City Buzz

I needed to finish some sermon prep yesterday morning, so Lyndsey and I headed down to the Stumptown that resides in the lobby of the Ace Hotel on Stark and 10th. Amidst the sermon writing and the latte sipping I found myself swimming in the buzz of the city as it spilled off the sidewalks into the cozy (read: cramped) café.

I find myself oscillating between outright excitement and timid apprehension as I think about how to make a compelling case for the gospel to my fellow northwestern urbanites. Of course, on the heels of these thoughts comes the reminder that God's Spirit is the One doing the work, and often has been at work long before I ever show up. June is just around the corner, and I guess I hoped that I would be a slightly different person by now--a person more like Jesus. As I was finishing up my sermon for tomorrow I realized that I am much like the young lawyer who asked Jesus, "and who exactly is my neighbor?", I'm mostly just wanting to justify myself. Here's to letting Jesus remind me that I'm needy beyond reason and loved beyond belief.

Great [un]Expectations

Well, Lyndsey and I have been circling around a Portland-based ministry for a few years now. As usual, we were watching the clock as God came in, trying to be nice about how late He was. As usual, He gently turned the clock right-side up and showed us just how perfectly on time He always is.

We're going to be working with Intown Church where I'll be a pastoral intern for 18 months or so while I work on ordination. The hope/goal is that once ordained, we'll continue to work with Intown for a few years before being sent out to plant a church elsewhere in the city. We are THRILLED to be working with such an amazing group of people, and baffled at how much God does behind the scenes. My internship begins June 1, just a month after graduating from seminary (cough: perfect timing).

For the 18 month internship we'll be raising support to cover a portion of our ministry costs. If you would like to donate, you may do so securely online here, or you may mail funds to Intown Church PO Box 6505 Portland, OR 97228. An electronic version of our support letter can be viewed here.

We're hoping this blog will serve to keep all of our friends and supporters in the loop as we continue on in the amazing journey of urbangospellife.

-Steve