Episode #8 feat. Elias Kruger

What happens when a busy consultant and father of three trades his constant connectivity for a quiet spot by a river to listen to what his soul is actually saying?

In this eighth episode of Follow Me to the M-R-O-P!, host Brian Mueller sits down with Elias Kruger for an honest look at his 2022 initiation at John Knox Ranch in Texas. Elias reflects on his transition from a devout religious background to a nature-based spiritual path, sharing how the rites provided a "beckoning" he couldn't ignore. He discusses the initial self-doubt and "tentative" feelings that often accompany the first day of the rites, and how they eventually gave way to a profound sense of lightness and clarity.

Elias describes the emotional impact of the rituals, the "precious gift" of wilderness solitude, and a moving moment back home where he found himself weeping at the moon—a testament to the deep, universal connectedness he discovered. If you have ever felt "too busy" for your own soul or wondered how to bridge the gap between religious tradition and authentic experience, this conversation is for you.

Episode Highlights

• The Sound of Energy: Finding stillness by the rushes of the water and a strong tree.
• Transitioning Faith: Moving from a devout background toward a spirituality that connects nature, body, and mind.
• The Art of Initiation: Why Elias views rites of passage as a "lost art" that helps us pass through life’s thresholds.
• Clarity of the Moon: A mystical experience of "spillover" that changed how Elias views the world around him.
• Embracing Identity: Learning to own a masculine spirituality that is neither absent nor chauvinistic.

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
• Host: https://brianmueller.com

Credits

• First and foremost, thank you to Elias Kruger 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