What is your thought on washing feet in the church.

Just wanted to chime in regarding the controversy from a couple of pages back.

npetreley is correct in what he has been posting. We are not to partake of the Lords Supper in an unworthy manner. We are to be respectful and worshipful as we partake...not the way they were doing it in Corinth.

It has nothing to do with whether we do or dont have sin in our lives. We ALL have sin in our lives. We never become sinless in a practical sense in this life. The only reason God sees us as sinless...regardless of our current condition...is because of Christs sinlessness being imputed to us.

I CRINGE any time I am in a service and someone says something like...."Now let everyone examine themselves, and if you are harboring sin and you partake you will cause damnation to come upon yourself. Be sure and confess and repent of all sin before you partake.

What a way to absolutly DESTROY the wonderful and joyous memorial of the Lords Supper, remembering the great work that Christ has done on our behalf. Putting people on a huge guilt trip, right when they should be thanking God for what He has done for us.

God bless,

Mike

 

Oh, and regarding the original topic...

"What are your thoughts on washing feet in church"

Sorry folks, but I'm old fashioned. I believe people should bathe COMPLETLY at home before arriving at church. (grin!)


Actually, I have never been a part of a foot washing service. My understanding is that it is a way of reminding ourselves of the importantance of humilty, and the importance of caring, in practical ways, for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Not a bad idea to me. Maybe I'll be blessed by being part of one some day.

God bless,

Mike

 

Yes time is an issue. Why waste time on non-eternal issues and issues of no importance? That is a big problem with churches today. A lot of time is wasted on nonsense and non-essential issues. While the world is going to hell they sit in the comfort of their worship service in their holy huddle. They need to get down to business with God. Even if I had five hours I would not spend a second washing someone's feet (unless someone came to church with manure all over his feet), when it could be much better spent preaching and teaching. If someone came to church today with manure all over his feet then the more appropriate thing would be to wash his feet and give him a pair of shoes.

I consider the context of scripture when addressing issues so another passage would easily clarify that point. If you would read your Bible you would find that they did sing hymns in the context of worship in the church. There are a lot of things done in churches that are quite inappropriate today. There is lying and stealing in churches too. There are so called Christian churches which invite cult leaders to come and teach in their churches.

Foot washing was a hygiene issue then and it is not now. If a man came to church with cow manure all over his feet I would wash his feet not as some theatrical foot fettish but as a need that he would have. Walking in manure could cause disease.

I could just see the women taking off their panty hose for such an occasion.

 

Try this one in James 1:26, 27, "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

 

Christ did not wash the disciples feet for hygiene reasons. He washed their feet as an example.
John 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am.
:14 If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Your questions are very naive. A footwashing service is planned and announced ahead of time. Men only wash other men's feet and the women wash other women's feet. Everyone that wishes to participate comes prepared to do so.

It is to be taken seriously and carried out in a respectful manner.
If it is approached with the right attitude and in the right spirit there is a special blessing in a footwashing service that will not be found in other services.

 

You fail to understand the culture and manners of that time. Footwashing was done because their feet would have been dirty due to walking on the streets where people threw their garbage, animals walked on and pooped, as well as the roads were dusty and dirty.

I would hope that was an example of a servant.

Today it would not likely be an example of a servant but of a ritual. There is no need to wash anyone's feet today unless it would be in a hospital or if someone was hurt.

 

Does your church also send those who are disciples of Christ out two by two without anything? That was an example as well.

 

Just further evidence of your naivety and childish rationale.

Why don't you just admit that you would not be willing to wash a brother's feet, even though Christ said, "If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet."

Did Christ say, "If I then your Lord and Master, have sent out two by two without anything; ye also ought to send out two by two without anything?

 

So if you cannot attack the message then attack the messenger?

Are you suggesting that I should lie?

If the person had no shoes and needed their feet washed I would do that and then buy them a new pair of shoes. I would not do it as a ritual in a worship service. It is an waste of time. Even Paul said that he did not come ot baptize but to preach because he had priorities which were urgent. Why replace the urgent with the less urgent.

He sent out his disciples. Are you one of them? If so then why not do as his disciples did? It is quite an experience.

There are loads of people in churches today who have all kinds of ideas on how to run a church but very few who actually trust God past their bank account.

I have seen people literally shake when I asked them to go with me to visit people and knock on doors in the community but when they did their lives were changed. Some of those had lots of answers on how to grow a church until they were confronted by the truth of their lack of boldness.

 

You should never partake in a feet washing at church, as long as you have the mind you have. If I knew how you felt, I would not let you wash my feet.

 

I would much prefer to adhere to scripture and its practicality in ministry. I do not see how in any way that washing feet makes the most of the opportunity today especially those who are outsiders. If your church is "us four and no more" then of course I would exclude myself from any church like that. Those kind of people propvide a good example of what not to be like. In scripture there was a practical reason for washing feet. I see none of that value today except for someone who could not afford shoes.

If however your feet were full of manure I would wash them and give you a new pair of shoes knowing that you probably could not afford any shoes.

 

Gb93433,

I said...

And you said...

Thats a wonderful passage, but whats your point? What is the relavence of it in regard to the topic?

Mike

 

1. Your understanding of worship and feet washing has led you to conclude that they are nonessentials. But others see feet washing as an important part of worship, so they make time for it.

2. You are the one who brought Acts 2:42 to refute feet washing. I was just merely asking you to address singing and giving in light of the text you brought to dismiss feet washing in worship.

3. The burden of proof was upon you, not me. But I find it interesting that in your understanding of worship, you then go to other Scriptures to bring in singing and giving, yet you cannot see the same for those who engage in feet washing.

4. Ask those who engage in feet washing if it is merely hygienic before you dismiss it "as some theatrical foot fettish."

 

Well, tomorrow evening beginning at 4:00 pm, we will begin our annual communion service in remembrance of the Lord and

after the service and the taking of the bread and wine, (grape juice) we will proceed to lay aside our garments (shoes and

socks) and gird ourselves and begin to wash each other's feet. As Pastor/Moderator I will begin by pouring water in a basin,

gird myself with an extra long white towel, hug my brother and kneel down before him and wash his feet. After I finish

washing his feet, I will then give him the towel and he likewise will gird himself and kneel before me and wash my feet. When

all have washed someone's feet and had their feet washed, we conclude our service by singing an old song of Zion as we

leave the church.

BBob

 

1. What is the feeling like after one of your communion and feet washing service?

2. I see nothing theatrical about what you just described.

 

The relevance is that we are to take care of the lowliest in society in a practical way, not wash people's feet as a ritual. One hour spent in practical ministry is far more effective than one hour washing people's feet who do not need it. Even giving a cup of water in Jesus name to those who need it would far more effective to reach people than washing feet amongst a bunch of believers whose feet is not covered with dirt and manure from dusty, dirty streets.

Washing feet during Jesus' time was a practical way to serve people. I see no relevance today for such a thing today. People today do not walk on dusty, dirty streets where the animals walk and poop on the roadways.

Washing clean feet is not meeting any need. It is much like spending the time telling a hungry person that you will pray for their need for food and then go into a church to pray without considering the fact that the person has the simple need of food which you need to meet.

I see people with so many practical and spiritual needs that I do not have enough resources or time in a day to meet all of those needs. For me to spend any time on a ritual is a waste of my time and the time God has given me.

James talks about meeting needs in a practical way. If we do not then our religion is worhtless.

Too many in churches today do little or nothing in using their resources to meet the needs of believers and non-believers while they drive nice cars and paying the bank interest.

 

When you go home, you have this "clean" feeling within and as if you had been real close to the Lord, that His countance had touched you. Words cannot give it justice.
It is a very quiet evening. No one is speaking even to each other. You seem to just want to hold on to that moment for as long as you can. There is a relief feeling also, I really can't explain that, unless it has to do with being Pastor, and all went well.
When someone else has had their communion, the question for everyone else is "how did your communion go"?

 

If you understand the context of the time you will also understand its practicality.

How about if those same people spent the same amount of time serving God in their communities by discipling people each week. One of the words that worship is translated from, is the same word for serve.

Foot washing has no practical value today. Whereas in Jesus' time it did. Why spend my time washing clean feet?

The fact is that during Jesus' time it did serve a practical need. In America today it does not.

 

I do not base the ministry God has given me on my feelings. Faith is not a feeling. Faith is a real trust in God. Ministry is to be pointing outward.

When I talk with someone who is thinking about committing suicide I am not thinking about my feelings, but rather I am praying for wisdom from God. Ministry is not about me, but about Jesus Christ.

When someone calls me in the middle of the night because of some trouble they are having I am not thinking about how great I feel but about God's grace, his love for me and how I can communicate that in a real way to the person who is at wits end.