Bond of Brothers: Connecting with Other Men Beyond Work, Weather, and Sports

Wes Yoder

Zondervan, 2010 - Religion - 189 pages

'The perfect conversation for men with little to say can be summed up in eight words: 'Can you believe the weather at that game?'' Author Wes Yoder's words are humorous. Yet, beyond the sports and weather chatter and silence that characterize many male conversations, there is brokenness. Emptiness. Shame. That's not funny. For Yoder, addressing the problem is not about planting the flag for one's manhood by joining a mass movement for men, nor is it necessary for men to 'sire a herd or shoot a moose to authenticate their manhood.' Yoder calls disappointed, disenchanted, and lonely men to authenticity. To rediscover joy. To find satisfaction. In Bond of Brothers, men will discover: Why your career and performance at work are not your identity * How to defeat the fears that come to a man in the 'Tough Years' * What to do when you are too worried to forgive or too power-hungry to smile * Why spiritual friendships are the central, life-giving core of all healthy relationships among men. Being present to comfort, to love, to listen, to take a step toward Jesus together in our brokenness ... that is the essence of friendship, Yoder writes. When we invite Jesus into our shared brokenness, he can do the work of remaking what is left of the mess we have made of ourselves. Begin a journey toward authenticity and your true identity here!

Contents

• Preface: 9
• Introduction: 11
• Lets Talk about Manhood: 15
• The Weather Is Fine but Im a Little Messed Up: 31
• Game and Story Entering the Kingdom of God: 49
• The Glory and Shame of Fathers and Sons: 65
• Our Need for Help: 81
• The Power of Opposites: 97
• Where the Beauty Starts: 111
• Sorrow the Hand That Shapes Us: 121
• The Tough Years: 135
• Sadness in the Church: 151
• Build Your Own Coffin: 163
• The ChristMan: 173
• A Prayer for Empty Men: 185
• Notes: 187
• About Wes Yoder: 191

About the author

Raised on a dairy farm in the Amish and Mennonite community of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Wes Yoder moved to Nashville in 1973 to work in the music business where he launched the careers of many well-known artists. His projects have included media representation of The Purpose Driven Life and The Shack, and media and literary representation of the #1 New York Times best seller, Mistaken Identity. He has appeared on NBC Nightly News, ABCÆs Prime Time, Dateline NBC, CNN Headline News and others. Wes and his wife, Linda, live in Franklin, Tennessee, and have two children and two grandchildren.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Bond of Brothers: Connecting with Other Men Beyond Work, Weather, and Sports
• Author: Wes Yoder
• Publisher: Zondervan, 2010
• ISBN: 031032453X, 9780310324539
• Length: 189 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Christian Living / General; Religion / Christian Living / Men's Interests; Religion / Sexuality & Gender Studies