Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Church devotions: The Way - Acts 24:14a

Acts 24:14a     However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. 

It wasn’t called ‘Christianity’ in Paul’s time; faith in Christ was called “The Way.” Over the centuries, we have institutionalized and religion-ized something sacred that was meant to be the pathway to Heaven and the manner in which we live our lives on Earth. We’ve turned it into something legalistic and unloving, stratified and staid, instead of attractive, amiable, and amenable to everyone.

For most of my life, I’ve been a Presbyterian pastor and sometimes I wonder if I’ve truly followed the Way, or if I have been led astray by my own ambition, opinion, and understanding. In recent years, I’ve sought to walk a different path and steer a steadier course towards Jesus. It’s not been easy, because change has always been challenging to me. And sometimes, the closer I seem to get to Christ, the more I allow distractions to get in the way.

This morning I was writing this week’s Summer Sunday School lesson and Christ’s words about being totally committed to Him just stung me. Jesus expects His followers like me to be focused upon following Him; He leads the way to The Way – my work is to find His footsteps and pursue Him. The trouble I have with it is this: I like being distracted and so some days, I end up in a maze of my own making, instead of being on the pathway of the Path Maker.

            Today is another day on this journey from Earth to Heaven. Hopefully, we are all seeking The Way through His truth, to the glory of His Life.

Questions for personal reflection

Where am I today? On Christ’s path that leads to Life, or on some distracted dead end?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, show us the path that You would have us take today. Be the Way that we follow, as well as the Way that we live. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.


Today’s image is one of John’s Psalm drawings. It represents a verse in Psalm 37. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3357/3283895612_313bf65d2a_b.jpg


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