As Iron Sharpens Iron

Paul Lloyd Robson interviews Fr Joseph Gleason, "The American Orthodox Priest who moved to Russia". This is the third installment in our focus on relationships and Paul uses the interview as an opportunity to get in behind the politics and delve into the values on which we base our understanding of manhood in relation to others and society. Topics covered include:

- The false dichotomy between the macho dominant man and the pushover weakling

- Pornography - selfish desire as a barrier to human connection

- Marraige as a picture of Christ and the church

- How pornography and homosexuality are the same type of perversion of God's gifts

- The path to mature masculinity requires travelling alongside other mature, Godly men

- The false dichotomy between judging others and accepting everything

- Sins of ignorance and sins of presumption, and Paul's personal example regarding abortion

- King David and his example of sin and repentance

- How society deals justice towards unintentional sin

- How to sum up 2000 years wisdom of how to be a man in the word of "Patriarchy".

- Why hierarchy is better than equality

- Lastly, a practical approach for men to looking after your woman and "stomping on the head of the snake".

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In this episode, Fr Michael Butler talks about relationships with women. Specifically, he encourages men to

Make Christ the cornerstone and the foundation for everything.

Ask the intercession of St Xenia of St Petersburg, who is a patron saint of relationships.

Watch out for having impossibly high standards, pedestalizing women, or getting bitter and complaining about them.

Seriously ask yourself the question: What do I bring to the table in a relationship?

Optimize your appearance.

Be interesting. Not boring.

Be interested in others. Learn to shut up. Ask questions and listen.

Have a vision for your life, a sense of mission.

Don't do weak stuff.

Go out and talk to people. Go talk to everybody.

Hold your expectations lightly.

Do these things, and it should go better for you.

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This conversation wraps up our focus on "Practice" and opens up the discussion on "People". We start with recapping our progress so far and then give an overview of the importance of our relationships - specifically related to key relationships of spiritual fatherhood, biological partents, women, mentorship and brotherly relationships

We speak about why men need men - to learn how to become a man and relate that to why personhood is always a social thing and the role of Brotherhood in finding true personhood.

Many men are starved of man-only company - and we discuss why many men (and women) benefit from male only gatherings, as well as how to build relationships with men on a foundation of love.

The love of a father for his son is essential in awakening the spark of masculinity in a man, and we relate this to how different levels of fatherhood are linked and show us that the correct relationship between men is building each other up in love, and how we can help other men to fulfill the fatherly role in each other's lives.

Lastly we lay out the specifics of the love of a father - such as showing confidence in a child and drawing them outwards, even away from the mother before we give a little insight into our plans for the upcoming episodes on the subject of "People".

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Fr Michael Butler interviews Paul Lloyd Robson on his journey into Orthodoxy. Paul is the organiser of the European Men's Gathering and works professionally training men to find vision and purpose in their life. In his quest to improve his ability to help others, Paul found himself running into the arms of Christ, even through he had spent his entire adult life trying to run away from the Christianity of his childhood. As a fairly new Orthodox convert, Paul is still learning the ropes of Orthodox observance, and dealing with the issues of a life spent developing habits which were not leading him towards God.

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Why should we pray?

To get to know another person I have to talk to him. For the other person to get to know me, he has to talk to me. I might know everything one can know about the other person, but until I start talking with him I will not know him.

Prayer is the pathway to God. Prayer creates the channel by which God's love can flow into our hearts and then outward to our brother.

Men grow in struggle, men must lift the weight.This growth occurs in communion with other men. Men need men to learn how to become a man.

Healing and growth occurs first with prayer to God. The Church gives us the prayers because they contain the wisdom of the elders. Prayer fosters sobriety, resolve, and most important humility in men.

Fr. Hans concludes with practical tips on how to pray.

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Father Michael covers the basics of why we should be be observant in the hallowing of everyday life. Orthodoxy is learned not by study, but by doing; not through pondering, but through action. We practice our Faith in communion with the whole Church and ours is not a “felt” Faith, but a lived Faith. We witness to others by how we live our Orthodoxy and our love for Christ will determine the degree of our observance.

Fr Michael then speaks about some practical ways of living our Faith, which we have listed here as a checklist for handy use after you have listened to the episode:

- How to set up and arrange an Icon corner in your home.

- Which Icons to have in your Icon Corner.

- Icons in other rooms of your house.

- An oil lamp or candle.

- A shelf or table beneath the Icon Corner.

- Holy Water and Antidoron bread.

- Brass or ceramic censer

- How to dispose of old/used religious items.

- Blessed oil.

- Church calendar, Bible, Prayer book, Memorial List

- Plans for reading your Bible and the Psalms.

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Orthodox Christianity builds on a series of fundamental observances and regular practices which we are asked to perform as a part of our faith. These practices bring discipline into our life align our being with the structure of reality and bring, which transfers into every other area of our life.

In this conversation we speak of the basic Orthodox practices:

- Maintain a daily prayer rule, morning, and evening.

- Daily readings of the Holy Scriptures, the lives of the Saints, the Psalter or other Orthodox writings.

- Regular attendance and participation in the Church Sacraments, Liturgy, Confession, Healing prayers

- Participate in the Feasts and Fasts of the Orthodox Church calendar.

We introduce each topic and talk about our personal experience with these practices as well as giving input on how to get started for men setting out on their journey in the Orthodox faith. The following episodes #3, #4 and #5 will dive into specific aspects and teachings of Orthodox personal practice.

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As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Welcome to a new podcast for Orthodox men with a mission to recover authentic manhood through Orthodox Christianity. This first episode is an introduction to ourselves and our project: to gather leading voices in the recovery of authentic manhood according to the teachings and practices of the Orthodox Christian faith. To ask questions or get in touch with us, please join our Telegram Group.