Practices of Disciples: Serve Creatively
Gettysburg Presbyterian Church
John 13: 1-20
April 10, 2011
This moment in John’s gospel is a game-changer for the disciples.
When Jesus gets up during this Last Supper meal with his disciples…his friends…his colleagues…the ones to whom he is about to entrust his ministry…when Jesus gets up from the table, wraps that towel around his waist and proceeds to wash the disciples’ feet Jesus creates a game-changing moment in their lives.
Now, what exactly does this mean?
What is a game-changing moment or a game-changer for that matter?
The online dictionary MacMillan defines something which is game-changing as,
“completely changing the way that something is done, thought about, or made.”
The Investopedia website defines a game-changer as,
“A person who is a visionary. [Someone who] has new and different ideas that stand out from the crowd. This person has an idea that completely changes the way a situation develops. Companies [which] employ this tactic create ideas or events that change the outcome of a plan.”
The Australian Internet marketer Sean Rasmussen wrote on his blog post entitled ‘Giving Back – The Game Changer’ (posted August 15, 2009) the following,
“A game changer defines or re-defines the sector where it competes.”
Georges Yared wrote in an online post at Blogging Stocks (posted October 5, 2007) that,
“A game changer is a company that has a newer, better mousetrap to entice its customers. … It's also a company that has the products to create a new market altogether.”
Think companies like – Apple, Hewlett-Packard, McDonalds –The iphone & ipad brought new life to Apple, Hewlett Packard changed the information technology (IT) world when it radically lowered the cost of servicing and implementing new programs to large organizations' server farms; McDonalds, has been offering healthier alternatives to the Big Mac (though nothing can compete with the two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese toasted onions on a sesame seed bun…). I’ll let that one sink in for a moment J.
Companies like these and others like them both big and small found ways to think outside the box and redefine themselves and the field in which they deliver their product.
Jesus provides the disciples with an action and words – or maybe better yet – Jesus provides the disciples with enacted words - words which move them to think outside the box.
In this simple act of washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus changes their outlook and their interaction with the world forever.
Jesus causes them to redefine their role and responsibility with the people around them.
Something the body of Christ – the church – has been living into ever since.
What is it about this interaction that changes their worldview?
What is it about their Master, their Teacher, their Friend, their Leader washing their feet that changes the field of play?
There are several things which impact the disciples in this moment:
The first is that in this event – this foot washing – Jesus changes the definition of servant and host for them. Foot washing was an act of hospitality offered to guests after a journey. Foot washing was normally performed by servants or the guests themselves. By washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus combines the role of servant and host. Jesus welcomes his disciples into his “home,” – his dwelling with the father – “…the Word became flesh & dwelt among us…” as John 1:14 puts it (also refer to John 1:1 & 14:2).
The second is found in Peter’s response to Jesus & Jesus’ reply to Peter – “You will never wash my feet.” Peter declares. To which, Jesus responds, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.”
To have a ‘share’ with Jesus is to have fellowship with him, to participate fully in his life.
It is symbolic of the end-time hospitality through which Jesus shares his home – that is, the Heavenly Father’s home (again refer to John 1:1 & 14:2).
To have Jesus wash one’s feet is to receive an act of hospitality that alters one’s relationship to Jesus and, through him, to God.
The foot washing welcomes the disciples into the circle of God and Jesus’ love.
Foot washing though is not about personal hygiene – it’s about relationship with Jesus. The cleansing comes not from the water – the cleansing comes from Jesus’ offer of relationship.
To be ‘unclean’ then is not to be physically grimy – to be ‘unclean’ is to reject the relationship Jesus offers.
Which brings us to the third and maybe most important impact of this event in the disciples lives – in order to experience this gift of hospitality – this gift of grace – this relationship offer – the disciples needed to accept the offer – they needed to receive it.
And that was difficult for them.
How much more difficult is it for we who live in a self-sustaining, self-supportive culture?
We don’t need any help…we can do it all by ourselves.
I learned a lesson in this on a mission trip to Maine.
I returned from the emergency room with a diagnosis of walking pneumonia. I did not want to put our contact for this mission trip out. This man and his wife offered me a bed in their home, unlimited chicken soup and a temporary mother-figure who would wake me at every appointed hour to take my Dr. prescribed medicine. I was leaning heavily toward declining this gracious offer when my pastor on the trip said to me, “They wouldn’t offer unless they meant it. These are good people. These are faithful people. They are fulfilling their Christ-given call to serve. To say ‘no’ then – in essence – is to deny something they believe Christ is calling them to offer. Think about it, Lou.”
In this church family, we have several ministries in place, which we believe are ways we too fulfill Christ’s call to serve – to offer hospitality – grace in times of need – places we follow Christ’s example to do for others but a small portion of that which Christ has done for us.
Two specific ministries within our GPC family are: our Deacons and Stephen Ministers.
In our particular GPC family our Deacon board is comprised of 12 committed men & women [you can see their pictures on the board in fellowship hall just above the worship DVDs]. These 12 have agreed to serve in the capacity of what our book of order states as the office of Deacon, “…set forth in Scripture [as] one of sympathy, witness, and service after the example of Jesus Christ. Persons of spiritual character, honest repute, of exemplary lives, brotherly and sisterly love, warm sympathies, and sound judgment should be chosen for this office (G-6.0401). It is a ministry of caring, a ministry of love, a ministry of compassion, and a ministry of prayer (G-6.0402).”
One such way our board of Deacons seeks follow Christ’s example to serve those around us is through the recently formed Deacon Ministry Teams. Many of you volunteered for a minimum one year commitment to be part of a team of people who under the leadership of one of our Deacons will serve when called upon by helping meet the needs of those care receivers who have been placed into the care of your team.
We can think of it in terms of a dinner plate. All of us already have so many items on our plate and then something unexpected comes along like say a medical diagnosis or the birth of a child or a temporary setback and suddenly our plate is overloaded.
So much so that it becomes unbalanced in the hand and it’s all we can do to keep the plate from falling out of our hand and spilling everything onto the floor.
The goal of these ministry teams is to take as much off your plate so that you can focus on the pertinent matter at hand.
It could be a meal delivered – or a ride – maybe it’s the offer of someone to sit with a loved one while you go out for a walk to renew your energies or to the store or to run a few errands – whatever the need is these teams exist – these teams serve – as a way to offer assistance.
For those not familiar with Stephen Ministry, it is an outreach ministry adopted by thousands of congregations.
Founded in 1975 by Dr. Kenneth C. Haugk, Stephen Ministry calls upon laypeople to help as Christian caregivers.
Its name derives from the man Stephen in Acts 6: 1-6, whom the Apostles asked to care for the needs of the early congregation.
Haugk developed the Stephen Series – a complete system of training and organizing laypersons. In this ministry, lay people serve Christ by making a two year commitment which begins by submitting to an intensive 50-hour training on topics ranging from:
After the initial 50 hours, these men and women are commissioned as Stephen Ministers and continue meeting twice a month. During one of these monthly meetings time is set aside for continuing education though at both meetings Stephen Ministers participate in small group peer group supervision – in order that the best and most distinctively Christian care will be offered to individual care receivers.
Stephen Ministry equips lay people to provide confidential, one-to-one Christian care to individuals in our congregation and community who are experiencing difficulties in their lives.
Stephen Ministers seek to bring Christ’s healing love to people suffering everything from illness and grief to family troubles to job loss.
A Stephen Ministers learn “[They] are the care-givers…God is the cure-giver.”
You can read more about Stephen Ministry on the pamphlet in the pew rack or throughout the church on information tables and literature racks.
To highlight a few thoughts from that pamphlet, a Stephen Minister is:
A child of God who walks beside a person who is hurting…
A caring Christian friend who listens, cares, prays, supports and encourages…
Someone who will “be there” for his or her care receiver, meeting faithfully for about an hour each week, for as long as there’s a need…
Currently, we have about 20 Commissioned Stephen Ministers who have followed Christ’s call to serve by investing their gifts and their lives in Stephen Ministry. (You will find our most recent class of Stephen Ministers on the bulletin board in fellowship hall located near our Missions Board.)
You may have read as well in this morning’s bulletin that we are praying right now for the individuals whom God might be calling into the next Stephen Ministry training class set to begin October of this year. If you are sensing God’s call to this ministry, then contact me to start the application process.
Our Deacons and our Stephen Ministers are two distinct ways within our GPC family of – to borrow a Stephen Ministry slogan – “Christ caring for people…through people.”
Here’s the catch – we can’t help unless we know of the need and we can only help when the offer is accepted…when the gift of hospitality is received.
So if you find yourself at a point in life right now, where one of these two ministries sounds like a gift you might consider giving to yourself, will you do me a favor – and call or email me and let’s start the conversation.
Clearly Deacons and Stephen Ministers are not the only Presbyterians or people for that matter through whom God provides ministries of sympathy and caring.
Deacons and Stephen Ministers simply provide an organized way of bringing Christ's love to the church and the community.
All Christians are charged – all Christians are called to love their neighbors and care for one another.
There is a great legend about Jesus which takes place shortly after his ascension into heaven.
Jesus is surrounded by the heavenly hosts and as He’s talking with the angels, one of them asks him how it went down there?
The question was pointed.
They wanted to know if we knew how much Jesus loved us and what Jesus did for us.
And Jesus responded that he had it covered.
He told his disciples.
In fact he showed his disciples.
He gave them an example to follow.
To which the questioner asked, “You mean that band of disciples? You left it with them?
Peter, the one who constantly puts his foot in his mouth…the one who said he’d never deny you and then wouldn’t have anything to do with you not once, not twice but three times in your most difficult hour. Isn’t it a strike out when you miss the ball three times?
James & John – the two who fought over who could sit next to you in the kingdom of Heaven…
Thomas – the one who couldn’t believe you did what you said you’d do until he saw you with his own two eyes…
And the rest of ‘em, where were they when you were nailed on that cross?
Really, Jesus?
You left it with the disciples?
Don’t you have a plan B?
“Nope. No plan B,” Jesus said, “I’m counting on ‘em.”
What about us?
What will we do?
As 21st century disciples what will we do to continue this legacy of service?
How will we continue something begun some 2,000 years ago…in an Upper Room…around a dinner table…by a Savior who came not to be served but to serve AND who calls us to no less a task…no less of a responsibility…
Someone’s counting on us to be a game-changer…How will we respond?
The answer just might make all the difference…in the world.
Amen.Return to the Sermons Menu