AJesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.
John 13:3-5, NRSV
On most Wednesdays, my daily devotional serves as a “call to prayer”… but today, on this Wednesday of Holy Week, I’m switching things up a bit. I’m offering a “call for socks.”
Why socks, you ask?
Tomorrow night — Maundy Thursday night — we’ll recall, among other things, the moment when Jesus knelt before his disciples and washed their feet. It was a powerful act, a humble act… and also a deeply practical one. Footwashing was a bit of basic hygiene, designed to deal with the inevitable results of dusty roads and sandaled feet. In washing their feet, Jesus taught his disciples a lesson about humility and love… and did so by meeting a real need, a basic need, a practical need.
Over the centuries, Christians have recalled that moment, re-enacted that moment, through footwashings; perhaps you’ve experienced one yourself. But for tomorrow night’s worship service, we’ll be seeking to re-enact the spirit of what Jesus offered to his disciples: offering a blessing by meeting a practical need (and one related to feet, no less!).
And we’ll do so through a vital ministry of our church: our annual backpack program. Each August, when we hand out backpacks and school supplies to the children of our community, we also hand out new packages of socks and underwear — which are every bit the “back to school” staples that pencils or crayons are. Whether you’re tuning in via livestream or attending worship by in-person RSVP, we’re encouraging you to offer a package of new socks to benefit our backpack ministry. (If you’re tuning in via livestream, you can drop off your packages of socks later in the week.) During the service, we’ll pray for God’s blessings over the socks themselves, the volunteers who will distribute them, and the children and families who will receive them. Most of all, we’ll pray for God to use the socks not only to meet a practical need… but also to convey God’s unfailing love.
So consider this a call for prayer, and call for socks! Join me in praying, church… and join me in offering some socks. In many ways, that’s prayer at its best.
Be people of prayerful blessing, friends… and remember:
Our God is bigger than coronavirus.
Our vision is bigger than coronavirus, too.
We are people blessing people.
We are Wesley Church.
Want to know more?
- Learn about our church and its ministries: https://wesleychurch.com/
- Make a gift to support our mission: https://wesleychurch.com/giving-2/
- View our recent messages: https://wesleychurch.com/sermon-message-on-video/
- View previous devotionals: https://wesleychurch.com/pastor-candys-devotionals-2/
