Spiritual Disciplines: Service

Good morning and welcome to another week of church here at the Bridge. I am so glad that we can be here together and to join together in worship. It has been an interesting journey through life. I have to say that I have been a blessed person. I have worked in several industries and because of this I have experienced the challenges of both the food industry and retail. Really I always find it funny but when you talk to anyone who has worked in these industries there is one thing that we can all agree on. We think that everyone should have to experience them. The reason for this is working in those industries most people gain a sense of humbleness and respect for those who are currently working in the field. We realize that most of the time the problems you may be experiencing with people at a restaurant or a store aren’t their fault. They didn’t make the policy. They don’t control the prices. That isn’t to say there aren’t people who give terrible customer service. However, the majority are just trying to do their best.

Now of course there are also those few people who have worked a week or two of retail or food industry who now have become subject matter experts and they know how it works. My favorite example of this was while working at Academy i was in charge of the infamous back room.

The Backroom

Did you know that the Backroom is this magical place that hols the mystery of housing every item that the store holds and we are secretly keeping it back there to hide it form you. You see one of the reasons this was particularly great at Academy is because our backroom storage was only for bulk items. It was were we kept treadmills, kayaks, gun safes, and other large items that we couldn’t put out. All of our normal shelf items were stored on the upper part of the fixture. We also strived to keep those empty and they often were. So when i customer asked if we had any in the back it was easy to look up see an empty shelf and say sorry we don’t. Now of course they would look at you and think you were being a smart alec. This would lead to an explanation that the shelves above stored any overstock. Most of the time that was enough. However, you always had that one person who wouldn’t believe you. They knew that you had to have it. They would say we just didn’t want to go get it from the backroom. Now of course there are times that there is some in the backroom. An example would be if we just recieved a truck but hadn’t gotten it out yet. The beauty though of technology is we had tools and equipment that would tell us that. I remember one time it was so bad i had to literally walk to the back room once stand there for two minutes. Walk back out and tell the customer sorry we don’t have it.

Now i know your asking what is the point of all this. The point is that these are the joys of service sometimes. Service is difficult. Service requires us to sometimes move beyond our own frustration and take care of the person in front of us. Yes, even when the person is infuriating. Yes, even when the person isn’t being as respectful as they could be.

Christian Service is different

The reality is that Christian service is something different than customer service in the world. See the joy of customer service int he world is that there are points that I don’t have to go to. There are limits to what i can and can’t do. Sorry the customer is not always right. As a Christian though i am called to humble myself. I am called to not live in a position of power but in a position of service. that is hard for many of us. Yet, there is a story that Christ shows us this better than any other.

John 13:1–17 NIV

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 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. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 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.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12 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. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Feet Washing

Now if you have known me for any amount of time you know that i don’t like feet. I don’t want to touch feet. I think feet are gross and just ugh don’t bother me with them. I struggle with this passage. I think though we need to be reminded of this passage and also the context of why it exists. In the time of Jesus they didn’t have cars and paved roads and they didn’t have fancy dress shoes or cool Nike or Under Armour shoes to wear to protect their feet. They often wore open toed sandals. You can imagine that going out for the day when you would come home your feet were pretty dirty. The feet needed to be washed. That isn’t hard for us to imagine. The part that we don’t all know about is that this act was viewed as so dirty and looked down upon that Jewish men didn’t even think their slaves should have to do it. No they delegated it to i am sorry to say this is how backward this is to the women and children. Puts it into perspective how important women were to Jesus in that many served along side them not beneath them. This was an act that Jesus set forth for his disciples that was profoundly humbling.

Jesus Humbled himself

Think about this for a moment Jesus knew what was about to happen. He was preparing for his coming death. He knows now more than ever the messages he delievers to the disciples are going to last because these were the final moments. Really think about that for a moment. These were moments that would not be forgotten by the disciples. They were some of the most profound teaching moments that would inform who they are and what they teach for the rest of the ministry. Jesus gets up and he begins to wash their feet. This is a man who has healed people. Who has taught thousands. Who has put the pharisees and other religious leaders into their place and shown a totally new way of viewing the relationship we share with God. In fact this is the same Jesus that they saw walk on water. Yet, here he is preparing to wash the feet of the disciples.

When i think about that i get why peter reacted the way that he did. Jesus shouldn’t be doing this. Jesus shouldn’t wsa my feet i should be washing his. Jesus though was quick to correct him and continue in what he was doing. He showed them the very way they were to act as teachers and as his disciples.

John 13:15–17 NIV

15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Service is hard

I won’t lie. This is a difficult spiritual discipline that requires years of work and practice to get right. Service is one that we recognize that we have to put aside what we want because we are not better or more important than anyone else we meet. This requires us to swallow our pride at times and put aside the petty things in our lives. Yet, this is what we are called to do. To care and love others in such a manner that we humble ourselves to do what was considered one of the dirty jobs of the time. We are called to humble ourselves to enter into the dirtiness and help those in the world.

Now this can come in many forms for some of us that means we go and help the poor and the down trodden. For some of us that means we help the poor in spirit the lost and the broken. The point is that there are a lot of peopel who need us to be ready to serve. The work is great and there are many in this world that need us to set the example as followers of Jesu to be more and to follow his lead.

As with all the the other disciplines there is so much more we can learn with this topic and we have barely scratched the surface but i want to read this again to help us gain a better understanding.

John 13:1–5 NIV

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 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.

John 13:12–17 NIV

12 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. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Think on his example and know that we will be blessed if we follow it.

Let us pray.