We believe that Jesus Christ calls us to serve one another in love as he did. Rather than seeking to lord it over others, we are called to follow the example of our Lord, who chose the role of a servant by washing his disciples' feet.
...In this act, Jesus showed humility and servanthood, even laying down his life for those he loved. In washing the disciples' feet, Jesus is acting out a parable of his life unto death for them, and of the way his disciples are called to live in the world.
Believers who wash each other's feet show that they share in the body of Christ. They thus acknowledge their frequent need of cleansing, renew their willingness to let go of pride and worldly power, and offer their lives in humble service and sacrificial love. from Article 13 Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective
As we gather for a Maundy Thursday service this week, we will renew the practice of washing each other's feet. This powerful symbol of servanthood seems so out of place in our contemporary world. Yet we enter the tradition that has been passed on to us and allow it to form us.
Here are three stories from various parts of the world that speak to the power of this practice among Christians. One tells of the Archbishop of Canterbury washing the feet of another. In China, a young doctor studying English, is shocked and intrigued by the story of Jesus washing feet. In Thailand, a missions intern experiences the powerful blessing of serving and being served through footwashing despite cultural barriers.
As we enter into this practice that Jesus has given us, may Christ be formed in us.
Brian