When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his
place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me
‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and
Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you
an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is
greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now
that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:12-17)
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
As I think ahead through this coming month of November, one of the things that we have to
look forward to is Thanksgiving. Of the many things that I will be giving thanks for this year (as I
have in many previous years) is the willingness of congregants to step up and serve their church
family in one of the many offices of church leadership. While your Nominating Committee still has
a few i’s to dot and t’s to cross before they can say that their work is done, many of your have
already agreed to dedicate a portion of your valuable time and energy in servant-leadership for the
coming year.
At a time when our membership roster is thin, it is an especially valuable gift that you are
giving your church when you say, “yes” to the invitation to serve. Many of you have agreed to fill
multiple positions simultaneously. While it will always be our goal to grow the church in such
a way as to spread the workload more broadly, and to allow more of you the opportunity for a
Sabbath rest from serving, most of you know all too well that the work of the church doesn’t
necessarily become less just because there are fewer bodies that comprise the body.
On behalf of your church family, the rest of the staff and myself, and indeed on behalf of
Christ himself, I say to each of you willing servants, “Thank you.” 2022 may be a busy year for our
church leaders, but anyone who has been “behind the curtain” of servant-leadership knows that that
can be said of every year. There will always be deliberations regarding good stewardship, counsel
to be kept regarding spiritual health, guidance to be given regarding energies spent, and of course
many feet to wash. Once you have stepped up and out of the pew and into the role of servant-leader,
you truly do receive that added blessing that Jesus promises his followers in verse 17 above: “Now
that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
May we all, not just on Thanksgiving Day, express our gratitude to God for those who will
serve, and to our servant-leaders themselves for their willingness to do for us in the coming year as
Christ set an example and did for all people in all time. They have stooped to serve at cost to
themselves, and are to be gratefully commended.
Peace,
Pastor Layne