Comments on: Holy Thursday: Feet and Food http://paintedprayerbook.com/2008/03/19/holy-thursday-feet-and-food/ Artist and writer Jan Richardson explores the intersections of word & image & faith. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:35:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kim http://paintedprayerbook.com/2008/03/19/holy-thursday-feet-and-food/#comment-1027 Kim Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:00:34 +0000 http://paintedprayerbook.com/?p=94#comment-1027 How interesting that as I googled Jan Richardson looking for a book about teaching reading comprehension, I was found by a blog about Holy Thursday. I have been ignoring Holy Week this year as we flounder following the retirement of our minister of 30 years. I have been hanging back and coasting along. I guess this find is God's nudge to get back into the stream of time and thinking. Thank you for the push and the discussion. I have participated in several foot washings. Our tradition is that people involved with a sponsor for reaffirmation start the ceremony and then others from the congregation are welcomed. It is a truly humbling experience and I do love to see the image of hands serving and cleansing another person's feet. A very intimate and respectful act to keep in our thinking. How interesting that as I googled Jan Richardson looking for a book about teaching reading comprehension, I was found by a blog about Holy Thursday. I have been ignoring Holy Week this year as we flounder following the retirement of our minister of 30 years. I have been hanging back and coasting along. I guess this find is God’s nudge to get back into the stream of time and thinking. Thank you for the push and the discussion. I have participated in several foot washings. Our tradition is that people involved with a sponsor for reaffirmation start the ceremony and then others from the congregation are welcomed. It is a truly humbling experience and I do love to see the image of hands serving and cleansing another person’s feet. A very intimate and respectful act to keep in our thinking.

]]> By: Ann Howard http://paintedprayerbook.com/2008/03/19/holy-thursday-feet-and-food/#comment-170 Ann Howard Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:32:33 +0000 http://paintedprayerbook.com/?p=94#comment-170 Tess sent me here to read this, after reading my own foot washing entry. I've always wondered how it is that the Adventists include the practice in their communion service, while most of the rest of Christendom considers it arbitrary. Your comment about personal habits that insulate us from God is an enlightening one. Thanks. Your whole blog is beautiful! Tess sent me here to read this, after reading my own foot washing entry. I’ve always wondered how it is that the Adventists include the practice in their communion service, while most of the rest of Christendom considers it arbitrary.

Your comment about personal habits that insulate us from God is an enlightening one. Thanks. Your whole blog is beautiful!

]]> By: Martha http://paintedprayerbook.com/2008/03/19/holy-thursday-feet-and-food/#comment-161 Martha Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:47:31 +0000 http://paintedprayerbook.com/?p=94#comment-161 Thank you very much for this reflection. I will draw from it and credit you as I preach tonight (yes, I'm late, but I have a really, really good excuse!) I am struck by the proximity of lowliness - even uncleanness - in the washing of feet, and holiness - entering to the presence of Christ - in the meal. The line is not only blurred, but removed, it seems to me. It brings to mind the curtain torn in two that holiness and lowliness might accomplish redemption. Thank you very much for this reflection. I will draw from it and credit you as I preach tonight (yes, I’m late, but I have a really, really good excuse!)

I am struck by the proximity of lowliness – even uncleanness – in the washing of feet, and holiness – entering to the presence of Christ – in the meal. The line is not only blurred, but removed, it seems to me. It brings to mind the curtain torn in two that holiness and lowliness might accomplish redemption.

]]> By: John D. Palmer http://paintedprayerbook.com/2008/03/19/holy-thursday-feet-and-food/#comment-160 John D. Palmer Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:08:05 +0000 http://paintedprayerbook.com/?p=94#comment-160 A few years ago in the ministry I do with students I invited them to consider doing Holy Week services. This generation of students were intrigued by the idea and decided to put much of themselves into the service. Looking for guidance for the variety of worship services I shared with them the options that I knew about. They decided that we were to do a Maundy Thursday Service that would be followed by a Service of Tenebrae. When I asked if they wanted to have a footwashing service the room got very quiet and as they squirmed I let them know it was only a question. They declined that year. What started in that year was a concentrated focus on Holy week and that first Service that was ripe with music and fellowship that turned starkly to the service of Tenebrae it was indeliable for those that participated. The nature of campus ministry is that the students come and go on a regular basis and so in time a generation of students arrived that reluctantly agreed to a foot washing, but added a couple of caveats that satisfied them. One caveat was to let people know that they could not participate in the footwashing at all. I chuckled and said of course, did they think we were going to be hawg tying folks and washing their feet against their will? The second was driven more out of a foot phobia, this student was afraid of feet, but very much wanted to participate in the service. So a compromise was offered that we could wash one another's hands. So that year we began having a foot/hand washing service on Maundy Thursday. We have kept those services in tact for a number of years now however this present generation, while they agree to the service, are not so supportive or participatory. So tonight we will offer a Foot/Hand washing service but I'm not sure how many, if any will participate. I'm not sure if the issue is about power or if it is about fear? About contempt for someone's potentially foul feet or shame over how foul your own feet may actually be? Fear over allowing people that you know, but not all that well, touch a part of you that they see all the time but not unveiled and certainly not touched. Peace John A few years ago in the ministry I do with students I invited them to consider doing Holy Week services. This generation of students were intrigued by the idea and decided to put much of themselves into the service. Looking for guidance for the variety of worship services I shared with them the options that I knew about. They decided that we were to do a Maundy Thursday Service that would be followed by a Service of Tenebrae. When I asked if they wanted to have a footwashing service the room got very quiet and as they squirmed I let them know it was only a question. They declined that year. What started in that year was a concentrated focus on Holy week and that first Service that was ripe with music and fellowship that turned starkly to the service of Tenebrae it was indeliable for those that participated.

The nature of campus ministry is that the students come and go on a regular basis and so in time a generation of students arrived that reluctantly agreed to a foot washing, but added a couple of caveats that satisfied them. One caveat was to let people know that they could not participate in the footwashing at all. I chuckled and said of course, did they think we were going to be hawg tying folks and washing their feet against their will? The second was driven more out of a foot phobia, this student was afraid of feet, but very much wanted to participate in the service. So a compromise was offered that we could wash one another’s hands. So that year we began having a foot/hand washing service on Maundy Thursday.

We have kept those services in tact for a number of years now however this present generation, while they agree to the service, are not so supportive or participatory. So tonight we will offer a Foot/Hand washing service but I’m not sure how many, if any will participate.

I’m not sure if the issue is about power or if it is about fear? About contempt for someone’s potentially foul feet or shame over how foul your own feet may actually be? Fear over allowing people that you know, but not all that well, touch a part of you that they see all the time but not unveiled and certainly not touched.

Peace

John

]]> By: Sunrise Sister http://paintedprayerbook.com/2008/03/19/holy-thursday-feet-and-food/#comment-159 Sunrise Sister Thu, 20 Mar 2008 04:01:26 +0000 http://paintedprayerbook.com/?p=94#comment-159 I concur with Barbie re "difficulty really allowing others to erve us in intimate ways." Have participated in maybe 12 feet washing events over many, many years - I always yearned to see the priests wash each other's feet or allow their own to be washing. I never witnessed any of them doing that. The first fw I observed, I squirmed and thought, "how silly, no matter what Jesus said." I sat that one out. The next one feeling very vulnerable I found the ceremony to be one of the most moving experiences encountered in community worship. I've never passed up the opportunity again and have persuaded many to at least give it one try. Each person felt as I did, a very worthwhile and intimate moment in God's Holy Presence. I concur with Barbie re “difficulty really allowing others to erve us in intimate ways.” Have participated in maybe 12 feet washing events over many, many years – I always yearned to see the priests wash each other’s feet or allow their own to be washing. I never witnessed any of them doing that.

The first fw I observed, I squirmed and thought, “how silly, no matter what Jesus said.” I sat that one out. The next one feeling very vulnerable I found the ceremony to be one of the most moving experiences encountered in community worship. I’ve never passed up the opportunity again and have persuaded many to at least give it one try. Each person felt as I did, a very worthwhile and intimate moment in God’s Holy Presence.

]]> By: Barbie http://paintedprayerbook.com/2008/03/19/holy-thursday-feet-and-food/#comment-158 Barbie Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:43:13 +0000 http://paintedprayerbook.com/?p=94#comment-158 I recently had the opportunity to participate in foot washing with elementary school children. Observing a group of normally rambunctious ten year old boys, I was struck by how easily they embraced washing another's feet, but how sheepish and embarrassed they were when having their own feet washed. I think that self-reliance is so engrained in our culture that we have difficulty really allowing others to serve us in intimate ways. I recently had the opportunity to participate in foot washing with elementary school children. Observing a group of normally rambunctious ten year old boys, I was struck by how easily they embraced washing another’s feet, but how sheepish and embarrassed they were when having their own feet washed. I think that self-reliance is so engrained in our culture that we have difficulty really allowing others to serve us in intimate ways.

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