Being a pastor in the city and living in the city definitely make for an interesting life. Every day when I wake up, I never know what to expect. Relationships are important to me, so life is unpredictable because relationships are unpredictable. Also, the city is unpredictable. The injustices of this world are always right in front of me, and the joys of this world are always right in front of me. By choosing to live in the area where I work and lead, I enter fully into the pain of brokenness and the full enjoyment of experiencing the light of God overcoming darkness. Each new day in the city is thick with anticipation. It is not a comfortable calling, or a safe calling, or a "normal" lifestyle by any stretch of the imagination. But is a good calling, filled with the profound purpose of joining God's mission to go into hard places to reach the lost and redeem every part of the city.
This past week is a good example of life as a pastor in the city. My family served lunch to the staff at the local elementary school in order to kick off another year of school-based mentoring. We've had a whole bunch of neighborhood kids from Homewood in and out of our house. Some joined us for dinner. Some went to a local waterpark with us. Many kids stopped by to see us for an after school snack. We found out that one of the teenager's we've been working with for several years was arrested and placed in the juvenile detention center. Another teenager we know stopped by to visit us right after he was released from placement, and he accidentally fried my wife's macbook by spilling lemonade all over it. I spent most of yesterday with one of my mentees who was supposed to be in school, but instead the school district messed up his paperwork and they couldn't figure out which high school he was supposed to be attending. He is at risk to drop out of school now, so I'm advocating for him against the injustices of the educational system. A couple days ago I confronted a motorcycle rider who was causing problems in the parking lot next to our house. At 4am last night I confronted an Allied Waste truck driver who was illegally collecting trash in the middle of the night (I'm sure he was intimidated by me in my PJs with my bed head). This week I also went to several meetings involving the church, including a marketing meeting, a budget meeting, and performance appraisals. I preached a sermon. I rode go karts with a bunch of mentees. I played Nerf dart tag in the ministry center. I met with the church elders. I walked the streets of the inner city where I interacted with all kinds of different people. I prayed a lot. I helped a single mom with finding a car. I spent a lot of time with my wife and daughters. It was an intense week, but it was worth every second.
The kingdom of God is advancing in the East End of the city of Pittsburgh. The urban, cross-cultural church that God has called me to lead is growing. The LAMP mentoring program is going strong, and the lives of some of the most high risk youth in Homewood are being dramatically impacted and transformed. My family is enjoying being a part of an urban adventure where we join God's mission to transform the city. We build relationships. We love our neighbors. We fight against injustices. This is life in the inner city. Bring on another week!
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