Insight from the "Outside"

A good friend of mine (Tom Lindholtz) is a fellow follower who exercises his pastoral gift in its biblically designed function. In other words, he's never been paid a penny to pursue his passion to shepherd other followers in any kind of conventional form.

This has kept him at an advantageous perspective of being able to view "ekklasia" from the outside in. He has provided insight for me (some of it "provocative" in its pure sense) over the last 15 years.

Since Teena and I have recently found ourselves outside of the institutional framework of "ministry," I have realized that some of the insight I have gained about the vast array of kingdom opportunities beyond the four walls of a "study" have come from Tom's own journey. He has had a natural-flowing rapport with many who are spiritually hungry, yet without the artificial wall the erects itself by an ecclesiastical prefix. He's just "Tom" and not "Pastor/Rev/Father/Dr..."

He has been a grand encourager when I have found myself without a "job" in the field for which I was "trained." He was the one who helped me realize that a verb is always more productive than a noun. He takes to heart the depth of the Great Commission where Jesus implores us to "...go and make disciples of all nations..." He's out there (sometimes in satirical form ;-D )and has been out there for most of his life "making the most of every opportunity."

So now that we find ourselves out there we have discovered how extremely vast the "harvest field" is. Where we were tempted to be disheartened that we were no longer in the form and venue we thought we were supposed to be, we have made a profound discovery.

Out is not such a bad place to find oneself. It actually ends up being the destination of "Go!"