What does being Porter mean to me?
For me the essence of being a Porter comes down to the Bible and homesteading.
Firstly, the idea is to throw out all preconceptions of what a church is supposed to be; whether that mean the governing, the doctrine, or any other aspect all of which regard the theology in the opinion of a Porter.
The Bible is the only authority, it decides everything.
To make this as clear as it can be made, the point is this. If a society was to be formed and the only source it had to base it's existence around was the Bible-It most certainly would never in a million years resemble the Catholic Church. The Bible is the final authority, not any decree made by man.
The idea is to remain as simple and elemental as possible. It is simple for people to complicate what God has given us in his word, but if we always utilize his word the way he intended for us to, we'll always be where we need to be.
And in cases where people disagree, it is better for the individuals to fellowship separately than to create a restless congregation.
There are some terms though that can not be disagreed upon by Porters.
1. There is one God
2.Jesus died for our sins on the cross
3.We do not forbid speaking in tongues(in an orderly Biblical fashion).
4. We do liv off the land
5. The Word of God is the greatest authority.
If any of these terms are disagreed upon, that person and his family are not Porters, but are free as individuals to begin their own community.
The idea of being a Porter is that, with or without electricity, we shouldn't have to change the way we liv to exist in this world.
The needs of people have been the same for thousands of years. Food, water, shelter, clothing, transportation. If a tradesman appeals to these needs, his living can be made.
Are we currently Porters living with electricity, yes and it is against our will. The day will come when we are free of it. We pray that families will join us when that day comes.
So although we say that Porters don't use electricity, I guess you could correctly say that we are still in our conversion.
Family is the central focus of the Porter's life.
The meaning of life is to raise a better generation, the purpose of life is to become the person it takes to raise that better generation.
Being Porter is not a simple thing. For men it involves having a trade or farm. If you pursue a trade, it is one that you can do from home. I'm expecting that mine will be plane making.
Your mode of transportation is anything that is not fueled by a motor/engine. There is no ordnung so you are free to choose.
If you are a woman, then you have the honor or maintaining the domestic responsibilities. Just as you depend on your husband for financial health, he depends on you for food and clothing and to be the care taker of his children. Life is simple as a Porter but it is also alot of work.
The best comparison for Porters would be Pentecostal Amish that do not have an ordnung.
We see ourselves as plain Pentecostal homesteaders that do not use electricity or fossil fuel.
For long distance travel bus or train is fine.
Simple points that must be redundant.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Pentecostal Male
I thought it would be appropriate and perhaps appreciated by other Pentecostal males that might relate if I spoke about the difficulty of "coming out" from the world but still "blending in".
If you are a woman and attend a United Pentecostal Church International service, it's very easy to tell who is and is not a member of the church. You simply look for the tell tale signs: uncut hair, floor length skirts/dresses, unpeirced ears, no tattoos, skin covered.
But if you are a male, you are kind of stuck. Regardless of how dedicated you are to the Lord and your congregation you are virtually incapable of separating yourself from the heathens of the world. Sure you can make yourself look "clean cut", but so can any other man, not to mention So What? If being "clean cut" is the measure of a separated and saintly man, then there is a multitude of heathens that are passing themselves off as saints and are completely unaware of their false impression.
Here is where it may get a little breathy. When Elizabeth and I lived in North Manchester Indiana we attended two meeting houses there. Both were part of the Old German Baptist Brethren assembly. This is where both she and I were influenced by the plain lifestyle. Even though she grew up around the Amish and Mennonite, they were not an influence on her. Though I hope that someday she will post on why she felt convicted to cover.
Because I had been raised in a non plain family I struggled with both wanting to appease the UPCI and also obey my convictions and also my understanding of what the Bible refers to as a "peculiar people".
Eventually I stubbornly held by my convictions that Christians should not be camouflaged as heathens, but rather that they should stand out and be peculiar-even if we are plain and unassuming at the same time.
I'll describe myself. I have short brown hair, a beard that is about 20"s long. I wear button-up long-sleeve shirts.
My favorite is one that Elizabeth made for me. Another post I'd like to see her do, I've never worn a better shirt. It was her first one too.
I wear broadfall pants. If any of you guys have questions about them feel free to ask. I'll never go back to zippers and belts.
I also wear a typical straw hat like you would see on an Amish man. I wear one pair of boots that are leather pull-on. I feel strongly that men should only wear boots as they are the one type of footwear that conveys a man is always ready for work whenever and wherever it may need to be done.
I feel no shame in admitting that when I buy boots, that they usually cost about 120$. That may seem expensive but when considering that they will last me easily three and maybe as much as five years that is a good use of money. That comes down to 3 dollars and thirty three cense a month. That is being a proper steward of your money. And when you consider that my latest pair can be resoled, that's an even greater increase on the savings.
In a day when cheap boots may only last a year or less and still cost 40-60$, it is much wiser to forgo the cheap boots and to purchase the expensive quality boots. Call it a guilty pleasure as we "stewards of our money" are prone to say at such an extravagance, but the savings are real and cannot be denied.
Now back to the real point. The Bible tells us that we are a peculiar people 1st Peter 2:9. The real meaning of that word "peculiar" in the Greek is that we are a possession of God's.
I always drew issue with men that felt they had to make up for their inability to be as distinguished as their female counterparts. These were the men that would wear clothes that said "Jesus" or a Bible verse on it. It just seems desperate and tacky to me. Our sainthood should stand on it's own.
I've never had to resort to that, yet people still always know that I am a Christian. Some people ask me if I am Brethren, others ask me if I am Amish, others ask me if i am Mennonite, others even ask if I'm Mormon. I always tell them no-I am a plain Pentecostal, also known as a Porter.
Elizabeth and I were rejected by the UPCI, at least locally, for holding to our convictions. The UPCI has a strict "no beard" policy. I've yet to find the scripture to justify their stance, so instead of debating-I simply and passively walk away. Both parties feeling as though they have lost nothing.
The mentioned church feels that it is ridden of a problem and I leave feeling I am free to be genuine to my convictions and am not bound to appeasing them anymore.
The modern UPCI church has a problem with retaining male membership. One of the foremost reasons for this is that they undermine the masculinity of men that desire to join or have joined. The picture of an ideal Pentecostal male is a clean-cut suit wearing pencil-pushing accountant type.
I'll never look like that.
The female youth of the church are taught to pursue men that look like the aforementioned, when they are unable to find him they begin to feel dejected and gradually fade out of the church. It's a sad cycle that no one seems to be trying to do anything about.
I may have left the UPCI, but I in no way have left my walk with God.
The shame is, that aside from a few of the UPCI's standards being wrong-overall they have all of the doctrine right. Though I would prefer they use prayer rooms instead of being so ostentatious.
If you are a woman and attend a United Pentecostal Church International service, it's very easy to tell who is and is not a member of the church. You simply look for the tell tale signs: uncut hair, floor length skirts/dresses, unpeirced ears, no tattoos, skin covered.
But if you are a male, you are kind of stuck. Regardless of how dedicated you are to the Lord and your congregation you are virtually incapable of separating yourself from the heathens of the world. Sure you can make yourself look "clean cut", but so can any other man, not to mention So What? If being "clean cut" is the measure of a separated and saintly man, then there is a multitude of heathens that are passing themselves off as saints and are completely unaware of their false impression.
Here is where it may get a little breathy. When Elizabeth and I lived in North Manchester Indiana we attended two meeting houses there. Both were part of the Old German Baptist Brethren assembly. This is where both she and I were influenced by the plain lifestyle. Even though she grew up around the Amish and Mennonite, they were not an influence on her. Though I hope that someday she will post on why she felt convicted to cover.
Because I had been raised in a non plain family I struggled with both wanting to appease the UPCI and also obey my convictions and also my understanding of what the Bible refers to as a "peculiar people".
Eventually I stubbornly held by my convictions that Christians should not be camouflaged as heathens, but rather that they should stand out and be peculiar-even if we are plain and unassuming at the same time.
I'll describe myself. I have short brown hair, a beard that is about 20"s long. I wear button-up long-sleeve shirts.
My favorite is one that Elizabeth made for me. Another post I'd like to see her do, I've never worn a better shirt. It was her first one too.
I wear broadfall pants. If any of you guys have questions about them feel free to ask. I'll never go back to zippers and belts.
I also wear a typical straw hat like you would see on an Amish man. I wear one pair of boots that are leather pull-on. I feel strongly that men should only wear boots as they are the one type of footwear that conveys a man is always ready for work whenever and wherever it may need to be done.
I feel no shame in admitting that when I buy boots, that they usually cost about 120$. That may seem expensive but when considering that they will last me easily three and maybe as much as five years that is a good use of money. That comes down to 3 dollars and thirty three cense a month. That is being a proper steward of your money. And when you consider that my latest pair can be resoled, that's an even greater increase on the savings.
In a day when cheap boots may only last a year or less and still cost 40-60$, it is much wiser to forgo the cheap boots and to purchase the expensive quality boots. Call it a guilty pleasure as we "stewards of our money" are prone to say at such an extravagance, but the savings are real and cannot be denied.
Now back to the real point. The Bible tells us that we are a peculiar people 1st Peter 2:9. The real meaning of that word "peculiar" in the Greek is that we are a possession of God's.
I always drew issue with men that felt they had to make up for their inability to be as distinguished as their female counterparts. These were the men that would wear clothes that said "Jesus" or a Bible verse on it. It just seems desperate and tacky to me. Our sainthood should stand on it's own.
I've never had to resort to that, yet people still always know that I am a Christian. Some people ask me if I am Brethren, others ask me if I am Amish, others ask me if i am Mennonite, others even ask if I'm Mormon. I always tell them no-I am a plain Pentecostal, also known as a Porter.
Elizabeth and I were rejected by the UPCI, at least locally, for holding to our convictions. The UPCI has a strict "no beard" policy. I've yet to find the scripture to justify their stance, so instead of debating-I simply and passively walk away. Both parties feeling as though they have lost nothing.
The mentioned church feels that it is ridden of a problem and I leave feeling I am free to be genuine to my convictions and am not bound to appeasing them anymore.
The modern UPCI church has a problem with retaining male membership. One of the foremost reasons for this is that they undermine the masculinity of men that desire to join or have joined. The picture of an ideal Pentecostal male is a clean-cut suit wearing pencil-pushing accountant type.
I'll never look like that.
The female youth of the church are taught to pursue men that look like the aforementioned, when they are unable to find him they begin to feel dejected and gradually fade out of the church. It's a sad cycle that no one seems to be trying to do anything about.
I may have left the UPCI, but I in no way have left my walk with God.
The shame is, that aside from a few of the UPCI's standards being wrong-overall they have all of the doctrine right. Though I would prefer they use prayer rooms instead of being so ostentatious.
Our Children's Education
Our children will be either educated in a schoolhouse of children that are like-believers, or they will be home-schooled.
Either way, daughters will be expected to help at home and sons will be expected to pursue trades.
Recent history has shown many people that pursuing college comes at a cost that pays off in no way. Life does not need to be complicated by false promises from "for profit" educational institutions.
Student debt causes a type of slavery that only aids the school attended and indentures the former student for many decades of their life.
Our children will be expected to speak fine English and be knowledgeable in a multitude of topics. We do believe in education, but we feel strongly that it should come from the home.
When a child is raised away from a tv and computer, that child finds a large amount of time that they are able to dedicate to reading and studying various topics. Learning should be and is a pleasurable pursuit.
And for the child that doesn't enjoy learning, they will always have their trade/hobby to fill their time.
Learning and work is not all there is to youth, but this and the previous posting cover those sections of a child's life.
Either way, daughters will be expected to help at home and sons will be expected to pursue trades.
Recent history has shown many people that pursuing college comes at a cost that pays off in no way. Life does not need to be complicated by false promises from "for profit" educational institutions.
Student debt causes a type of slavery that only aids the school attended and indentures the former student for many decades of their life.
Our children will be expected to speak fine English and be knowledgeable in a multitude of topics. We do believe in education, but we feel strongly that it should come from the home.
When a child is raised away from a tv and computer, that child finds a large amount of time that they are able to dedicate to reading and studying various topics. Learning should be and is a pleasurable pursuit.
And for the child that doesn't enjoy learning, they will always have their trade/hobby to fill their time.
Learning and work is not all there is to youth, but this and the previous posting cover those sections of a child's life.
The Trades Of Our Sons
Daily as a Porter Elizabeth and I are thinking about the trades in which our sons will be brought up. From the ages of five up till their tenth birthday our sons will know to study and familiarize themselves with various trades. The day of their tenth birthday they will be expected to dedicate themselves to a trade. If they decide to change trades that will be fine. They will always have an occupation to fall back on. Their practicing of their trade will be financed by us, their parents. They will be expected to be expert and professional in their trade by the time they leave the house.
The only qualifications their trade must follow is that:
1. It must not utilize electricity
2. It must be able to be done on the property
3. Classes away from the farm are acceptable
4. In some cases it may be necessary to have a teacher come to the farm
Elizabeth and I are learned in various crafts, however we are professional in none of them. Had we been raised the way our children will be, I think that would be different. The time from ten years of age up to the age of leaving the home-whether that be 18 or even 25, is more than sufficient to be expert in a craft whether that be shoe-making or blacksmithing or wheelwrighting or even plane making.
Our sons will be provided with all the source material they could possibly need. They will also be provided with all the finest tools they should need. If ever they decide to change trades, the tools and materials will be kept and used with a different child that chooses that specific trade. If no other child pursues that trade, then the materials will be saved for grandchildren or sold to a family that needs it for their child. Resources and materials are too precious to be sold out of the community.
We are ever expanding our library to suit our life. We don't believe in public education but we do believe in home education. I'll expound on that in another post.
To bless our children with a trade and occupation is in our opinion the greatest gift of all. Much more valuable than a student loan or diploma. No job application required and they can work from home as their own boss. The way life was before the industrial revolution.
The only qualifications their trade must follow is that:
1. It must not utilize electricity
2. It must be able to be done on the property
3. Classes away from the farm are acceptable
4. In some cases it may be necessary to have a teacher come to the farm
Elizabeth and I are learned in various crafts, however we are professional in none of them. Had we been raised the way our children will be, I think that would be different. The time from ten years of age up to the age of leaving the home-whether that be 18 or even 25, is more than sufficient to be expert in a craft whether that be shoe-making or blacksmithing or wheelwrighting or even plane making.
Our sons will be provided with all the source material they could possibly need. They will also be provided with all the finest tools they should need. If ever they decide to change trades, the tools and materials will be kept and used with a different child that chooses that specific trade. If no other child pursues that trade, then the materials will be saved for grandchildren or sold to a family that needs it for their child. Resources and materials are too precious to be sold out of the community.
We are ever expanding our library to suit our life. We don't believe in public education but we do believe in home education. I'll expound on that in another post.
To bless our children with a trade and occupation is in our opinion the greatest gift of all. Much more valuable than a student loan or diploma. No job application required and they can work from home as their own boss. The way life was before the industrial revolution.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Our Lives
I'd just like to say this blog is still active. We've gone through some changes and adjustments over the last half year.
Elizabeth Ann is focusing on her Masters while I am on the road Monday through Friday. This week has been nice, I've only spent one night away from home.
Elizabeth has been taking a quilting class once a month that seems to be teaching her plenty. I thought she knew all there was to know about sewing so this is a great thing for our family.
Until recently I had been going out to Eureka Springs to learn the art of wooden handplane making. I've been amassing my collection of tools so that when the time comes, I can walk away from trucking and pursue tool making.
My teachers have taught me enough to get me going on my own. It's now time for me to sink or swim in my own "shop". With my current schedule I only have Saturdays available on a consistent basis. This will still be enough time for me to really dive deep and rely on the knowledge and experience that I have. I've got plenty of notes and books and if I find myself stumped I am sure that my teachers will help me out.
Getting started isn't easy. There is alot to know with regards to tools and techniques both of the instruments utilized to create the planes and also of the planes themselves. So many subtle details go into the creation of a single plane that even a craftsmen himself can and will still be learning about his creation 15 years down the road.
I don't expect to be rich making planes for a living, but it will able me to be home, and that is what is most important to me.
Elizabeth and my mother have been working feverishly caning fruit from the orchard and produce from the farmers market. Amongst all the jam there are now also 11 qts and 3 pints of tomato sauce. That is alot for anyone familiar with caning.
Our chickens are still doing fine. Big Bird decided to become broody for a while so to amuse her we gave her to false eggs. They were ceramic. She was so proud of them, but after three weeks of not getting off the nest for any real amount of time, we decided it would be best to take them away. That was our lesson on why a broody hen is a bad thing.
We also decided it would be best to build a chicken run and to put the chicken tractor inside of it. They've got less space than I'd prefer but they seem to be happy.
Building the run was quick and simple and has worked very well to date. We simply put some T-posts in the ground along the perimeter we decided and connected some wire fence using zip-ties. Their run meets against a horse paddock that has a wooden fence. We put two nails in a post to work as a "fence-catch", and it's worked very well as a gate. The only trouble we've had with the run is that sometimes the nails will come loose and also the chickens like to dig at the gate-bottom. We've taken care of that by laying some fence posts and a hay bale over their hole. I suspect they use that hole to get away from the sun.
They really appreciated all the caning scraps we gave them. For people that haven't had chickens before, if they are happy-they will let you know it! Our chickens sometimes sound like they are purring!
I am sure there is plenty more for us to tell you about. But for a quick update this should do alot.
Michael and Elizabeth McCartan
The Porters
Elizabeth Ann is focusing on her Masters while I am on the road Monday through Friday. This week has been nice, I've only spent one night away from home.
Elizabeth has been taking a quilting class once a month that seems to be teaching her plenty. I thought she knew all there was to know about sewing so this is a great thing for our family.
Until recently I had been going out to Eureka Springs to learn the art of wooden handplane making. I've been amassing my collection of tools so that when the time comes, I can walk away from trucking and pursue tool making.
My teachers have taught me enough to get me going on my own. It's now time for me to sink or swim in my own "shop". With my current schedule I only have Saturdays available on a consistent basis. This will still be enough time for me to really dive deep and rely on the knowledge and experience that I have. I've got plenty of notes and books and if I find myself stumped I am sure that my teachers will help me out.
Getting started isn't easy. There is alot to know with regards to tools and techniques both of the instruments utilized to create the planes and also of the planes themselves. So many subtle details go into the creation of a single plane that even a craftsmen himself can and will still be learning about his creation 15 years down the road.
I don't expect to be rich making planes for a living, but it will able me to be home, and that is what is most important to me.
Elizabeth and my mother have been working feverishly caning fruit from the orchard and produce from the farmers market. Amongst all the jam there are now also 11 qts and 3 pints of tomato sauce. That is alot for anyone familiar with caning.
Our chickens are still doing fine. Big Bird decided to become broody for a while so to amuse her we gave her to false eggs. They were ceramic. She was so proud of them, but after three weeks of not getting off the nest for any real amount of time, we decided it would be best to take them away. That was our lesson on why a broody hen is a bad thing.
We also decided it would be best to build a chicken run and to put the chicken tractor inside of it. They've got less space than I'd prefer but they seem to be happy.
Building the run was quick and simple and has worked very well to date. We simply put some T-posts in the ground along the perimeter we decided and connected some wire fence using zip-ties. Their run meets against a horse paddock that has a wooden fence. We put two nails in a post to work as a "fence-catch", and it's worked very well as a gate. The only trouble we've had with the run is that sometimes the nails will come loose and also the chickens like to dig at the gate-bottom. We've taken care of that by laying some fence posts and a hay bale over their hole. I suspect they use that hole to get away from the sun.
They really appreciated all the caning scraps we gave them. For people that haven't had chickens before, if they are happy-they will let you know it! Our chickens sometimes sound like they are purring!
I am sure there is plenty more for us to tell you about. But for a quick update this should do alot.
Michael and Elizabeth McCartan
The Porters
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