The Blessing of Service

...strangely, we ourselves are being blessed. Individuals whose lives had been relatively comfortable, discover that by offering mercy and grace to someone who has lived on the edge of life, they themselves receive mercy and grace. Communities which had been caught up in minor internal squabbles, forget their differences in the face of a greater challenge. And denominations are together discovering a common mission in the service of Christ.   

from this account of how churches are involved in helping refugees in E and SE Europe. 

Is it Possible to Preach about Maundy Thursday?

The more I think about doing a sermon on Jesus washing the disciples feet, the more obvious it becomes that a simple sermon won't do to recreate the impact or the meaning of what Jesus did.

After all, if Jesus had merely spoken for 20 minutes about mutual service, it would have just got noted down alongside all the rest of his teaching. But the sheer discomfort of the disciples, the dramatic role reversal of master becoming servant, the sheer grace (though nobody has washed his feet, Jesus the divine Word is washing theirs), the best way to recreate all of that is to do it.

which applies to blogging about it too.