On the first night of my current TUMI Capstone course, Foundations of Christian Leadership, we were talking about Jesus washing His disciples’ feet from John 13. As I told this story about Jesus representing God’s amazing love and modeling sacrificial servanthood, I was overwhelmed by what I saw looking back at me.
I saw one pastor who leads a large congregation almost entirely composed of homeless Wichitans, most of whom are addicts, and many of whom suffer with mental illness. He was sitting with a long-time colleague in ministry who had convinced him to take the class.
I also saw one pastor, recently ordained, and her husband, recently licensed, who have planted a church and are navigating incredibly difficult opposition in their community. They brought the youth ministers that they have been equipping as new leaders for their church.
Another pastor has planted a church in a town with a large correctional facility and is reaching the inmates both inside and as they are released. He brought a congregant who is hungry for education and training.
The pastor who hosted our class is a former alcoholic who reaches the addicted and broken in our city. He had five emerging leaders with him so that they could be equipped and empowered as he has been.
I looked at them and realized that the story of washing feet, the story of representing God’s love and modeling the servanthood of Christ, is unfolding before my eyes. I am overwhelmed by the privilege to serve these men and women of God, to be the one who gets to wash their feet.