In our reading today we are faced with a real challenge.

                John 13: 12-14   When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

Before you close this page… please know that I am not going to ask you to wash each other’s feet--even though this is a practice in complete surrender and humility. I know of some churches that still practice this, and it is a very moving and humbling practice, but not here for us today…not now anyway.

 What I want you to think about is why we do service for others.  What is our motivation? In our passage above, Jesus states that it was done unto them (by Jesus) so they should do the same to each other. Service is not something we do in order to receive something back; that’s not what this says.  Service is, however, something we do to demonstrate to others a better way.

 Here are some questions to ponder: 
 What would happen if we took on this attitude modeled for us by Jesus in this act of service?
 What would your family look like?
 How would people respond to us differently at work, at school, and even at church?
 Does service make a difference, or do we continue along in our own self-serving attitudes? 
This week I am are going to look at some of the issues that affect how we usually do things and examine these issues in light of what God's word says.
I encourage you to journey along with me, and together we can learn a better way the feet of the master.

Oh by the way ….see you at the foot washing next time.

 Pastor Rip

Click here to go to the Gospel reading for today.