What’s the “weekly mettle maker?”
Training ideas and info supporting Heritage Arts’ programs — Heritage Self-Defense, Wildwood outdoor skills, Heritage Fitness, and Heritage Spirit.
Mettle Maker #323
Self-Defense and Fitness Combo: Do you have the basic fitness and grit to self-rescue and/or survive under adverse conditions? Take Mark Hatmaker’s Self-Resilient Readiness Tests. Give yourself 2 points for success, 1 point for actually attempting the test, and 0 points for not even trying.
Swim at least one half mile
Run at top speed for 200 yards
Jump over obstacles higher than the waist
Complete at least 15 Chin-ups
Complete 25 Dips
Drag a 100 sandbag 50 yards in under 30 seconds
Buddy-carry another human being at least 25 yards (Extra credit: carry a 45 lb. weight 1 mile in 12 minutes — no vests or rucksacks)
Hold your breath for 1 minute with only a 5-second prep
Swim underwater for 25 yards, or walk slowly for 50 yards, after only a 5-second prep.
Do you drink or take drugs that impair your ability to self-rescue? If no, 1 point.
Stand in the full spray of cold water for 60 seconds
Go without food for 24 hours.
For three consecutive nights, arise in the middle of your normal sleep schedule and stand stock still for 15 minutes (no books, no phones, no amusements)
Tape a pebble to the sole of your foot and go about for the entire day. If anyone notices your discomfort, say you have a rock in your shoe. If they ask why, reply only that you like it there. No other explanation is permissable.
Extra Credit pain test courtesy of Coach Mitch: Submerge your arm from hand to elbow in a mix of ice and water for 3 minutes.
Starved for more self-defense or fitness training? Sign up for one of our programs by clicking here.
Wildwood: The magic mulberry tree. Can you identify the red and/or white mulberry tree and list its habitat and practical uses? Red and white mulberry are rather common in North America. They usually grow in soil that is regularly moist, but not boggy, and prefer to be in places where they get a mix of shade and sun (red mulberry can grow deeper in the woods, white mulberry can handle full sun). Red mulberry has fine hairs on the underside of the leaves, white mulberry less so. Both grow to a height of about 30’ and have a rounded shape. The berries come straight from the stem, usually in May, and are white when unripe, either red or dark purple when ready to eat. The flavor is mild. The leaves are finely serrated on the edge, and like a sassafras, come in three different shapes (3-lobed, mitten, and eye). The wood is extremely resilient, great for bows, walking sticks, fighting canes, and tool handles. When the uncured, the bark strips easily and can be used for baskets, but once cured it’s locked on. Want more outdoor skills training? Sign up for the free Wildwood program.
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Homily for the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Oct. 2nd, 2022 – Archdeacon Mitch
Readings: Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4, Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9, 2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14, Lk 17:5-10
Luke 17: 5-10 World English Bible
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree†, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table’? 8 Wouldn’t he rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not. 10 Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’ ”
Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Get eight hours sleep. Maintain a body mass index under 25. Limit yourself to two hours of screen time per day for mental health. Don’t smoke. Get a minimum of twenty minutes of aerobic exercise twice per week for cardiovascular health. Brush and floss twice per day. How many of us heed all of that advice.? What’s the problem? Do we not trust the scientific evidence?
Evidence shows that people who go to church live longer lives than those who don’t. People who pray suffer from fewer mental health issues than those who don’t. Churches promote diversity and reduce political polarization by bringing together people of vastly different races, ages, and political affiliations. Churchgoers donate more to charity, are more engaged in community activities, and volunteer more. And yet every day in the U.S. about five churches shut their doors forever. What’s the problem? Do we not trust the evidence? ‡
Brothers and sisters, in the scene just prior to today’s reading, Jesus tells his apostles, “If your brother sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” And the apostles say, “Increase our faith.” The apostles are right there, observing Jesus’ works, seeing the miracles, listening to his interpretations of scripture, and all of that. They know he’s who he says he is. And yet they say, “Increase our faith.” What’s their problem? Don’t they trust the evidence?
Jesus says, “If you had faith like a mustard seed…” If you had faith like a mustard seed, a very tiny seed that grows into an enormous plant, “you would tell this mulberry tree to be uprooted and be planted in the sea and it would obey you.” In other words, if our faith was capable of ever-increasing strength, we could do the impossible. We could forgive our repentant brother seven times seven times. We’d be able to love our neighbor as ourselves. Maybe we could even love our enemies.
Through the parable of the servant coming in from the field, Jesus warns us that following the commandments is the bare minimum. We shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back because we didn’t raise up any idols, swear, murder, steal, or commit adultery today. Let’s not sit down at the banquet and celebrate the fact that we did the bare minimum. We should have faith that, like a mustard seed, grows ever larger and ever stronger. As we see the evidence mounting – as we witness the transforming power of baptism, feel the demons being cast out of our own hearts, see the power of our churches to transform communities, and all of that – our faith shouldn’t just hold its own. It should grow and grow until it becomes capable of the impossible. Impossible forgiveness. Impossible charity. Impossible love.
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† More likely a mulberry tree. According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, this is the sik´a - mı̄n , ( συκάμινος , sukáminos) the black mulberry tree (Morus nigra; Natural Order, Urlicaceae ), known in Arabic as tût shrâmı̂ , "the Damascus mulberry," a fine tree which grows to the height of 30 ft. It produces the dark blood-red mulberry juice referred to in 1 Macc 6:34 (μόρον , móron ), "the blood of ... mulberries," which was shown to the elephants of the Syrians. The white mulberry, M. alba , has white and less juicy fruit, and it is cultivated largely for the sake of its leaves with which the silkworms of the Lebanon are fed. The tree in Luke 19:3 is the Ficus sycomorus, called the sycamore fig or the fig-mulberry because its leaves resemble the mulberry.
‡ For more detail watch my video “Ten Reasons Even Non-Believers Should Go to Church” or read Robert D. Putnam’s important study, “What's So Darned Special about Church Friends?” (2012) Altruism, Morality & Social Solidarity Forum, American Sociological Association 3(2): 1,19-21