Can you think of a clergy member who has made an impact in your faith journey and how you understand God’s word? We sure can! In honor of Clergy Appreciation Month, we wanted to highlight five devotions from our Light for the Way series by our own campus pastors and chaplains!
Clergy Appreciation Month has been celebrated around the U.S since the early 90s. In 1 Timothy 5:17 NIV, the Apostle Paul says, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor.” Though a month may not sound like “double honor,” it’s still a time we can be reminded of the amazing work that our leaders do. Have you thought of a specific clergy member yet? If so, take a minute to thank them for the way they utilize God’s gifts to lead your faith community!
Here are the Light for the Way devotions:
Prayer – the air we breathe
In this Light for the Way, Pastor Keith Lomen encourages the habit of giving all our anxieties to God. Additionally, he elaborates on what it means to breathe prayer and why this is a gift we should lean into as Christians.
Finding God in the darkness
Optage Hospice Chaplain Steve Richards touches on the aspect of meeting God in the midst of our own lives. He shares ways in which he had to meet God in the dark times of his own life. Ultimately, we can always find him if we look. Through him, we can also meet others in their difficult times.
Changing colors, steadfast hope
Avalon Square Campus Pastor Curtis Payton writes about the difficulty and beauty of one’s life when transitioning to the end of this life. As Christians, we can rest in the knowledge that we do not truly die but will be made new once we go to be with the Lord.
Focus upward
Campus Pastor Sherree Lane of The Farmstead points us to Psalm 149, and why we can have joy in the Lord! This is something we must cling to in the difficult times that we will inevitably encounter.
The bigger picture
In this Light for the Way devotion, Optage Hospice Chaplain Nick Matchefts talks about the biblical story of Joseph. In this story, we see the unique ways in which God used the most difficult circumstances for His greater good. Nick encourages us to lean into the truth of Romans 8:28: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
