At the Last Supper, Christ washed the feet of his disciples. Some churches engage in this rite as a spiritual discipline of humility and service. The United Methodist Church symbolizes the Order of Deacons with the icon of a basin and pitcher for footwashing. Some denominations, such as the Church of God (Anderson) have even elevated footwashing to be a sacrament.Have you ever engaged in the spiritual discipline of footwashing? What did you experience?
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Back in the early 90's, when I was a student at Asbury, I went to a rural Methodist church on Maundy Thursday. They had footwashing but I had never taken part in it so I felt uncomfortable and did not go forward.
Later, in my first appointment, I was working a Kairos in a prison, and as part of the team preparation, we had a footwashing. It was very moving.
In my second appointment, I had a prayer vigil after the Maundy Thursday service. I had set up an area with candles, devotional guides, and a basin with water and towel. A couple of hours after the service ended, I went up to the church just to check on things. A small group was there singing and praying. They had just washed each other's feet and they wanted to wash mine. Again, I was uncomfortable, but it was a beautiful moment.
We We had a footwashing in the dorm at Asbury one year with a group I was a part of it. The group had split into factions. One group refused to take part in the footwashing. They said Jesus didn't mean we are to literally do it as a religious ritual.
On a couple of occassions, I have been asked to lead a "hand washing" ceremony, for groups where the idea of footwashing was just too gross.
Several years ago while teaching a high school sunday school class this came up as part of the curriculum. It was an awesome experience being the washer, after the kids decided I wasn't kidding.Really bringing home for the class Jesus role of servant master and our call to serve one another
I blogged about this about a year and a half ago. Here's the link: http://rev-ed.blogspot.com/2005/03/i-love-holy-week.html
Footwashing is a very humbling experience, even without the extra baggage culture laid on it in Jesus' day. I know that some (like my wife) have serious reservations about people's feet, but I find it a wonderful experience.
I tried to do a Maundy Thursday service in a similar fashion one year at my current church. Nobody understood and only one couple came.
When I worked on an Emmaus team, our spiritual director and lay director at the end of the team training did a footwashing for all of the team.
I was a little apprehensive at first frankly because my feet are ticklish and I was afraid I would laugh out loud during a solemn moment.
Thankfully, it didn't tickle and it really brought home the servant leadership idea to have our emmaus team leaders washing the teams feet. It really prepared me to be in the mindset of being a servant to others after having received the footwash from our leaders. It was quite cool to see those two guys wash the feet of over 30 guys praying and paying as much attention to detail for each person. The physical act and touch cements the mental idea of being a servant in a way that really helped to give me something to draw on when I was working through my service on the emmaus team that weekend.
Foot washing can be a wonderful thing ... it's personal, it's moving, and it is sacramental.
I dislike the Anglican practice of washing only one foot and more of a ritual than an act of love, but that' probably me
I think footwashing is far more difficult to "have" done than to "do."
We're taught to humble ourselves and to serve others... Well, that is one aspect to it. It is far more difficult to allow someone to serve us (especially those of us who know and study this scripture.)
The "world" may want to be "done for" but we want to "do."
When my Dad was in the hospital, I thought I understood how he felt in allowing me to care for him and feed him, but it wasn't until in the midst of caring for him and I needed the help of others that I really understood it.
None of us mind washing the feet of others. We just don't want to think that we need ours washed...
Seconding what Betty wrote.
Being willing to have our feet washed is as important as -if not more so than- washing the feet of others.
Which is precisely the same problem that Peter had with getting his feet washed.
I participated in high school at church camp. We were given the bowl and towel and nobody was forced (I don't think our leaders were too excited about the prospect of washing the feet of us crazy campers). There was one kid who would do anything for anyone, and I deceided to wash his feet. Almost 20 years later, I still remember that he was wearing big, muddy boots and that I told him to take them off so I could wash his feet. It was humbling. But then when I finished, he proceeded to wash all of our feet, and I was even more humbled.
I stumbled across your blog and can't help but share an experience related to foot-washing. It seems to be fairly common in this part of the world, I think I participate in foot-washing at least once a year in my local church.
One of the most moving experience I have had was at this last summer's Dakotas Annual Conference (United Methodist Church). Bishop Deborah Kiesey - who uses a cane to walk because of polio when she was a child - got down on her knees and washed the feet of all of the ordinands. It was incredibly moving to watch and brought tears to nearly every eye in the auditorium. POWERFUL statement to clergy and lay alike about our commission to be servants of others.
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