Communion

What Really Matters?

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As one part of remembering the Easter story some congregations hold a foot washing service. If you have never participated in a foot washing it is impossible to explain fully the emotional roller coaster experience of that moment.

When I went on a short term missions trip to India several years ago we were surprised by such an event. It came at the close of our visit to a humble church in a small village. Just as the service was closing they called my pastor and I to come sit in the front. “I don’t like this part” pastor Joliam told me though I had no idea what was coming. Then the local pastor’s daughter a girl of about 12 came to the front with a basin and a towel and began to wash our feet. Afterwards she wept as she thanked us for coming. I felt so humbled and small at receiving such genuine love when my own heart was incapable of expressing such gratitude. Washing feet is odd and embarrassing and having my own washed by someone I had only just met was doubly so. But that moment marked my heart forever and made an eternal change in my attitude towards others. That is why Jesus commanded us to continue to follow His example. What is on your agenda or mine today?

What really matters most to God is for us to wash the dirty feet right in front of us!

He Took the Cup

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Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. Luke 22:20 NKJV

As the disciples gathered at the Last Supper, they thought they had come to share a traditional Passover. Everything was put in place just as it had been since the days of Moses. But when they sat down to eat; Jesus began telling them that one of them was a traitor. Imagine sitting down at Thanksgiving dinner and hearing your Dad say, “Praise God, I am thankful for this meal but I know one of you is a murderer!”? In a Passover celebration there were four cups to be drunk. The first cup Jesus took was called sanctification and this He told the disciples to share among each other because He would not drink it again until He drank it in the Kingdom of God. The next two cups were the proclamation cup, and the blessing cup, the later being most likely the one He blessed as the New Covenant in His blood. Last of all was the cup of praise which after they drank they sang a hymn and went out and followed Jesus to the garden. We do not know if Jesus drank any of the cups at the Last Supper. Our cup He blessed and gave to us so when we receive it we must be thankful. But in Gethsemane after He had prayed He took a different cup filled with bitterness and drank, so that ours could be filled with joy and eternal life!

Interrupted by Love

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    A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded                     as the greatest. Luke 22:24

A funny thing happened on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had just finished giving them the bread and the wine as the holiest of sacraments and while supper was ending the disciples began arguing among each other about who was most important. Can you imagine with me Jesus striking his forehead and crying “Oy Vey! These disciples are making me crazy!”?

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We may chuckle at the absurdity of that scene but just as the supper in its various forms has been remembered for 2,000 years; so has the conflict among us as to who is the best. March 6th being the beginning of the Lenten season I am taking another bloggers challenge up to honor the season by daring to do something new in place of giving up something I enjoy. I will be praying this next few days for God to open a door of service outside my comfort zone. Whatever form that may look like Jesus set us the example by interrupting the conversation to wash the feet of disciples who were each trying to be the most important. What that looks like for you or me over these 6 weeks till Easter may become the greatest adventure of our lives!

    So He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:4-6