What Happened to Footwashing?

I have been thinking a lot about what Jesus taught about leadership in Mark’s gospel. In it, Jesus says some strong words on how he wants his followers to use power,

You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great among you must become a servant (10:42-45, from Eugene Peterson’s translation, The Message).

How does this teaching inform our lives – our relationships and our work place behavior? Are we, who say we follow Jesus, “servants” of others? For those of us in leadership positions (and that’s most of us when we consider being a parent is being a leader), have we been able to avoid our power over others from going to our heads?

But there is another teaching in the bible that we overlook along with Jesus’ words about leadership. It also has to do with leadership. It comes from John’s gospel.

Then [Jesus] poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, "Master, you wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later." Peter persisted, "You're not going to wash my feet—ever!" Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing." "Master!" said Peter. "Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!" (13:7-9)

What Jesus did here could be a very strong argument that a major part of the Eucharist would be the washing of feet. It is one thing to “pass the peace” among one another on Sunday, another thing to wash each other’s feet! If foot washing was also a sacramental act, wouldn’t it help keep us all from having power go to our heads? Jesus’ washing of feet occurred at the same time he blessed, broke and gave bread and wine to his disciples. He told them to do this in remembrance of him. Did we forget about the foot washing?

Ceremonial washing is also a big part of the Hebrew bible. It could be said that we come from a strong tradition of washing. In Genesis, guests were to have their feet washed (a tradition that continues among our Muslim brothers and sisters). In Exodus, God tells Moses to make a bronze washbasin and to wash his hands and feet whenever he approached the altar of God (30:17, 40:30). The Israelites were commanded to do this so they would not die when they approached God’s altar, “This is the rule forever.”

Did you ever think what an effect ceremonial washing would have upon us as we enter church each Sunday? It certainly would remind me about God’s holiness and God’s commandments! The best we can do today is that some priests wash their hands (ablutions) before consecrating the elements of bread and wine.

This brings me to thinking about church leaders. In the Book of Common Prayer, neither the gospel reading on servant leadership or on washing feet a suggested reading for the celebration of a new ministry, the ordination of a deacon or priest, or the consecration of a bishop. It should be.

As I recall part of church history in America. I am reminded that our Founders clearly stated, "No Lords, no Bishops!" This was to say they didn’t want to have an aristocracy within our government or our church. Sometimes, I fear we have gotten both.

Perhaps we should ask those who wish to be our ecclesiastical leaders not only to be faithful in prayer and study of the Holy Scriptures, but also that they acknowledge their role as our servant and, as part of their installation, do something that Jesus did – washed the feet of their followers. What better act could church leaders do today than kneel down and wash some feet? This way they would demonstrate that they are following Jesus; that they know the danger of power, and they are, in fact, our servants?

Wouldn’t it be a strong message if the next time a church leader visited your church you found him or her kneeling at the church door, basin of water and towel in hand – ready to wash feet?