Before bread and wine, there is water

“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 13:14-17 (NIV)

On the night of the first communion, in an upstairs room in Jerusalem, Jesus knelt. He washed feet. He took the lowest place, then invited his friends to the table. We call this the Service of Humility.

Today, the Service of Humility happens far from that room. Not in Jerusalem, but here in my home town of Bradford. Different walls, different century, the same lesson. Serving is not an optional extra in our faith. It is at the centre. Service to God in worship, service to each other with care, and service that carries beyond the church into the wider community.

The water also prepares us. Communion is a time of remembrance. We break bread and drink wine to remember Jesus, and we do not come lightly. We come ready to be honest with God, and to put things right where we can. That means forgiving others, and saying sorry when we need to, so we can come to the table with a clear heart.

These photographs hold small moments: hands, towels, bowed heads, the dignity of care. The Service of Humility, shared once every twelve weeks, is practice for the months ahead. Practice in letting go, in making peace, and in becoming people whose faith is felt through steady service.

If this feels unfamiliar, that is alright. At its heart, it is a practice that says: none of us are above anyone else. We all need forgiveness, and we all need another chance. We can all choose to serve, and to make peace where it is needed.