Last Thursday, a group of about twenty or so, gathered in the evening for a Vespers service on what Christians call Maundy Thursday — or Footwashing Thursday. Church members Lenny Scovel and Karen Robinson reflect below about their experience at the first foot washing at Foothills in recent memory.
From Lenny Scovel:
To sit in darkened silence is one thing; to share a visceral experience is something wholly (and holy) other. I’ve become accustomed to Foothills Vespers services as a quite time, a reflective time. A little singing, a little ritual. And yet, the recent Vespers celebrating Maundy Thursday transcended all others through a simple act: the washing of feet. It is a ritualistic practice, reminding us of how we are called to be in service or minister to each other. The act itself was simple, but the feelings of connection, of care, of touch, were transformative. It is good to be called out of our places of comfort, to be made vulnerable, even for just a moment. Our church home is a safe place, where vulnerability is not seen as weakness, but rather as necessary in the process of transformation.
From Karen Robinson:
On Maundy Thursday about a dozen of us gathered for a service led by Gretchen, Sean, Chris and Kara Shobe. I found it very moving, especially the foot-washing, which I had never done before. I have always loved the original story, where the disciples are quarreling about which of them will be the leaders in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus kneels and washes their feet, the task of a servant. When the disciples object, Jesus says essentially that if he can take the role of a servant, then it’s not beneath them. The disciples find it awkward, and we did too, but well worth the effort of overcoming the awkwardness.
We were told that no one had to participate, but most people did. Sean explained that it wasn’t going to be “scrub a dub-dub”, but just a simple pouring of a bit of water and drying with a soft towel. I wimped out a bit and had my husband wash my feet, something he’s done before. But then I washed someone else’s feet and found it a profound experience. I’m not very good at serving others, and it felt like it was good for me.
We also had a sweet communion of grapes and fresh-made bread. I thought the grapes were a nice idea; easy clean-up with no worries about what kind of cups to use, and whether to have wine or juice. They also made an evocative connection to the earth.
The music was lovely and meditative, a chant-like phrase we could sing from memory, and a longer song which was printed on the back of the small card that served as a program. Chris played some quiet piano music, and Kara and Gretchen led the singing.
When I was a Christian, as a child and young adult, Holy Week was the high point of the year. When I left Christianity, I didn’t go away mad. I still love the Jesus I met in my liberal childhood Methodist church, and it was so nostalgic to remember him in such an intimate way.”