John 13:13-15
You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you. (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
I attend a Free Will Baptist Church that has a foot washing service to go along with communion. My church takes the above verses literally, but I think they were meant for us to humble ourselves and be servants to others. Feet washing was a Jewish practice and custom. I don't see why Christ would ask Gentiles to do this. We had a pastor at the church for 28 years who believed in it, but our last pastor did not. We have had our new pastor for over 11 months and he also believes in it. What do you think? I don't want this to sound bad, but I also don't like it because if we had a visitor they may think we are crazy! :)
I have never attended a foot washing church, and I don't believe it is one of the ordinances (baptism, communion), but I think it is a most humbling thing to do and I can see where it would be a symbol of humility and service to one another, something we could all stand to be reminded of.
Just my 2 cents.
You can keep the change.
:D
It is not the business of the church to think that visitors will think you crazy. Where I attend church, we practice feet washing along with our communion, however we don't say that it must be practice. It is an ordance of humility and we don't make it a have-to part of our communion but ever member does it and get a spiritual blessing in doing it. It is a privilege to humble
yourself at the feet of a brother or sister. We practice closed communion and feet washing and only brethern of same faith and order among our sister churches are invited to do so.
We have some visitors that are invited to watch our practice.
If I walked in sandalled bare feet in the dusty streets and countryside, I might find feet washing a custom of the time.
T0-day, I prefer to wash my feet at home. Frankly, I don't see any humbling significance at all, and certainly no scriptural teaching that we are to follow forever.
There two ordinances typical to Baptist teaching: the Lord's Supper and believer's baptism.
I can't seem to remember anywhere in the new testament where Paul or Peter or Jude or any of the apostles are foot washing.
Jesus who is Master did it as an example of how the Pastor or Leader of the church should be, and yet we keep putting them on pedestals.
I have been to several churches where you can't even get close enough to ask the preacher a question let alone him wash your feet.
While it certainly doesn't rise to the level of an ordinance, foot washing can be an amazing experience.
For those that would totally reject the practice out of hand are missing a great opportunity to serve and be served in a powerful way.
Sounds like works to me to make one feel religious.
We have to be careful when doing things to make ourselves feel righteous.
Even tithing unless it is done from a heart of humility will be selfish and vain.
Mat 6:6
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret, will reward thee openly.
Uh-Oh... Now you've done it... don't you know you can't mess with one of our sacred cows... Blasphemy!!!
The experience has nothing to do with righteousness or religion... nor prayer. While I always appreciate the use of Scriptures, using them in their appropriate and proper context is equally appreciated.
Old Regular Baptists in Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and West Virginia [also a few churches in Michigan and Florida] practice feet washing as part of communion.
I have witnessed this practice on many occasions and find it to be a very moving experience.
I could not participate, not being a member.
I believe there are also some Missionary Baptist churches in Alabama that practice feet washing.
Someone has said on this topic that Paul did not engage in feet washing.
There is nothing that states he did not.
He certainly commended it in the following Scripture though it is not indicated as a part of worship service.
1 Timothy 5:9, 10 9. Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
10. Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.
Personally I believe that the practice of washing of feet would very good for the Church.
We don't need jazzy music in a "contemporary worship" service to bring life to the church but an understanding that all; rich, poor, mighty, weak, learned, unlearned all stand before God, saved by Grace.
When I think of foot washing I am reminded of the following Scripture:
Luke 7:44-50 44. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
I am afraid there are a lot of people in the church who think their sins were minor and therefore God did little for them in salvation.
Those who understand the gap between a righteous God and sinful man understand the great gift of Salvation and the limitless cost that was paid to achieve it.
If a congregation wants to wash feet, God bless 'em.
I would not have a part in it personally as I agree with others here who show no basis for the NT church to practice it.
But it is freedom of the church to do so.
BTW, does anyone actually attend a footwashing ceremony with stinky, dirty feet?
I would think if our church was to do it that everyone would be extra careful to bathe and powder said tootsies. ;)
This point made by Dr. Bob seems to be the overall feeling of those that have never practiced the washing of the saints feet. Baptism doesn't clean the body nor does communion fill us up with food. It has always been viewed as symbolism.
Of course it's going to be knocked, especially from those that have never grown up around it. I will say that it is preference, not an ordinance, but I've read some weak arguments against the practice of it, which definitely wouldn't persuade me from partaking of it.
We practice feet washing in our church. No one comes to the service with stinky feet. I suppose if something that odd was to happen, the Brother washing his feet would still do it with much love.
Sunday School was the creation of Sir. Robert Peel to school the street urchins of London, England. It developed from there. It is a far stretch of the imagination to suggest it was formed in New Testament times.
It is amazing how many people have attended Sunday School for many [say 50 or more] years and are still ignorant of the Bible.
Most Sunday School literature is pablum, not meat.
All the Primitive Baptist around our region as far as I know do include the feetwashing service when we do our communion. We handle it
in a solumn way. It follows after we have finished our communion. We sang a song and then go to the lunch area and lunch being served, we fellowship one to another. It's not hard to wash someone else's feet, but to have a brother to bow at your feet and wash your feet causes you to sometimes shed tears and feel the humbleness of your brothers. We the Male wash each others feet and the wemon(sisters) wash each other's feet. We get so blessed during a communiom service that we feel the love of brethern one to another.
If some other orders of brethern that has never took a feet washing service , I would say, practice it once and see if you come away feeling very blessed.
I was under the impression that Robert Reed in England or other part of Europe was the author of Sunday school being taught to the young. I may have his name wrong though.
Sir Robert Peel started the first Sunday School in his Anglican parish in Lancashire, England. He spread it from there to Tamworth and on to London. He was also the founder of the London police who were called "Bobbies" after his name. He also became Prime Minister of England. I have forgotten the parish name now.