60 Men, a campground, firearms, and some unhappy women…

Jesus GunThis past couple days I had the opportunity to sit and listen to presentations and also present at the Wyoming District Men’s Retreat.  The theme for this year’s retreat (first one in a few years) was “Guns, the Catechism, and the Constitution”.  The retreat flyer can be found here.

I was not able to attend the whole retreat due to other obligations as a parish pastor, but what I did see was a group of 60+ men gathered from a solid district in the LCMS to learn more about our vocation as citizens in this country.  There was time for praying compline and matins.   There was time for belting out hymns like “A Mighty Fortress”.  There was time for mutual conversation around the campfire.  There was time for the moderate enjoyment of both the beer and fine sodas donated by the Grand Teton Brewing Company (owned by laymen of the LCMS).  There was also appointed range times for the men to hone their skills at wielding firearms of all varieties (time kept very distinct from the enjoyment of beverages).  Among all of the men was the understanding of Christian manhood and how it relates to being a citizen in the United States.  There were presentations on the Second Amendment (with an aside on organic, range fed chickens and the thinking that goes into that), gun laws and the congregation, as well as my expansion of my BJS article “Guns, Commandments, and a paper Caesar“.

Now, for the unhappy women part of the article.  Many women had requested to be a part of the retreat because they too wanted to learn, have fun, and go shooting as well.  This may have to be remedied in the future.

Here is an idea for congregational men’s groups or even regions or districts – have a similar retreat – get your men together around the Word, the Catechism, the Constitution, and the other things in this life that they enjoy (because being good laymen they already enjoy Bible and Catechism) and learn more.

 

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