Ode to Thomas
It’s been a busy week. Came home from Copenhagen last night. Going to Sheffield for a week now. Sitting at the airport, waiting for my delayed flight to Manchester. So for the first time in a long time, I’ve got time to think. And nothing to do but write.
Some of you have asked me why I haven’t written anything in a long time. The reason is very simple: I haven’t prioritised it. I also wonder whether blogging is more introvert than extrovert, knowing that most bloggers I know are introverts. Perhaps you can prove me wrong. Anyway, I was prompted to start writing again by my friend Thomas Willer. To honour him, this post is called “Ode to Thomas”. And the second reason is that he gave me two bottles of excellent Brøkkhus beer. And the third is that Thomas joined TOM (see below).
I had a really good time in Copenhagen. I was there with my wife for the Scandinavian gathering of the Order o f Mission (TOM). The TOM gathering was the first of its kind in Scandinavia, and a really successful one at that. There were around 30 people from Denmark and Finland present. Some are already members, and some gathered to process what it might mean to become a member of TOM. Around 15 people joined as temporary members, and 3 became permanent. Meeting all these people and hearing their stories makes me proud to serve in their company. So an ode to the TOM guys!
Peter Tingleff, one of the Danish leaders said it well: We share in a common mission now. It is no longer your mission and my mission, but our mission. And the mission is to take the gospel to a needy world.
Me, husband, father of three, 
Hey Christoffer - good to see you back on the blog
Im sorry we missed the TOM gathering in CPH - a month ago we got our little boy Isaac, and we are still working on how all the functions works on the remote control :O) - Great to hear that the gathering went well - and now are all the lads from our danish huddle hook on by the TOM pledge - I like the quote from Tingleff - that it is OUR mission, and I hope that the scandinavian “chapter” of TOM will bring us closer together in the work
Thanks, Henrik!
You really did miss a significant event. But I’m sure you made the right choice. Family first. I think the process of joining TOM is similar what many people go through:
First you think it’s nice, but not for you.
Then you think it would be nice if it was for you, but it sounds a bit too committed. Do I really want to do this?
Then, after a process of 1-3 years, you figure you might as well join.
Peter Tingleff said something interesting in his speech after he had been inducted as a permanent member. He said he feels totally free for the first time. That’s an interesting comment from a man who has just taken a promise for life. But I think the point he was making is this: You are not free to serve unless you commit.