{"id":39601,"date":"2024-07-23T11:25:05","date_gmt":"2024-07-23T10:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifesworld.org\/?post_type=prayerline&#038;p=39601"},"modified":"2025-01-15T12:00:39","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T12:00:39","slug":"washing-the-universitys-feet","status":"publish","type":"prayerline","link":"https:\/\/ifesworld.org\/en\/prayerline\/washing-the-universitys-feet\/","title":{"rendered":"Washing the University\u2019s Feet"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block block-core-html\">\n<iframe title=\"Washing the University\u2019s Feet\" allowtransparency=\"true\" height=\"150\" width=\"100%\" style=\"border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;\" scrolling=\"no\" data-name=\"pb-iframe-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podbean.com\/player-v2\/?from=embed&#038;i=gijdv-16783a3-pb&#038;share=1&#038;download=1&#038;fonts=Arial&#038;skin=ff6d00&#038;font-color=auto&#038;rtl=0&#038;logo_link=episode_page&#038;btn-skin=60a0c8&#038;size=150\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cYou can\u2019t believe how nervous I was! Pacing up and down the room, I was thinking, \u2018Oh wow! Oh no, oh no!\u2019 But I was also in prayer. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, I was able to calmly speak.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-heading wp-elements-25e4f9ae758e599842e0ccfc2aa5813f\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-europe-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-25e4f9ae758e599842e0ccfc2aa5813f\"><strong>Called to Account<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wirlley, a student at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.utad.pt\/\">University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD)<\/a>, Portugal, recalls his racing heart. He\u2019d been summoned before high-ranking officials at his university, including the Rector (equivalent to Vice-chancellor or President in other countries).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He\u2019d done nothing wrong. In fact, quite the opposite: with his local <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gbuvilareal22\/\">GBU group in Vila Real<\/a> (the <a href=\"https:\/\/gbu.pt\/\">IFES national movement in Portugal<\/a>), he\u2019d gathered hundreds of signatures for a petition. They were calling for a defunct campus bus stop to be reactivated \u2013 and they succeeded.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, the administration wanted to find out more about GBU.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-heading wp-elements-4af1c5647dfe5060974d051f060089e9\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-europe-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4af1c5647dfe5060974d051f060089e9\"><strong>Seeking to Serve<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wirlley was a regular at his GBU group, joining them for weekly Bible studies, creative evangelism on campus, and regular group lunches in the canteen. When he became group leader in his final year, he had a heart to serve:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cI\u2019d been praying since the academic year began (mid-September) for an opportunity to serve the university and help make GBU known.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About a month later, the GBU group was discussing \u201cthe bus stop\u201d. They noted how the decision taken several years ago to cut it from the bus route was still widely lamented, even by lecturers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As they talked, it became clear how serious the issue was, especially on dark, wet days. Unable to use this covered bus stop, students had to climb a poorly lit hill, pass through a parking area, and walk on to the nearest (uncovered) bus stop.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-heading wp-elements-a923fb670628c50dbaaa0adcf749dc6a\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-europe-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a923fb670628c50dbaaa0adcf749dc6a\"><strong>Called to Wash Feet<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-columns\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cWe realized that reactivating the bus stop would practically serve students \u2013 or, as I like to say, \u2018to wash the feet of the university\u2019\u201d<\/em>  Wirlley explains.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With help from Wirlley\u2019s course director, GBU Vila Real organised a petition for their peers to sign. They built broad support by talking with representatives in other university sectors and the Academic Association. By the end of November, after just one month, they\u2019d collected close to 1,700 signatures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the beginning of April, it finally happened: the bus stop was reinstated.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><div class=\"wp-block block-core-quote\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>We realized that reactivating the bus stop would practically serve students \u2013 or, as I like to say, \u2018to wash the feet of the university\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, \u201cwashing feet\u201d had been \u201cmaking waves\u201d. A few weeks later, Wirlley was asked to explain the initiative to those senior university officials, the group responsible for maintaining a \u201csecular\u201d campus. Although the rectorate clarified that GBU would not receive any special treatment, Wirlley was told that GBU would be very welcome to use campus spaces for events of general student interest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wirlley&#8217;s start-of-year prayer was answered beyond his expectations. He concludes, <em>\u201cWe just need to be there \u2013 in the university context \u2013 with a heart that\u2019s open to what Christ wants to do in us and through us!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-heading wp-elements-6e659b5ac85c45e47cffde12388853fe\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-europe-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6e659b5ac85c45e47cffde12388853fe\"><strong>Pray<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s pray for GBU Vila Real and students in Portugal:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-list\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><div class=\"wp-block block-core-list-item\">\n<li>Give thanks for the way this simple act of service connected with students, staff, and administration at UTAD and brought blessing to the whole campus. Pray that these good relations will deepen.<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-list-item\">\n<li>Pray for all GBU groups in Portugal that are seeking to \u201cwash feet\u201d as an integral part of their witness \u2013 that they will discern Christ\u2019s leading, find courage to follow, and positively impact the \u201csecular\u201d ethos on campus.<\/li>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-list-item\">\n<li>Pray for GBU groups emerging for the first time on smaller campuses \u2013 for heartening fellowship and bold witness.<\/li>\n<\/div><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-core-paragraph\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Find out more about Wirlley and his story by reading <a href=\"https:\/\/gbu.pt\/2024\/05\/estudantes-envolvidos-com-a-universidade-o-curioso-caso-do-gbu-vila-real\/\">this interview<\/a> by GBU Portugal.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block block-acf-spacer\">\n<div id=\"spacer-block_8a267c57a9767656440e0f73cb246896\" class=\"\">\n    <div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer spacer--md\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"featured_media":39602,"template":"","area":[458,585],"theme":[9],"class_list":["post-39601","prayerline","type-prayerline","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","area-europe","area-portugal","theme-engaging-the-university"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Washing the University\u2019s Feet &#183; IFES Prayerline<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cYou can\u2019t believe how nervous I was! 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