Men in the West don’t have a safe, peaceful style of worship that fulfills their masculine essence.

Readership: All; Men;
Theme: Validation; Awareness and Introspection;
Note: Based on an email discussion with Tubal Cain on 2025/6/10.
Length: 1,100 words
Reading Time: 6 minutes

The Proactive Disposition of Peacemakers

The last two posts have drawn an association between the peaceful nature of men and men’s ferocious vengeance when they are deprived of a tranquil, fulfilling existence and a life of familial sanctimony.

While some men are ready to burn it all down, or take up arms (figuratively speaking, perhaps literal in some instances), by the mercies of God, men are more likely to choose less destructive, less violent means to ameliorate their unjust sufferings. Thus, men’s peaceful nature is more likely to steer them towards leaving it all behind, moving across the country, switching churches, or going to live overseas. I’ll venture to say that the stronger, wiser, and more masculine men are more likely to choose such means. It is the bravely courageous, yet foolishly die-hard IDIOTs* who choose the dank glories of blood violence and utter destruction before considering less catastrophic options.

* IDIOT: An Individual Devoid of Intelligent Organized Thought.

Case Study 1 — Military Men are Attracted to Orthodoxy

In a private message, Tubal Cain wrote,

“Our Orthodox parishes and jurisdictions have a large influx of military men.”

“I have a theory that the top-down polity in Orthodoxy offers a structure of command and rank, and also established procedures similar to the military, that is appealing to men. And much like what is happening within evangelicalism, the reinventing oneself with the ebb and flow of modernity, and also within American culture, e.g. using the military for social engineering, has some bearing on men’s increasing interest in Orthodoxy. While one can argue this is reactionary, again, like other None and Evangelical converts to Orthodoxy, the desire for a deeper faith seems to hold as well.”

Case Study 2 — Father McPherson’s Desire for True Worship

In support of his theory, Tubal Cain referred me to this video from Father Moses McPherson of the Holy Mother of God Orthodox Church in Georgetown, Texas.

Father Moses: Protestant Prayer Isn’t What Modern Man Craves (2024/5/20)

[Transcript edited and embellished for reading. Emphasis mine.]

“In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

A man can watch three things endlessly: a fire, the ocean, and another man working.

Man’s mind likes to be in a meditative state.  It’s not that men aren’t emotional or want to be emotional; it’s just that emotionality does not resonate with men.

I remember the first time I ever experienced the Divine Liturgy.

My wife and I were in college when we were first exposed to Orthodox Christianity.  We went to the local Parish, which was held in a little chapel in an upstairs room at a dentist’s office.  It was a very small space, maybe 20 ft. wide and 30 ft. long at most, and there were no pews and no benches.  There were just some icons and some candle lights.  It was [intriguing] because the room had a dropped ceiling, but none of the lights were on.  It was all natural light.  The priest, Father Jeffrey Korrs, was able to put this meeting together even though there were very few Orthodox Christians at the time.  (This was almost 20 years ago.)

I remember that we went inside this small makeshift chapel and how I felt so intrigued and at peace.

I remember looking down at my wife sitting on the floor. She looked so much at peace and so contemplative.  She was just soaking it in.

I remember attending that liturgy and just not having to do anything, just being present and soaking in the prayers, the hymnography, the icons, the light from the candles, the incense…  Just soaking it in and being present in the experience, and not being a performer, not having to do anything or say anything — just being there, just being in it.”

“After we had been attending Divine Liturgy for several months, we went to visit my aunt. We weren’t yet Orthodox at that time; we were still Protestant inquirers.  We went with my aunt to her mega church, which was held in a gymnasium and had a full band up on stage and all these [sophisticated lights and stage effects]. Within 3 minutes after the worship service started, Boom!  The horn section kicked in!  They had all these horn players, and they were awesome!  I mean, they weren’t lacking in ability or skill.  But I felt a great dissonance in my soul.  It wasn’t bad horn playing, it was just a cacophony of noise and sound pounding on my head.  I remember standing there and thinking, “I can’t pray.  I can’t pray because I can’t focus and I can’t be present.”

There’s somewhat of an incompatibility between presence and performance. This was a performance, and you know, that’s fine if you’re at a football game and the horns are blasting and the band is thumping the drums and getting you hyped up.  There’s an energy to it, and that’s awesome!  I love that, as a man.  I love that type of intensity.  I love lifting weights.  I love blasting heavy metal tunes.  I love that energy, that ferocity!  That is a true expression of myself as a man and something that I love, but that is NOT worship.

I ended up leaving the church service because I just couldn’t pray.  I couldn’t pray because I couldn’t think, and I couldn’t be present.  Since attending Father Korrs’ Orthodox chapel, I had become accustomed to being present in prayer.  I had become accustomed to being present in worship.”

Concluding Thoughts

To put Father Moses’ testimony into perspective, this kind of peaceful meditation can only transpire when there is a larger structure of authority in place that enables it and protects it.

Like peacemakers who always stand ready to wage war — to the point of death.

Like rank and file soldiers are drawn to the serene, structured discipline of Orthodoxy.

Like children who are more confident, creative, and joyful when subject to well-defined rules that are strictly enforced.

Like we are commanded to always be diligent and vigilant in prayer (Colossians 4:2; 1 Peter 5:8), fully anticipating that the Lord hears us and rewards those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

The militant arm is necessary to ensure the peaceful experience of worship. The diligent performance of that arm is necessary to hedge and protect our serene experience of the presence of the Lord in communal or private worship, thus allowing those who worship to NOT be concerned about the opposite stance of performing.

This is what the modern Christian man needs, seeks, and craves.

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