Servant Jesus,

    what love you showed to your disciples

        and what humility in your service.

    You are the Life of life, Son of God,

        yet you stooped down

        to take off the grimy sandals

        and to wash their dusty feet.

    With loving care you dried them with the towel

        make them fresh and cool.

    Since you, our Lord and Savior,

        did such lowly service for us,

        ought we not humbly to serve others also?

Lord God,

    it is not easy to walk in your way

        when we seek peace among the nations.

    We find there are many who hate peace

        and prefer to seek the victory in war.

    Even amongst our neighbors and friends

        are those who want to prepare for war.

    I am for peace;

        but when I speak, they are for war.

    In my distress I call to you, O Lord;

    give me the courage and the faith

        to speak for peace.

Spirit of God,

    you call your people to patient endurance

        that we might not fail in time of testing,

        that we might not grow weary in well-doing.

        that we should not abandon our first love.

    Help us to find our constant inspiration in you

        that the lamp may be kept burning

            as we witness by your grace.

 

John Johansen-Berg, 1935- , English Minister

 

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When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments 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. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.  Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.