journey:
The Youngest Son—the Wildman seeking to push boundaries and find his place in the world.
The Eldest Son— the Responsible man who does all the right things although fearing it may not be enough.
The Father - a man who embarks on the journey with both his very different sons only to discover he is being called to be a Grand Father, expansive, giving and accepting, beyond anything he thought possible.
Time to Think:
What is the challenge for us?
Where are we in our journey?
How do we reflect on our experiences to be able to help our sons, ours and all young men we meet, in such a way we walk them into being the man they desire to be?
Question to a successful man seen in a weekend paper:
What are you most afraid of: “Being found out.”
Men's Stuff
Over a long period of time I have become very interested in the matters of men - what affects, how they find their way from boys to men and what it means to be make in our society. Most of us blokes end up as men but we are often not sure where that is and what it really looks like.
Over the next few months I intend to explore the journeys men take and what it means to be a man both on this blog and through monthly Blokes Breakfasts at St Jude's Randwick (that's in Australia). Due to my background this is both a spiritual and a natural task, looking at men from an wholistic viewpoint.
It also comes with a personal rider, I am doing this for myself and all the men like me who seemed to miss out on the necessary direction from our own fathers and the men in our society as we grew up. This is about finding ways to be men and fathers in such a way that future generations do not have to struggle so hard to make sense of it all.
We begin tomorrow Saturday 18th @ 8.30a.m. Come on along (106 Avoca St randwick) or simply post to my blog - I want to hear your stories and ideas, experiences and hourneys - becuase the power of story can never be underestimated.
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