A Generational Legacy

I'm working on writing a sermon this afternoon. I dove into the Bible, which prompted me to want to dive into my biblical commentaries. I pulled out an old gem of a commentary that was printed in 1929 which had somehow made its way to the bookshelf in my office. Curious about how I had come across this particular commentary, I opened to the beginning of the book to find the following inscription:

If you can't read the words very well, the handwritten inscription in the commentary says, "Kirk McCabe, December 25, 1961 from Papa & G'ma." My great grandparents gave the book to my dad as a Christmas present when he was 16 years old. My dad held onto it for years, and he gave it to me earlier this year when he was giving away some of his theological books to his kids. I didn't know at the time that this particular book had been given to him by his grandparents... I had originally wanted it because I love old books. Yes, I'm nerdy like that.

I got to reflecting on what this revelation meant. My great grandparents were followers of Jesus Christ, and they instilled their faith in their own children, and, as this gift represents, they wanted their grandchildren to follow Jesus. My mom and dad in turn desired for me and my sisters to follow Christ. We are all serving the Lord, and I am so excited that my daughters are both followers of Jesus Christ. In fact, my daughters gave me the Bible that is open behind the commentary in the picture (that's Kyra and Sierra in the photo on my desk).

It struck me that this is a great example of building a powerful legacy. Faith in Jesus Christ is the most important legacy that one generation can leave for the next generation. It's important to pray for our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. We can be creative with the gifts that we give, in terms of giving things that lead children closer to Jesus Christ. We can model stewardship and generosity. We can live by biblical principles. God's transformational power and love can transcend time and generations. Our short lives on this earth matter. My family is living proof of that. I'm so thankful that my great-grandparents chose to leave a Christian legacy to the generations that followed after them. 

Urban Ministry and My Mother In Law

My mother-in-law, Sandy, visited us here in Pittsburgh for the past week. I really like Sandy, so it's never a problem when she's in town. She just kind of immerses herself in whatever our family is doing. It makes me laugh, though, to think about what she immerses herself in when she jumps in with our family. We have a very strange lifestyle. Living out incarnational leadership in a complex, urban environment like Homewood can lead to a bizarre life. We love it, but it's very unpredictable. God could literally bring any person or any circumstance across my family's path at pretty much any given time.

I asked Sandy what she thought of her visit, and she described how "interesting" it is to spend time with us here in Pittsburgh. She really is quite a trooper, and she's learned to be open to anything. As I look back on the week, I reflect on the stream of humanity that made it's way into the McCabe house in Homewood for after school snacks, to jump on our trampoline, to share meals with us, or for impromptu counseling sessions on our front porch or in the back yard. One neighbor kid hit another neighbor kid in the face with a rock. There was blood and there was conflict, and the whole dramatic scenario of neighbors and relatives in conflict with one another somehow made its way to our home. We visited our neighbor's home to catch up with him and to play with his little pit bull puppies. Kyra read books to Kindergarten students at the elementary school next to us. I spent time in the school catching up with LAMP mentors and mentees. We took walks in the neighborhood. We are fully present in a place that most people try to avoid at all costs. It's where God has called our family to plant ourselves.

Our little piece of property has somehow turned into a community center. We love it. It's challenging, but we love it. Somehow we are able to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ in the midst of the chaos. But, we don't just live in Homewood and hang out with our neighbors. God gave me the opportunity to preach a sermon about the mission of Jesus in the heart of East Liberty at North Way East End. We were a part of launching student ministry for middle school and high school students throughout the East End. Julie had multiple Bible studies with women throughout the city. I got to connect with lots of different kinds of people through my work as a pastor, ranging from homeless people to business leaders and faith leaders and many different types of people. One of the best parts of being a pastor in an urban environment is that I am able to build relationships with such a diverse range of people. It's fun. Challenging, but fun.

Sandy is gaining an appreciation for the calling that the Lord has given our family, and the more she visits the more she participates in that calling. That's kind of the point of following Jesus, though, and she definitely understands that. When we follow Jesus, we must be open to radically and passionately participate in whatever Jesus might ask us to do to advance his kingdom at any given moment. We must embrace risk and unpredictability in order to fully experience the joy that Jesus has for us when we sell out to God's purposes in God's mission. It's hard sometimes, but this type of living presents amazing opportunities to experience profound purpose and meaning in life. It's messy. It doesn't make any rational sense. And it's right where God wants my family to be right now. I wouldn't want it any other way. 

The Excitement of New Mentoring Matches

I stopped by Faison School in Homewood today at lunch time, and I happened to arrive on a day when two new school-based mentees were being matched with mentors from North Way Christian Community. The L.A.M.P. program has been going strong in Homewood, now in its ninth year. Several hundred children have been matched with mentors from L.A.M.P. partner churches over the past nine years. However, I have to say that it never gets old watching new matches get going. Adults and kids kind of enter into the relationships with excitement and often apprehension, but after months and years together the fledgling mentoring matches often turn into life long friendships. The mentoring relationships are transformational.

So, hats off to the new mentors who are spending several hours of every week with some of Pittsburgh's shining starts, the children who are living and attending schools in Homewood. Mentoring is an adventure. It truly is a journey. But, the outcomes are incredible. I can't wait to see what happens with the mentoring matches that were made today. Individual lives will be better, the public school system will be better, the neighborhood will be better, families will be better, and the city of Pittsburgh will be better... all because of the impact that L.A.M.P. mentors are able to make.