I have been certified to do many things in my life. I’ve been certified as a lifeguard, as a challenge course instructor, as a babysitter in high school, in wilderness first aid, on ropes courses and climbing walls. Yesterday, I got a new certification: certified ready to receive a call.

For those of you not in the PCUSA, I can basically go get a job now as an ordained person if someone will have me.

It feels strange to be in this new place because for so long I was waiting to get to this place. Not by anyone else’s doing but my own. Sitting beside me as I conversed about my exegesis work, my sermon, and my most personal work: my statement of faith, was Shawna. On the other side were Paige and Jan. Around the table were faces that I knew and many that I did not. And there was also a baby.*

*Side note: If you are so lucky as to have a baby sit in on your CPM meetings, enjoy it. Having a baby around makes the world a better place. 

What I realized is that there was a huge cloud of witnesses around me as I moved into new territory. The writer of Hebrews wasn’t playing around: So then let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. (Heb. 12:1-2 CEB)

It took some peer pressure, but my mother always told me that peer pressure was good for you sometimes. This time my mother was right. I have to Abraham Lincoln that situation (I’ll explain some other time). Sometimes you have to give in to Ashley-Anne and Shawna when they tell you that you can do something. Then, you listen when Paige and Jan tell you to keep going. And you accept the help from Alex as you attempt to edit a not-so-great sermon.

These people and countless others are helping me run the race. I hope that I am helping others do the same.