Back to School 
Pause
Parties are sometimes the result of long and detailed planning. They involve decorations, music, food, and formal invitations.
Sometimes, though, parties break out in an all-of-a-sudden kind of way when somebody notices that there is reason to celebrate—right now!
You might think of the Scriptures as one huge invitation to God’s party. See if you can’t find a good reason—right now—to join the celebration.
Listen
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.
John 13:3–5
Think
Summertime . . . take off my shoes. Feel the grass tickle my soles. Jump into a puddle. Squish! Mud oozing between my toes. Back to school and I have to put my shoes back on. Wear them all day. I don’t know about you, but my feet can get pretty dirty and smelly.
So, imagine. You’re at a party. Jesus comes up to you and says, “Let me wash your feet.” Yikes! When did I last change socks? My feet tickle. How am I going to keep from giggling? The idea of letting someone else wash my feet is, well, not on my top ten list. But I look at Jesus and remember, “Jesus knows all of this. He’s asking if I will be vulnerable. Let him serve. I bare my feet, keep nothing hidden, and say, ‘Yes.’ He takes my feet in his hands. And washes them.”
Jenifer Gamber
Pray
God whose hands I trust and love and know, give me the wisdom to know when, even during a busy day, someone might need a sign of your love. Give me courage to give that sign. Amen.
Go
It takes at least two to celebrate;
But, you know, the more the merrier!
God has made all the preparations
And now awaits your response.
Why not join all the many others
Who have also joined the party?
It’s the best celebration ever!
