Sermon Tone Analysis

Footwashing

I was sitting at my desk at my secular place of employment when a co-worker, a Christian asked me about my church’s special services this week.

We talked about Good Friday, and I mentioned our Maundy Thursday service.

He informed me he had never taken part, that nobody was going to touch his feet.

I totally understand, we are kind of sensitive about our feet.

We know how dirty they can get, they aren’t very pretty and that’s one part of our body among others that is usually off limits.

I find that each of us have areas of our lives that we want to stay hidden, like our feet.

The deepest darkest parts of our lives, our sins, the people we are when nobody is looking.

But that’s the part Jesus wants to cleanse.

Feet were dirty, they gathered dust and worse, but Jesus would teach us love as He moved towards the cross, He wanted to deal with our dirt our sin.

Like He told Peter, until we let Him do that, the relationship remains broken.

Like the disciples we get proud, we want life to be about us, our greatness, but as Jesus wrapped the towel around His waist, He shattered our sense of superiority, the teacher, the king, the creator would assume the role of servant and would teach us what following Him would look like.

Yes this is a hard teaching, yes sometimes it is hard to serve others and sometimes our pride makes it hard to be served, and yet here we are.

It is a time we set aside occupations, affiliations, social status, and we are reminded that we are brothers and sisters called to love and serve each other.

I understand the reluctance and if you are here tonight and you’re not ready to participate, it’s OK.

For me this night is special, it’s a time that I get to spend with people I look up to and let them know what they have meant to me.

Too many have gone on to be with Jesus, and one day it will be my turn, so this time becomes all the more precious.

At this time we will go to the rooms that have been prepared, at the conclusion return to the fellowship hall and we will observe the ordinance of communion.