What happens when a father takes his teenage son to a youth rites of passage, only to discover that he desperately needs an initiation of his own?

In this thirty-sixth episode of Follow Me to the M-R-O-P!, host Brian Mueller sits down with Matthew Burch, a small business owner from Oklahoma City, who made his rites at DeRoche, British Columbia in 2024. Matthew shares a beautifully articulate and profound story of stumbling into men's work after a decade of non-stop grinding at his business, and how taking his 15-year-old son to the youth rites cracked him wide open.

Episode Highlights

• A Father's Awakening: How taking his 15-year-old son to a youth rites of passage led Matthew to weep tears of joy for four straight hours on the drive home—and realize he needed his own initiation.
• Beyond the Warrior: Realizing he had spent his life using the "Warrior" archetype to fight and defend himself, and how the rites opened him up to the tenderness, vulnerability, and nurturing of other masculine archetypes.
• Healing Trust: Overcoming a lifetime of distrust toward men and authority figures—stemming from an absent biological father and a fraught relationship with his stepfather—by forming deep, safe bonds with his council brothers.

Links & Resources

• Brian Mueller (Host)
• BriansPoems.com
• Illuman MROP
• Illuman of Texas/Oklahoma
• Choosing Presence (Sponsor)
• Practicing Presence App
• The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr
• Adam's Return by Richard Rohr
• Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr
• Trust Stillness by Brian Mueller

Credits

• First and foremost, thank you to Matthew Burch 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