Rev. Erudite Redneck, B.S., B.S., M.A., M.Div.

Um...Ew?

Oh yeah...metaphor - right?

Yes, I am all for metaphorically washing one another's feet.

Literally, though...I mean, have you SEEN some of the feet out there?

Not OK. Plus, there are some people who just get WAY too into it, and that's just weird.

:-)
 

Foot-washing is actually a part of the tradition of the Church of God in Christ, an ordinance up there with baptism, communion, and speaking in tongues.

ER, I will miss you this week, but I will be enjoying a well-earned, well-deserved break from life in a visit to the old homestead. I had thought I might take my laptop along in case there was a wi-fi connection somewhere relatively easily accessible, but decided to take a break from everything and just enjoy some time away. I hope I don't miss anything important while I'm gone.

Look up Waverly, NY on Google Earth to get a fix on where I'll be from Monday afternoon through next Friday (we're taking two days to make the trip, spending the night in Vermilion, OH tomorrow). Be good and be well.

By the way, the word verification right now is "ptuit" - I hope that doesn't mean you are spitting at me ;p.
 

Teresa, Free Will Baptists, at least the ones around where I grew up, used to have foot-washings. And there were some old folks in the hills that never got their feet washed otherwise.

I used to think it was overkill. Then, I thought, well, it's symbolism; maybe a token washing would get the point across.

Now, I think that churches should consider it seriously. Can you imagine? It IS gross. But that's part of the point. Imagine humbling yourself to wash someone else's feet -- and not, say yer elderly mama or daddy.


(h)apa, what do you think would happen if, in the spirit of Congregationalism and Mayflower church, I suggested a foot-washing service?!!? I might just.


GKS, travel mercies, bro. Have fun and enjoy a break from the blogiverse! The coming week is hell week part 2 for me, so I can then take the *next* week off to go to Boulder and hang with the honey. I mean, Dr. Honey. ;-)


Oh, in Texas where I lived, an old folks' home (pardon me, a "retiement center") used to have monthly foot trimmings and such for residents, and nonresidents, who needed the help. ... It could actually be a form of ministry ... Whoa.
 

A lot of churches do foot-washing, E.R. The Episcopal Church, and several congregations of the United Methodist Church do. I know others do as well. And yes, in particular a foot-care ministry to seniors is a particularly good idea. I had to take care of my mommy's feet in the nursing home because no one on staff could be bothered. Made me feel so sad, not just for my own mom, but for all of those who didn't have someone to serve them in that way. And it about KILLED me when I nicked her.
 

I'll bet. It killd me when they were "being mean" to Mama ER in the hospital, hurting her trying to help her.

Forrest Gump in on! There's a movie full of humility. I'll be availing myself thereof, I think.
 

Washing feet is just the beginning: true servitude/love is when you wipe a loved one's behind, because they're too embarassed to have a "stranger" (nurse) do it.
 

I did plenty of that, too. I was at my mom's bedside 18+ hours a day for the last three months of her life.
 

One of the most amazingly beautiful things I have ever witnessed, was some college kids washing the feet of the Gran Moun in a home in Haiti. The faces of these poor older men and women are something I will never forget. Talk about doing something meaningful for the least of these. We need to do more washing of feet both literally and metaphorically.

As my eye doc freind says "Jesus washed feet, we clean eyeballs".

Have a blessed Easter

Craig
 

Our little Presbyterian church always has foot washing as part of the Maunday Thursday service. If people want to participate, they can, for those of us who do not, we sing some appropriate hymns while it goes on.
 

Cool.
 

Ain't no redneck, eurdite or not, touching my feet.
 

I'm too ticklish for a foot-washin' myself.
 

Been doing every since I've been dunked
 

It's a kind of sacrament, isn't it, Pech?
 

Well, we'd never use the word "sacrement" (a means of grace), but I think we'd say it's a part of the ordinance of Communion. But then the arguement is which to do first, the Lord's Supper then feet wash (more hygenic) or feet wash then Lord's Supper.

But Communion itself, in my opinion, is extremely divisive. I guess that's why the Salvation Army does not really make a strong statement about it.

But come to think of it so is Baptism.
 

I think there are more sacraments than people want to think there are. The Bible itself, whether one is a literalist or a squishy liberal, is a sacrament. Preaching is a sacrament. Singing is a sacrament. As well as Communion, and foot washing -- if it's meant as such. The act of gathering in Jesus's name -- a sacrament. Prayer, medidation, thinking in the right frame of mind, breathing with thanksgiving -- grace is everywhere, and I think that people work to avoid it.

I'm increasingly sloppy with my notion of sacraments, which, I reckon, is a natural extension of my increasingly sloppy concepts of slobbering grace.
 

I would agree with you. I tend to want to find sacraments than to limit them. I do that as an antignostic to say that grace can be obtained through physical as well as non-physical means.

I was just making the distinction because those who would ascribe to literal feet washing would say that they are not getting grace (even though they may be be-God is bigger than our thoughts) by doing it. They are trying to protect themselves from doing anything that looks like earning salvation. From their point of view I understand what they are doing, but from my angle, faith wihtout works is dead. Faith must precede the sacrement or it's just a deed. In this case, someone would have just gotten cleaner feet (although they were proabably washed before they got there).
 

Antignostic??? Did you just introduce me to a word? I'll be lookin' that up.
 

Hmm. Did you mean antignostic as in "against Gnosticism"? Or is that some kinda theology-speak?? :-)
 

Yeah. I probably should have put a hyphen between the two words to make it more clear.

I do not know if that word even exists. Sorry for wasting your time looking up a non-word. =(

It's just my little way of saying that I do not think the material world is moral or immoral. It's amoral, therefore, God can transmit (I use that word loosely here) grace to His creation using the physical or spiritual means. I mean how many times have I looked out my window and seen the sunset and felt God was smiling on me. That kind of thing. That's all.

Hey...and uh...I just noticed that this post was from long time ago. Sorry dude. I'm just now going through my blog reader and catching up with everyone.
 

No problem! I get an e-mail every time you comment; it's not like I have to go looking for 'em. :-)