Serving...

I am going to jump a little out of order again; I want to reflect on Maundy Thursday while it is still fairly fresh.

I offered a Maundy Thursday Service of Footwashing and Communion. Services outside of Sunday morning are not usually well attended. although I did have 55 or so on Christmas Eve. I did tell the congregation this Maundy Thursday service would not be over 30 minutes. Lengths of service outside of Sundays are something I have to contend with because of the number of young children that we have. We don't have childcare, and it makes it a little difficult. It will be something I look into this next year...offering child care for services other than Sunday morning. Anyway...

As I said, these services are not always well attended. I didn't know whether to expect only me, or anyone else. I ended up with 15, which for such a small church (125 membership), and this being the first kind of service like this, I thought it was pretty good.

I had gone in earlier in the day and set up for this service. I had the altar table covered in candles, all different kinds and sizes along with my crystal crosses. I had moved one of the large chairs down in front of the altar and had my foot washing bowl and pitcher from my commissioning set up along with two large towels. I also had the Elements for communion on the altar table, using a beautiful chalice that I had been given by Nancy when I left St. T's. I found a beautiful glass paten to match it. So I was set.

I had a short message and went through the communion liturgy, after which I instructed those that felt comfortable to come forward, allow me to wash their feet and then they could partake of communion and have a time of prayer at the altar and that after everyone had finished and was agin seated, they would be dismissed, and I asked them to leave in cotemplative silence. I also gave them the option that if they preferred, I would wash their hands.

It was a humbling experience, to say the least, as I knelt before them, offering in love the sacrifice of washing their feet as Jesus had washed the disciples. I encouraged them to go into the world and offer a sacrificial love to others.

There was only one who had a hand washing and she had on a dress and hose, so it would have been a little more difficult for me to wash her feet. Everyone else allowed me the privilege of serving them in this service.

I had one young girl (she is in 1st grade) who, after I washed her feet, asked me, "Ms Kim...who is going to wash your feet?" I explained to her that there would be no one to wash my feet, just as no one had washed Jesus' feet...that I did this becaus of my love for her and to help her learn to serve others, even when sometimes it was not an easy or fun thing to do. She then reached out and hugged me and said "I love you..." I was almost in tears....

As I said, there were only 15, but, it was so moving that I came home and cried. I realized how much one can love those one has only known for such a short time...love in the way that Christ loves, and that was very powerful for me. I hope to do this again next year, and perhaps there will be more that will participate.