Messy Ministry

mess·yˈmesē/ adjective

1. 1.untidy or dirty.
2. 2.(of a situation) confused and difficult to deal with.

A friend of mine from church and I are working on a study together. Having both felt overwhelmed by the demands of being a wife, motherhood, ministry and professional obligations, we are working our way through Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life. Just as the name implies, it is a fantastic guide as we attempt to find time to sit at the feet of Jesus while still successfully managing our personal and professional lives.

While stressing the importance of finding time to slow down and rest, the author does a masterful job of not neglecting our need to also have a heart for service. To further illustrate this point she draws our attention to John 13:1-17, wherein Jesus models servanthood in its purest form as he washed his disciples' feet and exhorts them to metaphorically do the same. The message is clear: we are to have a heart for service and to exhibit a servant attitude. Got it.

As I pondered this familiar command and thought about ways to serve my family and friends, I read this passage with fresh eyes and really considered the manner of service Jesus was modeling. Jesus issued the challenge to serve our fellow man by modeling service in the form of washing feet. Feet washing - not very appealing in today's culture but even less so 2000 years ago when the washing takes place.

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:2-5)

There are two critical points to remember when reading this passage:

1) We must bear in mind the conditions of the streets, the footwear of the disciples and the subsequent condition of their feet. To say their feet would have been gross is a massive understatement. Not only were the streets made of dirt, but sanitation and hygiene were not priority items. It is very likely the disciples would have walked streets not just covered in mud, but very likely human and animal waste as well. Their sandals, made of probably just a thin strip of leather and thin sole covering, would not have provided much if any, protection against the waste they had to walk through. In short, their feet were most likely coated in dirt and feces. Feet were considered so deplorable, a Jewish text says feet washing was something a Jewish slave would not be required to do.

2) It is also extremely important to realize that Jesus is going to wash the feet of one who is considering betraying him. Judas has not yet given in to the temptation, but the devil had already prompted him, or more literally, "put it into his heart." Jesus said that he only does what he sees the Father doing (5:19), and this foot-washing is not said to be an exception to that rule. John's introduction to the event ensures that we understand God's glory is revealed in Jesus in this sign. This is what God himself is like--he washes feet, even the feet of the one who will betray him.

Feet washing then, and now, on so many levels is, in a word, messy.

My cursory reading of this passage for purposes of our study leads me to the usual landing spot. That is, I knew I needed to look for new ways to serve my family and stay committed to my service at church and in my community. As I began to brainstorm ways to serve I came up with things like making my family a hot breakfast in the morning, take my girls out for coffee dates, treat my husband's female staff to lunch, and make Erik's favorite dessert. Don't get me wrong, these are all nice ideas and I'm sure the recipients of my acts of service would appreciate my efforts. But, I wondered, did these acts of service rise to the level of service modeled by Jesus; were they feet-washing-acts of service? If I'm honest, no. While thoughtful, my service ideas weren't exactly taxing or sacrificial. In essence, they were too safe, too clean. My acts of service did not even come close to the level of the messy ministry Jesus displayed as he washed the feet of his disciples in a mighty display of love and humility.

Messy ministry. Ministry that requires me to get my hands dirty, be uncomfortable physically and spiritually, do things I'd rather not do - things nobody wants to do. Messy ministry turns my stomach a little because it requires me to choose discomfort. I choose physical discomfort when I build houses in Mexico in the pouring rain or walk around a college campus in Arizona in the middle of the summer to make sure my girl feels confident on her first day of school. I choose emotional discomfort when I reach out to a family member and seek their forgiveness when every part of my being says they owe me an apology. I choose spiritual discomfort when I allow God access to the deepest, ugliest parts of my heart so that he can create in me a new heart, no matter how painful the repair. Ministry is amazing and partnering with God is an honor. Sometimes the things we are called to do are fun and exciting. But I can tell you, after many hospital visits and marriage counseling sessions, ministry at its most effective and necessary is often uncomfortable, unsettling and yes, sometimes, messy.

It's time I engage in messy ministry. It's time I chose to serve those around me by doing things I'd rather not do for in conditions I'd rather not serve in places I'd rather not go. Why? Because that manner of service describes exactly what Jesus did for me when he chose to leave the glory of Heaven for a cross in the greatest display of service and sacrifice in history. Surely, in response, I can wash some dirty feet, even if it's messy.