Jonathan Haws This week I heard some really cool thoughts on a podcast I was listening to. They were centered around being “on the edge of inside,” which at face value can be taken as a scary place to be – like you are on your way out (of the church, or something else). What the discussion centered around was that being on “the edge” really means that you have a unique perspective to understand those who are “in” and those who are “out”.
The person they interviewed, Jeralee Renshaw, shared a scripture from Isaiah 54:2.
Isaiah 54:2 – “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.”
This verse is often read poetically, but its message is deeply practical and spiritually expansive. The imagery of enlarging a tent suggests not just growth, but deliberate preparation to welcome others. Stretching the curtains, lengthening the cords, strengthening the stakes—these are all actions. There is nothing passive about building the kingdom of God.
What strikes me most is the phrase “spare not.” It is a call to be bold, generous, and unrestrained in our efforts to include, invite, and lift others. That’s the essence of discipleship. It’s what Christ modeled so perfectly. He lived “on the edge of inside”—faithful to the law and the covenants, yet constantly reaching outward. He built bridges instead of barriers. He went to the lepers, the tax collectors, the Samaritans, and the sinners. While many inside the circle drew lines to exclude, Christ drew people in.
As you serve, think of yourselves as tent-builders. Every conversation, every act of kindness, every invitation to “come and see” is a way of enlarging the place of the Lord’s tent. Don’t hold back. Don’t spare. Your mission is not just to preach, but to prepare a place where people from all walks of life can feel at home in the kingdom of God.
Keep building. Keep stretching. And strengthen those stakes—your testimony, your trust, your love—so that the tent can stand firm as it grows and includes all of God’s children.
All my love,
Dad
