For most men, the question of what it means to be a man is perplexing. Most men have a longing for the support and guidance of other men in their journey towards masculinity, maturity, and a deeper experience with the divine. In ancient cultures initiation rites and vision quests were used to help boys make the journey into adulthood.

Opening the door to this journey can start with the Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP) retreat. This retreat can help awaken men to the adventure and mystery of their own masculinity, their deep spirituality, their potential for leadership, and their life’s purpose.

Living a shallow unexamined life is an empty experience. The Journey of Illumination begins with the age-old traditions that teach the five things every man needs to learn before he can fully engage in the adventure and mystery life will bring. MROP opens the door to the adventure.

The retreat is a five-day / four night, deeply prayerful and soulful experience that builds on the classic patterns of male initiation through simple and moving rituals and teaching. Each day includes participating in group prayer, major teachings on central masculine spirituality themes, quiet time for reflection, and sharing in the context of a “home group.”

Men are asked to come with a willingness to participate from beginning to end and not as an observer. All participants begin at point zero with no agendas to live up or down to. All that is required is for a man to come with a “beginner’s mind” and the readiness of a young novice seeking wisdom. Initiation, like life itself, is not a spectator’s sport.

This is not about religion but about spirituality, about age old traditions that guide us into manhood, about coming to trust that there is something much greater at work in our lives than we could ever imagine.