Footwashing
John 13:14-17 And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. ...You know these things- now do them! This is the path of blessing.
We had a footwashing ceremony at church yesterday afternoon. The youth and young adults prepared the event to honour their parents'.
I was really impressed with their hard work leading up to the event. Many of them had arrived at the church at 7:30am for the regular youth meeting that preceeds the 8:30am service. (I have to say that there is no way I'd even attempt to run a youth meeting in Australia at 7:30 on Sunday morning, but it seems to work here...) When the morning service finished (about 10:30am) they bought food, prepared it, practiced for the event and ran through the program. They spent the whole day at church. I helped for a few hours in the kitchen but went home while they were doing the final preparations for the program.
I came back at 4pm with "mum & dad". After the first part of the service (singing together, special songs, a dance and a message) came the footwashing. The parents came up to the front of the church two families at a time. They sat facing the congregation. Their children knelt before them and washed their feet. One by one the youth and young adults took the microphone to express their thanks to God for their parents. Some confessed with tears that they had not been ideal children. Afterwards the parents responded, giving thanks to God.
The footwashing was clearly a moving ceremony for the particpants. After the service finished (at about 6:30pm) the youth served their parents a meal.
Footwashing is a humbling action. When Jesus washed his disciples' feet the bible says that he "showed them the full extent of his love". As I helped a little with the preparations, observed the ceremony, joined in the meal and helped clean up, I noticed how the way of humbly serving each other was powerfully enacted. The words of Jesus in John 13:17 came to life again: That is the path of blessing.
We had a footwashing ceremony at church yesterday afternoon. The youth and young adults prepared the event to honour their parents'.
I was really impressed with their hard work leading up to the event. Many of them had arrived at the church at 7:30am for the regular youth meeting that preceeds the 8:30am service. (I have to say that there is no way I'd even attempt to run a youth meeting in Australia at 7:30 on Sunday morning, but it seems to work here...) When the morning service finished (about 10:30am) they bought food, prepared it, practiced for the event and ran through the program. They spent the whole day at church. I helped for a few hours in the kitchen but went home while they were doing the final preparations for the program.
I came back at 4pm with "mum & dad". After the first part of the service (singing together, special songs, a dance and a message) came the footwashing. The parents came up to the front of the church two families at a time. They sat facing the congregation. Their children knelt before them and washed their feet. One by one the youth and young adults took the microphone to express their thanks to God for their parents. Some confessed with tears that they had not been ideal children. Afterwards the parents responded, giving thanks to God.
The footwashing was clearly a moving ceremony for the particpants. After the service finished (at about 6:30pm) the youth served their parents a meal.
Footwashing is a humbling action. When Jesus washed his disciples' feet the bible says that he "showed them the full extent of his love". As I helped a little with the preparations, observed the ceremony, joined in the meal and helped clean up, I noticed how the way of humbly serving each other was powerfully enacted. The words of Jesus in John 13:17 came to life again: That is the path of blessing.
posted by pip @ 2:01 am
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