“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
John 13:14-15
Dear HBIC Family,
This week, I find myself reflecting on how service helps to define our faith. We love because God first loved us. We serve because Christ came to serve and not be served. We put our gifts to use for the betterment of others, because the Spirit has blessed us and called us to do so. There was a chorus I grew up singing in Sunday School and even at camps that went like this:
If you want to be great in God’s kingdom
Learn to be a servant of all
If you want to be great in God’s kingdom
Learn to be a servant of all
Learn to be a servant of all
Learn to be a servant of all
This chorus echoes the teaching of Jesus in the gospels when he reminds his disciples and us that greatness in God’s kingdom is defined by being a servant. In Matthew 23, he teaches this to remind the disciples that they must practice what they preach, be humble, and remember we are equal sisters and brothers in Christ, all while submitting to God. In Mark 9, he teaches this by reminding disciples of his impending death and that our work is to be last, not first, and to serve all. And in Luke 22, with the disciples disputing who among them will be the greatest, Jesus again reminds them to look to him and how he serves if they want to know what greatness is really like.
This week, we will be talking about our call to serve God by serving one another. September for us here at HBIC usually marks new starts for ministries and discipleship opportunities. Prayerfully, these are pathways to journeying together as we grow in our faith with God and in fellowship with one another. Our intent is that, with the Holy Spirit leading all of us, we are all learning how to shine our light brighter so our world can see and be drawn to our God who saves and grows them into who they were created to be.
To prepare for this week’s services, I would like to invite you to read and meditate on John 13:1-17. As you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions:
What does this passage say about God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)?
What does this passage teach about the heart of Jesus?
What are some of the ways that God has used others to serve you?
Where is one place God is calling you to serve now?
I must admit, I did not grow up with foot washing as a practice in my Church family and community. I always understood Jesus washing the disciples’ feet as merely symbolic for us today. Becoming Brethren in Christ has given me new eyes and understanding of this sacred practice. Here at HBIC, I have learned that foot washing humbles the individual while exalting the other. It takes away our desire to be relevant by asking us to make someone else more relevant. It takes away our desire to be significant by making someone else more significant. It strips away our desire to marvel in our own glory by asking us to glorify our brother or our sister.
Sisters and brothers, here at HBIC, we are blessed with so many people, places, and opportunities to serve. We must continue to serve because Jesus calls all of us to do so. The Spirit gifts all of us skills, abilities, experience, and a heart that enables us to connect and impact our world for the better through service. And our God, who is love, has called us to love others by placing them above ourselves by serving them. Come, let us continue to serve God while we love and serve one another”.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Hank