June 5, 2005 was a day when my life was forever changed. I sat on a small stool in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church Wichita Falls. A man in a flaxen robe knelt before me with a basin of water and washed my feet. This act of symbolic service was performed by the Bishop of the North Texas Conference who was preparing the ordinands that year to be ordained. With the same hands that washed my feet, the Bishop laid hands on my shoulders and proclaimed, "Take thou authority, preach the gospel in all places."
What happens when the power structure is turned on its head? When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, it was an act of service that none of them would forget. An act of service, an act of nurture and an act of disgust was met with humility and changed hearts. Jesus was performing as he would have his disciples perform: for the love of the whole person, head, heart, spirit ... and feet.
Consider how your life has been changed by acts of service. Was there a time in your life that you were humbled by service? Who represents servant leadership in your life? Pray this day for those who seek to serve, rather than to be served. Pray for your heart and head to be changed not by power but by an act of humility; you will be forever changed.
