The Power of Rest and Reflection

I'm taking some time this week to rest and reflect. Urban ministry can be very intense, requiring a great deal of engagement and struggle. Leadership comes with many challenges. I really enjoy serving as a pastor, but it can be taxing sometimes. That's why it is so crucial for me to be able to take time to rest. It's often hard for me to carve out space to rest in the city, so I like to get out of town usually for a few days.

When I take time to rest, I do some of the things that I love to do. I read, write, pray, and think about how my story is intersecting with God's Story. Time of reflection helps me to adjust course if needed. I try to listen for God's voice and God's instructions in my life. I'm worthless as a pastor and leader if I don't have an intimate relationship with Jesus, and that type of relationship takes time and investment just like any other meaningful relationship.

Jesus modeled a leadership style where he intensely engaged, and then he withdrew from the crowds to recuperate. The Bible is filled with many great examples of leaders who incorporated rest, prayer, and reflection into their routines. Life has so many challenges and difficulties. It's important to understand how to sustain ourselves in the Lord for the journey. 

Taking Some Time Off

I have taken some time off this week from my official duties as a pastor of a church community that I love leading in the East End of the city of Pittsburgh. The rest has been wonderful, and I've had the opportunity to spend some great time with my family. We didn't go anywhere on vacation this Christmas, so we've been spending a lot of time at our house in Homewood.

Down time in Homewood is never really down time. My urban neighborhood actually becomes more accessible to me when I slow down the pace of my life. As always, I've experienced the negative emotions that come with gun shots and other crazy stuff that happens in my neighborhood. However, I've also experienced some amazing things that have brought much joy and meaning into my life. God was able to work through me to be a good neighbor to some of my neighbors who desperately needed some support this week.

God is transforming my heart as he allows me to enter into the lives of the some of the most resilient people living in this city. I am so thankful for the opportunity that God has given me to not just run a program in a distressed urban neighborhood, but to become a part of the fabric of the community and to lock arms with people who are navigating through extremely difficult life circumstances. God is showing me new things every day through the eyes of my neighbors.

A Few Days Away

I'm heading to my extended family's cottage on Pelee Island, the southernmost point in Canada, for a few days of rest and relaxation. Over the years, Pelee has been an incredible place of relaxation. This summer I've really been able to get my feet back under me after launching a new church and completing the doctorate program. I am enjoying learning about the rhythms of being a pastor in the city, and I know rest is a big part of maintaining myself. I'm sure people sometimes think I have an urban bias because I love the city so much, but I do also really enjoy getting out of the city sometimes to experience a break from everything. I love to enjoy nature as much as anybody else, and for me the only way to catch a brief break is to actually leave the city. Otherwise, people just stop by my house to hang out all of the time. I love that people feel comfortable doing that, but it does present a challenge when trying to clear my head from the intensity of urban ministry. So... it should be a great couple of days off!

A Busy Week... and a Week of Rest

Last week was a busy week.  Last Sunday night we hosted a small group from North Way at our little house in Homewood.  I facilitated the discussion time with 17 adults while everyone's kids played in our basement.  Last Monday I did a LAMP mentoring training for new mentors during the day, I had lunch in the afternoon with my three school-based mentees at the Faison Intermediate School, then 30+ kids from our neighborhood came over to our house for dinner and fun that night.  When the kids left the house, I broke up a dispute on the streets between two of the kids before making my way over to the Faison Primary School in Homewood for a LAMP cultural training.  On Tuesday I had a Bible study in the morning and a full day of meetings.  That night I helped my friends launch a new basketball program for kids in Homewood at the local YMCA.  Over 30 kids showed up for that, and I had a great time introducing my friends to the kids that I have spent the past five years building relationships with.  On Wednesday I had meetings all day once again, and another LAMP mentoring training at North Way Oakland that night.  On Thursday I took two of my mentees to work with me since they were off school that day.  They shadowed me the whole day (OK it wasn't all work... we played arena football in the Worship Cafe section of the church and we played basketball in the kids space).  The boys wore me out during the day, but I still managed to take my daughters on dates that night.  On Friday I worked on my dissertation all day and that night I attended the Family Guidance annual dinner fundraiser with one of my mentees who shared his story with a few hundred people at the Omni William Penn hotel downtown (my wife and my mentee's girlfriend also attended).  On Saturday, I facilitated two mentoring workshops at the OrphanCare Expo in Wexford.  By the time Saturday afternoon hit I was so tired!  Thankfully, Sunday was a great family day and I was able to invest in Julie and the girls.  I took Kyra and Sierra on dates, I studied a little last night, and then I watched the Steeler game with my dad.  Sunday was a great day!

Reflection is extremely important for transformational leaders.  As I reflect on last week, my first thought is that there is no way I can keep up that pace.  And I don't plan to.  I will burn out, and fast, if I have too many weeks like that.  I was not really able to have any time to take care of myself, or invest in my marriage, or get quality time with my daughters.  This past week was a week where I gave a lot away to others, but I did not do much to sustain myself.  I was able to deeply invest in six boys that I am mentoring, and I also relationally impacted probably 40 or 50 other kids in Homewood.  I helped to launch a new basketball program in Homewood.  Through mentoring trainings, seminars, and the fundraising dinner I was able to share about the powerful message of mentoring at-risk youth to hundreds of people in several different areas of Pittsburgh.  However, in times of tremendous outputs of energy on behalf of great causes, leaders must also rest and withdraw in order to connect with God and find joy and replenishment in the midst of helping others.  That's why I'm going to New York City this week.  I'm taking a rest from everything.  Many people like to find peace and quiet in wilderness when they get away, but I often like to go to other cities.  I love to explore cities, and I seem to be able to connect with God and find rest there.

I cannot focus on the grind of urban ministry all of the time.  Reaching tough kids in Homewood is difficult work.  Mobilizing Christians to become mentors is difficult work.  Quality time away from this work is important.  So what am I hoping for in my time away this week?  I think I'm looking for what Howard Thurman referred to as God's "penetrating beauty and meaning."  Thurman said, "There must be always remaining in every man's life some place for the singing of angels, some place for that which in itself is breathlessly beautiful and, by inherent prerogative, throws all the rest of life into a new and creative relatedness, something that gathers up in itself all the freshets of experience from drab and commonplace areas of living and glows in one bright white light of penetrating beauty and meaning - then passes.  The commonplace is shot through with new glory; old burdens become lighter; deep and ancient wounds lose much of their old, old hurting.  A crown is placed over our heads that for the rest of our lives we are trying to grow tall enough to wear.  Despite all the crassness of life, despite all the hardness of life, despite all the harsh discords of life, life is saved by the singing of angels." - Deep is the Hunger