Spiritual Director · November 10, 2014

Getting Certified

I have been hard at work for weeks, on and off, on my certification materials to become a Board Certified Chaplain.  Writing 4 essays on 27 aspects of my  ministry, a replay and evaluation of two different patient encounters, rounding up letters of recommendation, and a 4 page autobiography has taken a lot of my time! In addition, I have to provide copies of my credentials, transcripts from college and Seminary, evaluations from 4 units of CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) from both myself and my supervisors, and an application and pay a fee! I’m not complaining, mind you, I’m just giving you a flavor for what all I’ve been working on and attempting to complete.  The goal is to wrap it up and mail this week!

I’ll be interviewed by a committee sometime in March of next year and then (prayerfully, hopefully) approved for certification. It’s an exciting time for me and I invite your prayers for this process. Many professions have their own unique certification process. And often there is some kind of continuing education that is expected as well. A lot of work is required to keep up our skills and certifications. It’s part of who we are and what we do.

I wonder what kind of “certification” process we might have for our Secretariats if such a thing took place? What would it look like for us to “certify” ourselves as Secretariats? Is it regular communication out to the membership or meetings held quarterly? Is it the number of candidates/pilgrims, team and pastors to attend or serve a weekend? Or that weekends are regularly held? We don’t have to do that, obviously, because our VDC is alive and well, thank you, nationally and even internationally. All because we all love the Lord and want to spread the message of Grace, Hope, and Love!
Thank God there isn’t anything we have to do to be “certified” by God! Our God is so in love with us and there isn’t anything we can do to cause God to love us any less, or any more. I once read a quip somewhere that if you or I were the only one on earth, God still would have sent Jesus to die for our sins.  If God had a refrigerator your picture would be on it!! If God had a wallet your picture would be in it!

You are OK, you are forgiven, you are blessed and God has called you for such a time as this. Check your heart and your passion because that is God’s call on your life! I hope and pray you are doing that now because life is to short not to be doing work that you love.

You have proven yourself worthy simply because you are! Be yourself and enjoy this day,

GLYASDI,

Pr. Doug

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Eric is our current Webmaster and works on the NLS Communications Team. Raised in Judaism, he found Christ and the New Testament at age 16 in a Southern Baptist Church. He searched many denominations for the real church, only to find the Holy Spirit is present in all of them. He's worked for One for Israel, a group of native Israeli believers who are sharing the gospel in the holy land in Hebrew and is part of the only Hebrew speaking seminary in Israel.