Jesus performed the act of a slave by washing his disciples' feet. It's an act of his unconditional love, his willingness to be intimate with us despite the dirty sins in our lives. And because of this, we are mandated to love others as Jesus has demonstrated for us.

Jesus willingly hands himself over to the worst of humanity in an act of grace. It costed him everything. What then does it cost us to follow Jesus in this way of the cross? We've no greater example than the woman who poured out her perfume at the feet of the Lord.

Are we spiritual tourists coming to Jesus to find something specific, or are we pilgrims eager to learn from the journey? When we follow Jesus whole heartedly, the journey changes us. This journey of following Jesus, this way of the cross, is really about preparing ourselves so that we can receive what God wants to give us.

How do we share the Good News of Jesus today? No matter what we may tell someone, people will see the truth of God's love through the way we live. Just as they did with Jesus' life. And people in our world today need to see more lives that have been transformed by the power of Jesus.

The way of the cross, following Jesus, may seem like foolishness to the world. But, Jesus is inviting us to join him on this journey. What is it that God is calling us to give up and turn over to Him, so that we can live into this way of love and say, "I'm in"?

Today, we live in a culture of fear. This fear can rob us of life's joy and blind us from what God wants for us. In our Scripture reading, Jesus shows us what to do with fear, so we do not allow it to dictate our behavior.

Our Lenten season reflects Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. We walk through this season the same way Jesus walked through the wilderness, with the knowledge that God says we are his beloved child. This belief can carry us not just through Lent, but through the rest of our lives.

Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. It's a time of self-reflection and fasting. We consider who Jesus is calling us to become. The realization of our sin, along with the understanding of God's abundant grace, leads us to heartfelt worship.

Jesus continually crossed social and religious boundaries to welcome everyone to his table. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is still at work in the church today challenging ideas and beliefs we've held, ideas that we've thought were already figured out, to mold us to become more loving and inclusive like Jesus.

Judgmental Christians are why so many people leave the church feeling drained. When the main focus of our faith is following the rules and making sure we don't make mistakes, we miss the point. Because God isn't simply interested in obedience, he's interested in a relationship with us. Like the Pharisees in Jesus' day, our churches don't need more judgment or more rules, we need more grace!