That Other Flock by Steve Thomas

What if the outsiders, the losers, the marginalized have the answers?

That’s where things begin with That Other Flock.

That Other Flock is a series of short fiction pieces centering in a group of 7 outsiders eating free donuts in the basement kitchen of a mega church.

Think about these short stories as episodes in your favorite video series like Lost, Billions, or Yellowstone.

Whatever they are, they’re about people and what I know about relationships, struggle, spirituality, and Jesus.

I think you’ll find them provoking, amusing, and maybe engaging.

Short-ish fiction in your inbox every Sunday.

Outsiders and Spirituality

I’m an outsider. Even when I’m an insider, I feel like an outsider. Does that ring a bell with you?

My experience is that the real conversations about struggle and life don’t happen in the classic church setting, they happen in small groups outside of the worship service.

I’m a Jesus person. I practically grew up in church. But, plot twist, I’m not terribly religious (or it could be that I’m terrible at religion). I’m not knocking church, just talking about my experiences, which shapes my views.

I visited a church last year and sat on the next to the last row of a packed auditorium. The people sitting on the back row were having an entirely different worship experience to what was happening up front. They were a completely different crowd than those sitting up front.

And that sparked something my imagination. What would outspoken, struggling, outsiders experience at church? Why do they come? What would they take away from the sermon or from attending?

And That Other Flock was born. I’m not referencing John 10:16. We’re not going to discuss who the “other flock” is or anything like that. That Other Flock is my way of calling out how there’s the churchy people and then there’s my tribe…not churchy, not perfect, and not completely domesticated.

Sorta the feral faithful.

In the That Other Flock episodes, I imagined people, not church people or insiders, but my people, the back-row crowd. Once that thought landed, the characters began to arrive. I know these people, even if you don’t.

Don’t worry, I’ll introduce you. You’ll like them…at least some of them, some of the time.

I wanted the narrator to not only hold this stance of an outsider, I needed a unique, somewhat broken, yet churchy, provocative voice. But still an insider…or someone who was an insider, before.

I mean the first line of the first episode is: “I can’t go to church unless I’m a little drunk.”

Maybe that says something about what I’m doing here.

100% Work In Progress

Are the characters stereotypes? Stupid dialog? Bad theology? Tell me what you think.

I’m working here. Let me know.

I won’t guarantee perfect grammar or tight editing. I will guarantee authentic and real. While 100% fiction, you and I know the people I write about. You might not know them as well as I do, but you’ve seen them…maybe at church, maybe on the back row.

You’ll see. Maybe you’ll even see yourself.

My Ulterior Motive

First, I’d love to know if any of these characters or situations connect with your life. There’s great power in wisdom arriving from left field. Maybe these stories will lift your spirit a bit.

Still Here?

Then take a chance and hit that subscribe button. Let’s see where this goes.

Your comments count.

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