Servant Leadership

John 13:3-5 paints us a beautiful picture of one of the most peculiar moments in the gospels. Jesus knew his death was coming and he was about to undergo immense suffering but instead of resting and relaxing, he makes a most peculiar and symbolic of gestures: he chooses to serve.

“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

Driven by his strong foundation (he knew where he came from) and his robust sense of purpose (and knew where he was going), only then did he get up from the table, wrap a towel around his waist, and began washing the feet of his friends.

Unfortunately, we may not see it in politics very much these days, but leadership through service is the model Jesus has given us and at LCA, we take the life and actions of Jesus seriously. Integrating this servant leadership model is one of the virtuous foundations that make up the fabric of our school. We purposefully structure lunch time so the whole school partakes together at the same time. It’s here the upper school students serve the younger students through setting up and tearing down the lunch tables, serving the hot lunch meals to the younger students, and lead the announcing and singing to students on their birthdays.

How does your school prioritize service? We are always looking for new service-oriented projects and ideas!

Artwork:
Christ Washing the Feet of His Disciples
Nicolas Bertin (French 1668-1736)