Service Leadership
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 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. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” – John 13:3-17
Well, it is that time of the year again. Everything is a little bit darker; everything is a little bit colder; everything can feel a little bit tougher. This week our car’s window was frosted and while my wife was getting ready to leave for work, I took the dog out for a walk. My wife was sitting in her car waiting for the window to defrost. After Lumi (our dog) and I finished our walk, I grabbed my keys from inside and went back outside and grabbed the ice scraper from my car and started to scrape all the frost off her car. I do not share this for people to think that I am good husband or puppy father. I share this to give context.
When I was in college around this time of the year you could see the long line of all the cars that were frosted and had so much snow on all of them. It was the last day of classes before a break. A lot of people are going to be going home when all their classes are done. Everyone was excited to go home and see all their family for the holidays. However, everyone was dreading standing out in the cold and scraping all the snow and the ice off their car.
I went to all my classes and had my meals and when I finished with all of that, I was prepping myself up to do the miserable and stand out in the icy cold wind and in the slush and scrape everything off the car. But as I walked and saw the long line of cars, I saw SEVERAL cars that were completely cleared. I looked down the line and saw that mine was just getting finished up. I walk over and I see a seminary/graduate professor clearing everything off for all the undergraduate students. Not many undergraduate students knew who this professor was, but this professor embodied everything that the school wanted the students to leave with. If you left or graduated from that school and did not remember anything from a book, they wanted you to remember how important it was to be a servant and to be a servant leader.
As I was wiping off the ice from my wife’s car, I remembered this moment from college. That little act of service left a bigger mark on me than I had realized. I have only been here a short time, but I can tell, and I have seen that everyone in this church steps up and serves when called upon. And if you want to leave a mark like that graduate professor left on me, I encourage you to volunteer in our student ministry. We have space in every dimension of student ministry. If you want to be behind the scenes, if you want to interact with people and with students, there is space for you. Students are very impressionable. I am an example of that. You can be the impression for our students just as Jesus was the impression for the disciples.
- Wyatt Lenhart, Student and Family Minister
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 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. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” – John 13:3-17
Well, it is that time of the year again. Everything is a little bit darker; everything is a little bit colder; everything can feel a little bit tougher. This week our car’s window was frosted and while my wife was getting ready to leave for work, I took the dog out for a walk. My wife was sitting in her car waiting for the window to defrost. After Lumi (our dog) and I finished our walk, I grabbed my keys from inside and went back outside and grabbed the ice scraper from my car and started to scrape all the frost off her car. I do not share this for people to think that I am good husband or puppy father. I share this to give context.
When I was in college around this time of the year you could see the long line of all the cars that were frosted and had so much snow on all of them. It was the last day of classes before a break. A lot of people are going to be going home when all their classes are done. Everyone was excited to go home and see all their family for the holidays. However, everyone was dreading standing out in the cold and scraping all the snow and the ice off their car.
I went to all my classes and had my meals and when I finished with all of that, I was prepping myself up to do the miserable and stand out in the icy cold wind and in the slush and scrape everything off the car. But as I walked and saw the long line of cars, I saw SEVERAL cars that were completely cleared. I looked down the line and saw that mine was just getting finished up. I walk over and I see a seminary/graduate professor clearing everything off for all the undergraduate students. Not many undergraduate students knew who this professor was, but this professor embodied everything that the school wanted the students to leave with. If you left or graduated from that school and did not remember anything from a book, they wanted you to remember how important it was to be a servant and to be a servant leader.
As I was wiping off the ice from my wife’s car, I remembered this moment from college. That little act of service left a bigger mark on me than I had realized. I have only been here a short time, but I can tell, and I have seen that everyone in this church steps up and serves when called upon. And if you want to leave a mark like that graduate professor left on me, I encourage you to volunteer in our student ministry. We have space in every dimension of student ministry. If you want to be behind the scenes, if you want to interact with people and with students, there is space for you. Students are very impressionable. I am an example of that. You can be the impression for our students just as Jesus was the impression for the disciples.
- Wyatt Lenhart, Student and Family Minister
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