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Over the last few months, as Pastor Law, Pastor Chesna, staff and lay leaders looked ahead at 2026, at our commemoration and upcoming celebration of 120 years of Christian ministry and mission, several themes kept echoing in conversations, resurfacing as we talked about the varied textures of Northway’s witness over the decades.
Pastor Law would say things like: in 2026, in these uncertain times, we have to be more devoted to prayer. When we would imagine a new fellowship or mission event or worship series or new uses for the buildings, Pastor Chesna would help us reframe those objectives in terms of “discipleship” and how we devote ourselves to testifying to both what God has done in our lives and what that providence requires of us in return.
I watched (and sometimes joined in) as countless Northway faithful devoted their time, energy, and spirit to food and diaper distributions, to committee meetings, and to shouldering together each other’s burdens.
As I tried to boil it all down to a common thread, Pastor Law’s word “devotion” wouldn’t be unheard. So, where do I go to hear from an authority? The dictionary! Merriam Webster defines devotion like so:
: religious fervor : PIETY
: an act of prayer or private worship—usually used in plural
—during his morning devotions
: a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate worship of a congregation
: the act of dedicating something to a cause, enterprise, or activity:
the act of devoting—the devotion of a great deal of time and energy
: the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal—
her devotion to the cause
As we inch closer to Lent, as we dig deeper into 2026, I hope that this language of devotion will invite us into deeper awareness, deeper investigation, deeper appreciation of lives transformed for and by our devotion to the Gospel, to this mission field, and to one another. I hope we will all share more of what we are discovering about what it means to live lives of devotion, to share the questions that are bubbling up, to share the hopes and fears and imaginings that are the work of the Spirit and will light our path as we move forward.
Neil Moseley
Director of Community Engagement
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