All men must reckon with midlife. The time comes for every man where he realizes the morning of his life will soon turn towards afternoon. There is just as much behind as there is ahead, and the passage into a new season is about to begin. But many men have little sense of what this new season could or should entail, and we struggle knowing how to navigate it. We lack a vision for what it means to become a godly "Sage."The manhood journey is cyclical rather than linear, and the further along we travel, we find ourselves once again at the beginning. To truly become a Sage, we must go deeper and in reverse to recover those parts of us we exiled, forgot, lost, or never fully knew. Men who successfully navigate midlife emerge with a vision for who God originally made them to be. But men who go on living their lives without an awareness of their own deep need for this intentional work simply grow old, believing their best years are behind them rather than ahead. To become a Sage is the highest calling of God on men. It is the pinnacle of manhood, and yet the vast majority of men settle for a too-small story as they pass the midlife mark. This passage into the second half is God's invitation to His bigger story.If the task of the first passage is to find the man within the boy and call him forth, the task of the second passage is to find the boy within the man and bring him home.Sage: A Man's Guide Into His Second Passage invites men into an intentional journey through midlife and into the Sage."There are painfully few soul-strengthening messages that help the heart of a man finish well. As Chris Bruno compellingly suggests in Sage, “a man can only take someone else as far as he himself has gone.” We live in a world with many old men, but few sages, few men whose entire personhood is so drenched in maturity and whole-heartedness that they are capable of guiding the next generations to the farthest reaches of our masculine journey with wisdom and strength. In Chris Bruno, we have such a man. He is among the few who have consented to what Eugene Petersen named as the long obedience in the same direction. His provocative and accessible invitation in Sage is time-tested and life-proven by the fellowship of men with whom Chris has sacrificially cultivated true and lasting brotherhood. Curated with clarity and care, brimming with authentic stories of masculine initiation, and girded by courageous self-disclosure from Chris’s own journey, Sage offers a trustworthy, God-shaped, timely message for men who deeply desire to experience the full-portion of masculine maturity, build an enduring legacy in the second half of life, and finish well."Morgan SnyderAuthor, Becoming a KingFounder, www.BecomeGoodSoil.comVice President, Wild At Heart"Most people either fail to dream of being a Sage or assume it is beyond the grasp of mere mortals. Chris Bruno, a wise, kind, and humble man, has invited us to walk with wisdom as we return to our younger selves, blessing the hardships and losses that have formed us as men. Chris offers a North Star vision of how a man becomes a Sage. You will find this brilliant book a trustworthy compass to guide you through the wilds of aging." Dan B. Allender. Ph.DProfessor of Counseling PsychologyThe Seattle School of Theology and PsychologyAuthor, Redeeming Heartache"The game of life, like any game, is about making halftime adjustments. Of course, it sure helps to have a coach like Chris Bruno. This book is a playbook. Thanks to Chris for sharing both his wit and wisdom. If you have the courage to apply these time-tested principles, the best is yet to come!"Mark BattersonPastor, National Community ChurchAuthor, Chase The Lionwww.markbatterson.com
