John 13:1-17 NIV
Many Christians today are about as enthused about having someone wash their feet as Peter was when Jesus wanted to wash his feet. It is a most humbling experience to be served in such an intimate manner. I wash the feet of young people who are receiving their first Communion on Maundy Thursday. They are not thrilled with this ritual; but, they have come to accept the fact that it is going to happen. I have invited adults to come forward during this service and so far none have. None are willing to have me intentionally sit at their feet to serve them by washing their feet.
However... As a female pastor who also owns an adult care facility I have been most privileged to be able to kneel at the feet of many as I put socks and shoes on them or otherwise help them to prepare for the day or night. I have also had the extreme privilege of being able to serve some of our members (and members of the whole community) in this manner, as well.
Visiting members and others in the community is one of the special privileges that pastors have. I normally do not call ahead because; when I do, I find that people tend to get nervous about my visits and go to extreme measures to make preparations (clean their homes, prepare food) to entertain and/or serve me. That's not what I go for. So, I surprise them :) When making impromptu visits, all kinds of opportunities to serve avail themselves to me. I have shoveled sidewalks, made the coffee, washed dishes, folded clothes, and all other kinds of household chores for shut-ins who have had difficulty doing these things. I have walked in on people who are going through withdrawal from alcohol and other drugs. Yes, on more than one occasion, I have spent hours holding others while they shook and vomited and begged me not to take them to detox. At least one did beg me to take her to detox.
I have visited people in some unusual circumstances and places, including the bathroom of a nursing homes. I remember one woman, years ago, who, when I stopped by to see her in a nursing unit, called to me from the bathroom, and invited me in - that is in to the bathroom. I was a little reluctant to invade that particular space; but, also reluctant to refuse her request as she sounded very desperate. She was very, very ill. I sat on the floor of the bathroom for a couple of hours as we talked about Jesus and about her faith in him; then helped her back to her bed. We prayed together that God would grant her wholeness in his sight. She went to sleep. A few hours after I got home that evening, I received a call from the family informing me that she had died. I will never forget her or her willingness to allow me to sit at her feet and minister to her in her last hours of life here on earth. I will never forget her desire to see Jesus.
One evening, early on in my ministry, I stopped by to visit an elderly lady who was no longer strong enough to walk on her own. She was bound to a wheel-chair and needed assistance to get in and out of it. She had caregivers who lived near by, who came by throughout the day to help her. Her caregivers had gone out for the evening. So, I made coffee for us and washed her few dishes. I ended up staying longer than I had planned to as her caregivers were already late in checking in on her and I did not want to leave her alone just in case they did not show up. Finally, it got so late, she asked me if I would help her prepare and get into bed. I did. We prayed before I left and she cried. She admitted that when the congregation had called me to serve them, she was one of the most adamant that a woman should not be called as their pastor. She had, in the end, reluctantly voted to call me. She said that she would, never in her life, have imagined that she would need a pastor who would be willing and able to serve her in such a manner and now understood that God could send women to serve congregations in ways that male pastors never could. I just smiled. You never know whom God will send to serve you - even a woman!
Peter did not want Jesus to kneel before him to wash his feet. There are a few things that we might not desire; but, need. We all, like Peter, need to humble ourselves and allow Jesus to minister to us. We need to allow him into the most intimate aspects of lives so that we might be made completely whole.
God's Peace - Pr. J
P.S. I remember reading one of Martin Luther's sermons years ago. I can't find it now. But, in it he was talking about who could baptize. He said, if no one else was available, even a woman could. LOL
Many Christians today are about as enthused about having someone wash their feet as Peter was when Jesus wanted to wash his feet. It is a most humbling experience to be served in such an intimate manner. I wash the feet of young people who are receiving their first Communion on Maundy Thursday. They are not thrilled with this ritual; but, they have come to accept the fact that it is going to happen. I have invited adults to come forward during this service and so far none have. None are willing to have me intentionally sit at their feet to serve them by washing their feet.
However... As a female pastor who also owns an adult care facility I have been most privileged to be able to kneel at the feet of many as I put socks and shoes on them or otherwise help them to prepare for the day or night. I have also had the extreme privilege of being able to serve some of our members (and members of the whole community) in this manner, as well.
Visiting members and others in the community is one of the special privileges that pastors have. I normally do not call ahead because; when I do, I find that people tend to get nervous about my visits and go to extreme measures to make preparations (clean their homes, prepare food) to entertain and/or serve me. That's not what I go for. So, I surprise them :) When making impromptu visits, all kinds of opportunities to serve avail themselves to me. I have shoveled sidewalks, made the coffee, washed dishes, folded clothes, and all other kinds of household chores for shut-ins who have had difficulty doing these things. I have walked in on people who are going through withdrawal from alcohol and other drugs. Yes, on more than one occasion, I have spent hours holding others while they shook and vomited and begged me not to take them to detox. At least one did beg me to take her to detox.
I have visited people in some unusual circumstances and places, including the bathroom of a nursing homes. I remember one woman, years ago, who, when I stopped by to see her in a nursing unit, called to me from the bathroom, and invited me in - that is in to the bathroom. I was a little reluctant to invade that particular space; but, also reluctant to refuse her request as she sounded very desperate. She was very, very ill. I sat on the floor of the bathroom for a couple of hours as we talked about Jesus and about her faith in him; then helped her back to her bed. We prayed together that God would grant her wholeness in his sight. She went to sleep. A few hours after I got home that evening, I received a call from the family informing me that she had died. I will never forget her or her willingness to allow me to sit at her feet and minister to her in her last hours of life here on earth. I will never forget her desire to see Jesus.
One evening, early on in my ministry, I stopped by to visit an elderly lady who was no longer strong enough to walk on her own. She was bound to a wheel-chair and needed assistance to get in and out of it. She had caregivers who lived near by, who came by throughout the day to help her. Her caregivers had gone out for the evening. So, I made coffee for us and washed her few dishes. I ended up staying longer than I had planned to as her caregivers were already late in checking in on her and I did not want to leave her alone just in case they did not show up. Finally, it got so late, she asked me if I would help her prepare and get into bed. I did. We prayed before I left and she cried. She admitted that when the congregation had called me to serve them, she was one of the most adamant that a woman should not be called as their pastor. She had, in the end, reluctantly voted to call me. She said that she would, never in her life, have imagined that she would need a pastor who would be willing and able to serve her in such a manner and now understood that God could send women to serve congregations in ways that male pastors never could. I just smiled. You never know whom God will send to serve you - even a woman!
Peter did not want Jesus to kneel before him to wash his feet. There are a few things that we might not desire; but, need. We all, like Peter, need to humble ourselves and allow Jesus to minister to us. We need to allow him into the most intimate aspects of lives so that we might be made completely whole.
God's Peace - Pr. J
P.S. I remember reading one of Martin Luther's sermons years ago. I can't find it now. But, in it he was talking about who could baptize. He said, if no one else was available, even a woman could. LOL
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