How to Write a Devotion

Last Sunday was laity Sunday.  It is important for the church to recognize and celebrate the work of the laity - the people of the church.  My vision is to be a church that empowers the laity to be engaged in and even in leading ministries.  In the United Methodist membership vows, we all promised God and the church that we would support and enhance the ministries of the church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness.  

What is witness?  It is telling the stories of God and sharing the stories of the church with the world.  And it's not just in our membership vows.  It's in the Bible too.  Acts 22: 15 says "you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard".  Yes, we are called to tell everyone where we have seen and heard God at work in the world.  But how do we do that?

We tell those stories every chance we get; we tell good stories of a loving God at work in the world.  This is one place to do that.  Every Friday we highlight a lay person from the church in a devotion.  They have been emotional, wise, reflective and inspiring.  You can write a devotion for a Friday too, if you want to!  Just let me know and we will add you to the schedule.

I don't want you to be nervous about this.  It can be very simple.  We just want to hear your witness; your story.  How have you seen or felt God at work in your life?  The blessings here are two fold.  First, the spiritual discipline of intentionally finding God in your life is a great exercise.  Once we learn how to see God in our past, we can move towards finding God in our present.  And second, your witness may trigger the memory of someone who reads it.  Maybe God was at work in their life in a very similar way, but they didn't realize it until they read your devotion.  

This is one way, it's not the only way, but it is one way to fulfill the vow you made at your baptism and in your reception into membership to support the ministries of the church through your witness.  I can't wait to hear how God has been present in your life!

- Reverend Dave