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. 

Prayer for Homewood

This morning I gathered to pray for the city of Pittsburgh, and for the Homewood neighborhood in particular, with a group of Christian leaders from many different parts of the city. The group included people who live in Homewood and are active at empowering residents at the grass roots level, and powerful leaders who are working at the systemic levels of economics, politics, and church denominations to steward their influence on behalf of vulnerable people in our city.

We gathered together to pray because we know that God is always on a mission to redeem every person and every place in our city, and he chooses to work through his church to accomplish his purposes. That is our calling as followers of Jesus Christ in this particular city at this particular time. We prayed for the common good of our city, for increasing levels of shalom, and for God to continue to move in mighty ways in our midst.

There is something empowering about prayer. No matter how much evil exists in this world, prayer reminds us that God's Kingdom is here now and that we can experience the love of God in profound ways. Prayer strengthens our faith which gives us hope in the midst of struggles. God is doing an amazing work in Homewood and in the city of Pittsburgh. Christians are leading the way in a process of transformation that is underway. It's an exciting movement to be a part of. 

Good News

Jesus is a really big deal. Jesus is amazing. Jesus is what it's all about. I shared that Good News with a lot of people over this past week. I shared that news because I have become reconciled with God through Jesus Christ, and I'm now passionate about seeing other people become reconciled with God through Jesus Christ.

I don't share the Good News in harsh ways, though. I do my best to share the Good News through authentic relationships with people that God brings across my path. And, God brings a lot of different people across my path. This week God has allowed me to have amazing conversations with a couple young men who are successful financial planners living in affluent urban neighborhoods, a pharmacist, a homeless man who is clearly currently off of his medications, a high school student at a local alternative school, a kid from our neighborhood, and many other different people.

I am thankful for each of the opportunities to point people toward Jesus. Sometimes I use words to do that, and sometimes I use actions. The point is to share about and demonstrate the love of Christ according the the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The process requires discernment, but pointing people to the profound love of Jesus Christ is one of my main purposes, not only as a pastor, but as a human being. The gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News. 

A Walk Through East Liberty

I recently hired a couple new staff members at North Way East End, and this week I had the chance to take a walk around the neighborhood of East Liberty with them. As we walked, we talked about the history of the neighborhood, the present realities, and the future vision for the area. We reflected on those things, and we also dreamed about how our church might participate in God's redemptive mission in our little part of the city.

As we walked, we passed many signs of need in our urban environment. However, we also noticed many signs of hope. We saw boarded up vacant buildings, and we saw buildings thriving with healthy businesses and residents. We crossed paths with some of my homeless friends that I've been able to build relationships with over the past few years, and we interacted with church members who work in powerful places in our part of the city. The city is filled with many different types of people and places, and it is our responsibility as followers of Jesus to discern where the Holy Spirit is at work and join that work.

God was at work in East Liberty long before North Way East End arrived on the scene, God is currently doing an amazing work in the neighborhood that we get to join, and God will be at work in East Liberty long after I've taken my last breath on this planet. If we have eyes for the signs of the Kingdom of Heaven, then we see the amazing things that God is up to. And, we discover the purposes that God has for us in this unique place at this particular time in human history. So, it wasn't just a neighborhood walk that we were up to yesterday. We were orienting ourselves in God's epic adventure. We were finding our place in God's Story. And there's quite a story going on in East Liberty right now.

Joining God's Mission

I went on a walk through Homewood last night, as I so often do with Julie on warm summer evenings. We walked right past a group of people who were unloading their belongings from a Uhaul truck into a brand new house. A pastor friend of ours, the same friend who built our home six years ago, was also the builder of the home that they were moving into. We stopped and talked to the new couple in our neighborhood. They're a young married couple who have an infant daughter, and they're really excited to be owning a home in Homewood. We talked briefly about the good things that are going on in our neighborhood. We all have a sense of anticipation and hope, despite the fact that there have been several homicides in our area over the past month. We are active participants in God's redemptive mission, and we will not choose to define our streets or the people in them by what's wrong. We're focusing on what's right with our neighborhood, and we're building on that. 

When you look for signs of hope in struggling urban neighborhoods, you begin to see the work of the Holy Spirit in remarkable places. Just this evening I passed a house where a daughter was sitting on his front porch with his daughter helping her with homework. Yes, there are absentee fathers in Homewood, but there are also many actively engaged fathers who do a good job with parenting. Some kids stopped by my house for an after school snack, and they're excited about what's going on at their school and in their community. Yes, there are kids who cause harm in my neighborhood, but most of the kids love their neighborhood and they contribute to the fabric of the community. Families are moving in. Residents who have been here for a long time are enjoying contributing to things getting turned around here, and they're welcoming new neighbors. We look out for one another. We're not forcing anyone out. We're working together as we participate in God's Story as it is manifested in our own streets and homes.

God was at work in my urban neighborhood long before I arrived here, and God will always be at work going forward. Transformation is a process that takes time, and it also requires presence and patience. Simple solutions and slick programs don't work in a neighborhood facing complex problems. Neighbors working together, building meaningful relationships, and rallying around our community are what's important. God is at work in all of those things. I am thankful to be a participant in God's grand narrative.