Looking Back on Christian History

I've spent several hours this week preparing for one of my breakout sessions at the upcoming OrphanCare Expo at North Way entitled "A Global Christian History of Orphan Care." My preparation has allowed me to review the books and classes that I took on Christian history. Christian history is filled with tragic examples of how people did damage to others through violently imposing belief systems on others, and it is filled with many inspiring examples of people who lived like Jesus and selflessly gave themselves away to others for the sake of lovingly sharing the profound hope that is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is important for me to remind myself about the negative parts of Christian history so that I can avoid making those same types of mistakes in my context. Also, it is important for me to learn from the heroes of the faith who went before me so that I might be a more effective follower of Jesus in this short life that I've been given. Yes, I am prepared to share some important things that God has put on my heart for the OrphanCare Expo on Saturday. But, more than that, I am being reminded that I want to be a sold out follower of Jesus Christ who serves others in the midst of very difficult life circumstances. The people throughout human history who seemed to have the most impact in terms of advancing the kingdom of God also had very little regard for safety or the comforts that this world has to offer. I am inspired to live like them. I will go anywhere, at any time, for the sake of Christ, no matter the cost. I don't care about the comforts that America has to offer. I don't care about my safety, or my house, or my car, or any of those things. I just care about Christ and being obedient to the meaningful and sometimes dangerous call that he has placed on my life. I don't even care about receiving any of the credit for that calling... Christ deserves all glory and honor.

Celebrating Reconciliation

I had a good conversation this week with a fellow pastor in the city who is also leading a cross-cultural church. We discussed the challenges of being reconcilers across cultures (racially, socioeconomically, etc.), and we also celebrated the break throughs that God has been able to accomplish. The Harvest Party and House of Manna last night definitely represent reasons to celebrate how God's profound reconciling love is bringing people in Pittsburgh together. People from many different neighborhoods converged in Homewood to spend time together at multiple events. It was incredible because Christians were leading the way in organizing these environments. Often, Christians drag our feet when it comes to reconciling across cultures. Instead, we should be leading the way in engaging people from all different walks of life. We should be excellent relationship builders across cultural boundaries because that is what God requires of us. It's as simple as that, yet it is a challenging process. I am encouraged to see what God is going to do in Pittsburgh over the months and years to come as we continue to build on the solid foundation that is being built.

Depending on God

Lately, I have been experiencing the full weight of being a pastor and a leader in the city. I love these things... being a pastor and a leader. However, I find myself too often taking things upon myself or depending upon my own strength to get things done. This seems to be because there are so many signs of hope and signs of need constantly going on all around me. In the city, problems and break throughs are magnified. I love that there is always action going on around me, and yet it requires a great deal of self control and dependance upon the Lord to determine when and where to lend my influence. When I depend on myself to determine my actions, I wear myself thin with pouring into others. When I depend on the Lord's discretion, I am able to be a true participant in the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in people's lives. I cannot possibly meet every need, or counsel every person, or plan every detail of every worship service, or speak at every event, or meet every person where they are at. But God... He can do all things. So, I am determined to depend on the Lord's strength in all matters. I need to hear from God, and often, in order to be an effective pastor. My prayer today is that I would be able to discern God's purposes on a consistent basis, and to put all of the weight that comes with leadership on God's mighty shoulders.

Food, Fun, and Advancing the Kingdom of God in the City

I survived all of the intensity of the past couple of days! It was tiring, but God accomplished a lot this weekend. Encountering God in the City on Saturday morning opened doors for racial, socioeconomic, and cultural reconciliation. Many people at North Way are grasping the vision for reaching the city with the love of Christ through compassion, development, and justice. We enjoyed hosting a missional team of students from Maryland in our home on Saturday evening for the block party.  A whole bunch of our neighbors stopped by to participate in the fun, which of course included Salvatore's pizza (the best pizza in Pittsburgh), street chalk, nerf dart tag, stained glass mosaic crafts, Wii Sports games, and ice cream. All of these things are essential parts of a good block party in Homewood. Worship was powerful on Sunday morning, and I could tell that our church is grasping North Way's vision to reach the city. People shared many stories of life change with me. Since I'm relatively new at leading a church, it's exciting for me to see how people living passionately for Christ can make such a difference in each other's lives. I loved meeting with all of North Way's interns in the afternoon, and my mentees joined me for the chili cook off on Sunday afternoon. We had a beautiful day. People tossed footballs and baseballs around. Kids played in the park. All of us powerhoused through a bunch of yummy chili. People walking by our picnic grove stopped in to join us for the food and fun. All in all, it was just an incredible weekend. God is doing amazing things in Pittsburgh. I'm so thankful for the amazing calling that God has given me.

Saturday and Sunday... Bring it on!

Today I am taking a day of rest to get ready for an intense weekend of ministry in the city. It is going to be great... I can't wait! On Saturday morning I'll be leading a discussion with over 50 people through Encountering God in the City at North Way East End. We'll be discussing how Christians can be effective at serving others in the city, a topic that I'm very passionate about. In fact, I dedicate most of my time to building relationships with my neighbors in Pittsburgh while also mobilizing others to do so. Then, on Saturday afternoon Julie and I will be hosting a CRU mission team of eight high school students plus chaperones at our house in Homewood for an outreach event. We'll be throwing a block party for kids and families in our neighborhood. I have no idea who's going to show up, but it's going to be fun to see what God does through the new relationships that will be built. On Sunday, I'll have the opportunity to worship with over 200 people at North Way East End. I'll be sharing about the big vision that God has put on my heart for our church community. On Sunday after church the East End will host all of the interns at the North Way campuses. Then, I'll pick up my mentees in Homewood and take them over to the Chili Cook Off that North Way East End is hosting in Highland Park. I'm looking forward to a fun event, and my stomach will be stuffed since I'm one of the judges for the chili contest. It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.

Teaching, facilitating, learning, outreach, worship, training, mentoring, leading, and eating. These are all things I love to do, and I'm blessed to be able to do things that I'm so passionate about in a city I love. It's going to be a great weekend!

Walking and Talking

Each week, one of my favorite "meetings" that I look forward to is the time spent with my friend in ministry, Pastor Freedom Blackwell. To be honest, I don't like meetings. I don't know many people who really do. I know that it is important to get together with people for planning purposes, though. And, so, Pastor Freedom and I, both pastors who love being out in the community and being relational, have settled on the streets of the city for our weekly meeting space. We walk together in the streets of East Liberty and the surrounding communities reflecting on everything that God has done and dreaming about the vision that God has in store for us in the future. We talk about a lot of different things, and there is much to discuss when it comes to leading a cross-cultural, missional, multisite church in such a dynamic part of the city. Urban ministry doesn't happen in sterile office environments. It happens best when we roll up our sleeves and jump right into the heart of the city to mix it up.