John 13:12-14,16: When he ( Jesus) had washed their feet and he put on his outer
garment and resumed his place, he said to them, Do you understand what I have
done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right, for so I am. If I then,
your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s
feet. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master.
In New Testament times it was the job of the lowest servant to wash the feet of the guests
who entered his master’s home. Travelers and visitors would enter the home with dirty
dusty feet so as an act of hospitality they had their feet washed. Jesus assumed the role of
a servant by washing his disciples’ feet just prior to his being crucified.
Foot hygiene is a constant problem with the homeless, and they frequently suffer from
various foot health issues. Many have sores because of the unavailability of proper foot
hygiene.
God laid it on the heart of Dean, one of the men nearing completion of the ‘recovery
program’ at UGM, to demonstrate God’s love in a very tangible way, by offering to
wash the feet of the homeless. So it was at this Friday Night Outreach. He brought wash
basins, soap, towels, and put it into practice. As he washed the feet of the homeless he
offered a prayer on their behalf. As they left he gave them a pair of clean socks.
One man had a huge sore on his foot which was causing him great discomfort; treatment
was given to help soothe the pain. Others didn’t quite know how to respond, but all were
treated with love and dignity.
Once again I received a lesson in demonstrated love and humility. The question I
ask, “Am I willing to wash another’s feet?” and perhaps even a greater question, “Am I
willing to let someone else wash my feet?”
If you would like to join the group for a taste of Friday Night Outreach and see love in
action, you can call UGM to arrange for an appropriate evening.
Showing posts with label Friday Night Outreach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friday Night Outreach. Show all posts
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
A mosiac view of Christ!
It is Friday night on the streets of Spokane! The room fills with faces of over 100 men and women. Their faces are marked by addiction and hopelessness. It is easy to have this picture in one’s mind as one sees those who come to be fed, and to get a coat or a pair of socks, and yes, even a request for a roll of toilet paper. But if you look closer, if you really look, you begin to see a beautiful mosaic of the face of Christ made of precious stones. Yes, a picture made up of over 100 such stones, each etched with the face of a homeless person. The picture you begin to see is that of Christ sitting and overlooking the city of Spokane, saying, “For this reason I came to die.” If you look carefully, set aside your many prejudices, and look with a heart of compassion, your eyes begin to be opened to that beautiful mosaic.Those that come to serve each week have their own stories to tell as well, and form their own beautiful mosaic picture of Christ.
There is Dave who knows most of the people in line as just a short time ago he lived in their world. But today, after just 46 days of sobriety, he has come back to minister to the community he knows so well. He tells of being encouraged as he sees husbands and boyfriends that are sober tonight knowing that perhaps for this night, at least, their wife or girlfriends will not suffer from their hands of abuse. He offers a prayer of heartfelt thanksgiving for his life now being changed. There is James who comes not only with a heart for the homeless but also has a deep concern for a brother “in Christ” who has relapsed. He knows only too well his own continuing road to recovery and sobriety. There is Anna who comes regularly to serve. Her son lives at the mission and this is her way to give back. She shares her son’s struggles with a sense of real hope. In Proverbs it says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”. Too often I feel, we as so called mature Christians, look to our own economic and social status peers to provide this sharpening when in reality Christ can sometimes more readily use those thatwe call ‘weak’ in the faith to make us into a part of a beautiful mosaic picture of Him. Yes, we can begin to see a mosaic picture of Christ made of valuable stones even in those who come asking for such basics as a “roll of toilet paper”.
There is Dave who knows most of the people in line as just a short time ago he lived in their world. But today, after just 46 days of sobriety, he has come back to minister to the community he knows so well. He tells of being encouraged as he sees husbands and boyfriends that are sober tonight knowing that perhaps for this night, at least, their wife or girlfriends will not suffer from their hands of abuse. He offers a prayer of heartfelt thanksgiving for his life now being changed. There is James who comes not only with a heart for the homeless but also has a deep concern for a brother “in Christ” who has relapsed. He knows only too well his own continuing road to recovery and sobriety. There is Anna who comes regularly to serve. Her son lives at the mission and this is her way to give back. She shares her son’s struggles with a sense of real hope. In Proverbs it says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”. Too often I feel, we as so called mature Christians, look to our own economic and social status peers to provide this sharpening when in reality Christ can sometimes more readily use those thatwe call ‘weak’ in the faith to make us into a part of a beautiful mosaic picture of Him. Yes, we can begin to see a mosaic picture of Christ made of valuable stones even in those who come asking for such basics as a “roll of toilet paper”.
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