Last week I had the opportunity to have lunch with one of my best friends from growing up. We both grew up in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh, and now we both live as adults in the East End of urban Pittsburgh. I serve as a pastor, and he works as a social worker with a vulnerable population of people in the Pittsburgh region.
We have a lot in common... a lot more than we thought we had in common, actually. Besides living in relatively close proximity, we both have a passion for serving people living on the margins of our city. God has called me to do that as a pastor, and God has called my friend to do that while serving as a social worker at a large organization in our region. We are both working toward transformation in our city. We are both working toward increasing levels of shalom.
It's important for urban pastors to identify individuals and institutions in cities who are actively involved in the process of transformation. This is common grace. We need to network with stakeholders, build partnerships, develop friendships, and interact knowledgeably with others who are working toward the same goals. As a pastor I am more free to share about the gospel of Jesus Christ with words and works, but that doesn't mean that my vocation is any more significant in God's eyes than my friend who is serving people through his vocation. We are both advancing the kingdom of God through the unique callings that God has given us.
We have a lot in common... a lot more than we thought we had in common, actually. Besides living in relatively close proximity, we both have a passion for serving people living on the margins of our city. God has called me to do that as a pastor, and God has called my friend to do that while serving as a social worker at a large organization in our region. We are both working toward transformation in our city. We are both working toward increasing levels of shalom.
It's important for urban pastors to identify individuals and institutions in cities who are actively involved in the process of transformation. This is common grace. We need to network with stakeholders, build partnerships, develop friendships, and interact knowledgeably with others who are working toward the same goals. As a pastor I am more free to share about the gospel of Jesus Christ with words and works, but that doesn't mean that my vocation is any more significant in God's eyes than my friend who is serving people through his vocation. We are both advancing the kingdom of God through the unique callings that God has given us.
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