I was sitting in my office today at 8:45 writing out a prayer, as I began to stare out the window. Lo and behold, I saw the Goodyear blimp flying around the church building. Then I noticed all the surface lots around the church starting to fill up. I was wondering, how in the world are we going to fit all of these people into our pews, and then I remembered–the Panthers were playing (if that is what you call the embarassment they coughed up today).

But this morning, I had my own gameday, as I was able to assist in worship at First Presbyterian for the first time. While I was extremely nervous all week because of timing the “live” tv component, once the service began I was able to fully worship today. As I sat in the highback chairs overlooking the congregation, I was grateful for God calling us to this community.

This past week has been a total affirmation of God’s call for our family here. Saturday was Lindsay and I’s 5 year reunion at Davidson. While speaking with the Alumni coordinator, she asked me what church I was serving. When I said First Presbyterian, her immediate response was, “Wow, how did you pull that?” Her words expressed the humble yet excited heart I have for serving this church.

As I have looked back over my “Sense of Call” statement that I wrote last November in preparation for the job search. It is eerie yet totally appropriate that every aspect of my sense of call has been fulfilled here. I am also able to look back over the annoying, disappointing and frustrating time I had last fall, since I did not pass my exegesis ordination exam. It was a truly humbling experiencing–since my only other stumble like that was the 47% and 49% I got in Intro to Psychology back at Davidson. But I can now see God’s agonizing timing throughout all of the ordeals we have faced over the past year, which have helped to prepare us for this new opportunity.

As I walked home from the church this afternoon, going against the flow of Panther fan traffic, I was celebrating my own gameday and began preparing for the next as I look forward to seeing where God will lead me and this congregation as we seek to serve him.