Footwashing in a upside down kingdom

School assembly at St James's School today and in our cycle of readings we had come to the occasion, recounted in John 13, when Jesus washed the disciples feet, and the disciples were astonished that the master took the place of a servant.

We recalled the footwashing that we had at an end of term service in church looking at the events of Maundy Thursday.

It was the Junior Faith Group who had the idea for a re-enactment of the foot washing.

'Who should have their feet washed?' I asked them. 'The children' they replied.

'Who should do the footwashing?' I asked them. 'Mrs Willis' they said.

So that's how our headteacher came to wash the feet of the Junior Faith Committee in church in front of the whole school.

It was a reminder of the way - as one of the children at assembly today put it - Jesus flipped everything over - and turned things upside down.