What happens when a spiritually exhausted first responder, hoping for a magical message from God, discovers that true initiation is actually an invitation into human wholeness?

In this seventeenth episode of Follow Me to the M-R-O-P!, host Brian Mueller sits down with Brody Fulk for an insightful conversation about his 2024 initiation at Deroche in British Columbia, Canada. Brody arrived at the rites physically and spiritually exhausted from juggling two jobs, seeking internal peace and a radical shift in his thinking.

Brody speaks candidly about confronting his fear of "cults" and letting go of the expectation that God would simply hand him all the answers. He discusses how a tragic call as a first responder eventually led him to Illuman. From moving past the Hollywood model of a man to embracing the guidance of wise elders, Brody's story is a profound reminder of the power of community.

Episode Highlights

• The First Canadian Rites: Overlooking the Fraser Valley and experiencing the massive, mossy forests of the Pacific Northwest.
• Cults and Expectations: Confronting fears of manipulation and letting go of the desire for a "magical" divine message.
• A Shift in Harmony: How the rites awakened an appreciation for poetry and transformed his relationship with playing the guitar.
• Redefining Masculinity: Moving away from the Hollywood provider model to an integrated sense of human wholeness.
• The Need for Elders: Brody's heartfelt advice for younger men to find wise voices they can trust .

Links & Resources

• Choosing Presence (Sponsor): https://choosingpresence.org
• Practicing Presence App: https://choosingpresence.org/app
• Illuman MROP page: https://illuman.org/mrop
• Adam's Return by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/3PzVESH
• Falling Upward by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/4uUM64P
• Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/47qLNVp
• From Wild Man to Wise Man by Richard Rohr: https://amzn.to/3PKkHmj
• Brian Mueller (Host): https://brianmueller.com

Credits

• First and foremost, thank you to Brody Fulk for sharing his journey and his heart with us today.
• Thank you to Fr. Richard Rohr and the men of Illuman who have stewarded the Men’s Rites of Passage since 1996.
• Thank you to Jim Heaney and Jim Taylor for their dedication to Choosing Presence.

Music Credits:

• Slow Mo Dreams by Soundroll
• Becoming a Legend by Vens Adams