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.
Yeah, had you passed Exegesis, you’d probably be stuck in some po-dunk church in Louisiana or Washington or Minnesotta – or Ohio…>>You never would have realized your potential in ACC/SEC country!
Um, yeah…never spoke with them.>My list was Beaumont, Cordova, Albany, Tulsa, Tuscaloosa, Winston-Salem…>But I do hear about Mankato alot more in the news.
Who’s the girl in the picture, Wes? >>Your new position is making me jealous, and I LOVE being where I am. The only thing it lacks is your urban context. I’m so happy that such quality pastor made it into Charlotte. >>BTW, the only good thing about football down here is that I can see all the Big Ten games on DirecTV. The Georgia fandom is ridiculously unfounded. (Just don’t tell my church I wrote that.)>>Troy
Oh yeah, how far are you from Myers Park Pres? Our church goes up every summer for their CROSS program. Maybe I can convince them to let me jump on board next year.>>Troy
Yeah, who <>is<> that girl?
congrats wes! how was the reunion? I was sad to not be there…>>tim