Every week, there is one hour when textbooks close, laptops rest and the cares of studying subside. I claim my favorite spot on the stuffed couch in my floor’s study room and relax with my friends as the fellow men of my dorm floor trickle in like a steady stream. It’s a time when the entire floor – sometimes with added visitors – unites for one purpose: floor devotions.
Floor devotions are a continuing tradition here at Evangel where each floor sets aside a time to meet and study the word of God. It’s not a flashy Chapel service with electric worship music and a special guest speaker; it’s an informal time spent in fellowship with the people you live with from day to day.
Devotions are organized and facilitated by the floor discipleship leader, who is a student selected to be the “go-to” of sorts for prayer and spiritual support. Devotion topics can take the form of Bible book studies, reading through works of Christian literature or intense discussions of thought-provoking theological topics. And while attendance is optional, being able to count three devotional sessions as one of your required Chapel attendances for the semester is a powerful incentive.
One semester, my floor decided to take a journey through the book The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. One of the guys owned a dramatized version on CD, so each week we listened to a select chapter and applied the relevant topics to our own lives. We had some insightful discussions on subjects like pride, prayer and friendship, and I have to admit that the voices on the CD were quite entertaining to listen to as well.
What I find most powerful about floor devotions is the feeling of unity that results when our floor gathers in a single room. The guys on my floor are the people I live with, eat with, laugh with and even fight with. But every Thursday night I am reminded that we are living for the same purpose: to follow God.
None of us are perfect, but by discussing God’s word and praying for one another, we have the opportunity to support each other and help each other grow.
In a world where it’s easy to get overwhelmed by academics or lost in the hype of a glamorous, superficial type of Christianity, I value the closed-in environment of my floor’s devotional time. The sense of community that it builds and the ability to be real with people you are close to are valuable things that I wouldn’t want to have to live without.
Make the most out of your floor devotions and interact with your floor-mates. Add to the conversation and grow with them.