Something’s Brewing Here Day 50 of Exodus 90: A Journey Toward Freedom and Brotherhood

Something’s Brewing Here

Day 50 of Exodus 90: A Journey Toward Freedom and Brotherhood

There’s something deeply satisfying about brewing beer.  And something even more satisfying when you are brewing with a group of men you greatly respect. The process is deliberate, demanding patience, precision, and trust in the recipe (and our brewmaster John). Every step, from selecting ingredients to the final pour, is a lesson in discipline and craftsmanship. And, of course, the best part isn’t just the beer—it’s the camaraderie, the shared effort, the sense of accomplishment when you finally taste the fruits of your labor.  Although the beer is a pretty awesome reward too.  

As I reflect on my Exodus 90 journey, I can’t help but see the parallels between the discipline of brewing and the spiritual refinement of this program—especially on Day 50, when the challenge of perseverance begins to weigh heavily.

THE BREW: 

When you brew beer, you follow a strict process. Each ingredient serves a purpose: the grains provide structure, the hops give character, and the yeast breathes life into the mixture. The fermentation process takes time, and there are no shortcuts. If you rush it, you end up with something bitter, weak or tasting like mouthwash.

Exodus 90 works the same way. We are given clear instructions—prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. Each discipline plays a role:

• Prayer is the grain, providing the substance of our spiritual life.

• Asceticism is the hops, adding refinement and clarity through sacrifice.

• Fraternity is the yeast, the living presence that transforms (and adds a bit of friskiness to it -Marc😀) the whole experience.

And just like in brewing, patience is key. The early weeks of Exodus 90 are like the boiling stage of brewing—a rapid, intense purification, and bubbling with excitement. But by Day 50, we enter the slow fermenting phase, where nothing seems to be happening on the surface, but deep inside, we are changing.

THE BOYS: 

But when I make beer with my men’s group, it’s never just about the final product. It’s about the conversations, the jokes, the stories shared over simmering wort, steaming kettles or a freezing patio. There’s an unspoken understanding: we’re in this together. We wait together. We work together. And in the end, we celebrate together…with the beer we just started making.

Around Day 50, when the initial enthusiasm has worn off and the sacrifices feel heavier, it’s the brotherhood that sustains us. Like a batch of beer sitting in the fermenter, we might not see immediate results, but our conversations together remind us: trust the process. They hold us accountable, encourage us, and walk beside us when the commitment feels like too much.

THE FINAL PRODUCT:

After weeks of waiting, when we finally pour that first glass of home-brewed beer that week after Easter, it will be more than just a drink—it’s a testament to patience and perseverance. It’s a reward that was earned, not just given.

Exodus 90 isn’t just about reaching Day 90. It’s about who we’ve become along the way. Like beer left to age properly, we emerge stronger, refined, and more mature in our faith. The struggle, the waiting, the discipline—it all transforms us, just as time transforms simple ingredients into something rich and full of life.

So whether it’s brewing beer or battling for holiness like we did a few weeks ago, the lesson is the same: trust the process, lean on your brothers, and persevere. The reward is worth it.

Cheers to the journey. Only 40 more days to go.