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Over the years, I have taken part in a few foot-washing ceremonies – both as the washer and the one being washed.  Without doubt, they are some of the most powerful and moving spiritual experiences I’ve had.  I still remember my first such experience, many years ago.  The pastors at our church were offering it … Read more

Many religions have washing rituals.  We need water to make us physically clean – but water has often come to symbolise something deeper.  Think of the millions who gather by the shore of the River Ganges each year for the famous Kumbh Mela ritual.  Or the Mikveh bathing rituals which are an important part of … Read more

If you’ve ever worked in the corporate world or in business, you’ll hear about succession planning: the way that leaders prepare to hand over power and responsibility after they’ve left, in particular by nurturing leaders to succeed them.  It’s not a new idea – apparently Genghis Khan did something similar 800 years ago, involving his … Read more

The Trinity is an eternal mystery – God who is three-in-one and one-in-three, perfect unity and also perfect community: Father, Son and Spirit.  They are all equally God, but they also have different roles or functions as part of the Godhead.  Today’s passage is a case in point.  Jesus is the complete and representation of … Read more

If you want to know exactly what God is like, look at Jesus.  Such has been the conclusion of church leaders and scholars down the centuries.  For example, Archbishop Michael Ramsey famously declared: ‘God is Christlike, and in him is no un-Christlikeness at all.’  But this is not one of those statements that has been fathomed out … Read more

‘In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.’  So begins the sixth chapter of the great prophet Isaiah, someone who was privileged to witness what few people ever get the chance to see in this life: … Read more

At this time of year, we are familiar with the idea of light not lasting very long!  In fact, as I write this reflection mid-afternoon, Jesus’ words ‘you are going to have the light just a little while longer’ rings true in a very literal sense.  At this time of year, any tasks which require … Read more

Human beings have long associated glory with elevation.  The winner of a gold medal stands on the top step, higher than those who come second or third (or lower).  A monarch usually sits on a seat which is raised off the ground.  Even in old churches, it is traditional to have at least one step … Read more

If you watch a programme nowadays you may hear this message before it begins, or written near the top of the opening scene: ‘Warning: may contain content unsuitable for some viewers.’ A similar ‘warning’ could well be applied to our passage for today.  It begins with some unexpected visitors – and here we can see … Read more