The Spirit of Our Servant Pastor
"Jesus came to Simon Peter, who said to him, 'Lord, are you going to wash my feet?'"
(John 13:6)
This is a beautiful metaphor for servant leadership. While it is not the only metaphor for leadership in scripture it is, for me, the most important metaphor for my pastoral leadership.
I am a fifth generation pastor. My great-great-grandfather preached his first sermon in 1865. I preached my first sermon in 2003. My 40 (or so) years of life have taught me to serve. Being a pastor is my third career of service. I spent 10 years as a pension administrator in the banking industry followed by 9 years as a stay-at-home father for my 3 daughters.
I believe that service to God’s creation is what the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ points human beings towards. To that end, you will often here me ask, "How can I be of service?"
While your gut reaction may be like that of Peter's to Jesus' invitation, "You will never wash my feet! I invite you to simply come, sit, and experience the love of Christ in this community.
Blessings & Grace!
Rev. Eric Brotheridge
