As I continue my work with frontier type leaders, I am more convinced than ever for the necessity of Stout Monk Society type gatherings. Burn out, flame out, blowouts and ups are inevitable if we try to continue on our own.

Stout Monks are there for one another. They trust the community to protect, guard and give assistance.

Singer, songwriter, Susan Ashton writes,

I’ve had the faith that gave me strength for moving any mountainside
I’ve felt the solid ground beneath my feet
But I’ve had the bread of idleness while drinking from a well of doubt
And it shakes the core of all I believe
Sometimes I feel like I’m as close as your shadow
And sometimes I feel like I’m looking up at you from the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

That is my story. That is life. That is ministry life…pastoral life. And it can only get worse the longer we live in isolation. The longer we choose not to link up with other Stout Monks and defend. En-courage = put courage in.

My friend John (co-founder of our Stout Monk Society) wrote…”When I think of Stout Monks, I think of men on the front line. Bold. Filled with zeal for Christ and his mission. Ready to face the opponent. A select and increasingly rare man. Every one is teachable. Most in need of strategic, just in time counsel. All in need of prayer, friendship and brotherhood. Men who face weariness, discouragement and loneliness.

Time for us to ‘man up’ and get a fellow Stout Monk by our side. To admit we are toast if we try to go it alone any longer. Time to be willing to make a courageous decision to get some friends, brothers…and be teachable, humble and willing to give up our busy-ness and give and take from other pastors in similar mold.

It also works when some older guys take some younger guys with them into community. Both are helped. Both are strengthened.

More later on what we do at Stout Monks.

 Email This Post This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 at 2:48 pm and is filed under Read, Tom Wood. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.