Maundy Thursday

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” from John 13

Jesus, our Great High Priest, by bending low to wash the feet of the man who will soon deny any relation to him, takes the righteous position of a leader in God’s house. I’ve realized over the past few years that I often talk myself out of vibing with Peter. I find weakness in his fear to walk on water, fear in his denial of Jesus, racism in his arrogant interactions with gentiles. I once wrote in a journal, “but upon this rock, Lord this rock right here, really?” 

What is true is that Jesus drew near to regenerate his own enemies, his own frenemies. He came to cleanse the arrogant mediocre, the angry “fight first” and “talk too much” types, the deniers, the failures. He came to cleanse me. 

It makes sense then that Peter was earnestly asking Jesus to wash more than his feet after he realized the significance of this act. In later verses he says “Not just my feet, Lord, but wash my hands and my head as well!” Jesus told Peter that people who have already been bathed, need only wash their feet. They are clean already. A deeper cleansing has happened inside them and all over them already, yet they have need of foot-washing. Not only for cleansing, but for a sign of power, for a sign of oneness.

For as Jesus worked like a servant, so his servants would be consecrated to work like him.
So his servants would all the more recognize the service of the people who work for health and cleansing.

Consecrated to co-labor in cleansing, we are more equipped to recognize, defend and celebrate the essential-ness of people who wash our worlds, clean up after our own filth, and keep us safe from sickness. Our witness is meant to symbolize sanctification, to bring God’s cleansing power to the places that have labeled the lowly unclean. The very places where housekeeping and cleaning staff live. The people who are essential to our well-being, yet marked as non-essential to public health and thus unfit for broad recognition and defense. Jesus washed us with his blessing so that we could challenge the curses of classism and social hierarchy.

We need cleansing in every place; in the places where blackness is associated with filth, where “ethnic” sounds and looks and smells are the so-called unclean and thus become the uninvited. Where “old people make me uncomfortable” and “little kids are so annoying”, “incarcerated folks deserve it”, “sex workers are nasty” and “un-housed people are dangerous” and of course “the male gender alone is empowered to lead”.  Jesus himself consecrated these places where many of us live right now. Jesus is preparing us to either go or go back. And he’s reminding us that we are clean, and we must hold on to this, no matter how the enemies of God’s children strive to stain the world’s perceptions of us, or our perceptions of ourselves. 

Let’s pray together.

Help us to pray with Peter, Lord wash all of me! Help us to hear when you remind us that you have already washed us… and that in order to be cleansed fully, you must make us still, tell us to be seated, stop arguing with your way, make us to breathe deeply and remove the shoes and sandals that are always ready set to GO. Show us your slow manner for swift assurance, teach us to ask you, to cherish you and let you wash our feet.

Listen, Lord, we do not know how to pray. You told us that you would listen when we come to you, but as we are showing up, we are weakened by the weariness of the world. We are leaning on your wisdom post, tired of wandering through this desert. How can we pray on this day, O God, how can we pray? We are barely maintaining hope for the lives of our loved ones. And much like the suffering people who feel far from you, we are hard pressed to be convinced that you will deliver us from our enemies. 

Lord, What you are doing in these days of danger, we do not understand. Whatever you are planning, we have not seen the memo. Whenever you are coming, we would ask you to hurry as we tarry. We are weakened by our wanderings. We are children in the desert longing for the promised land. We need your power Lord, to help us to pray. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

[Reading scripture, out loud if you’re able]

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5

Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” from John 13

Lord, we are listening to you. We are remembering the day you gave us a commandment that would always make us new. Teach us to love each other. Teach us to love you. Teach us to be like you as you are love. 
Listen, Lord, our world is full of filth and stupidity. And we hate it here. We welcome your cleansing as the Humble King. Will you make us models of your meekness? O God of hope and humility, lead us in your everlasting way. Let us wash the feet of the people who call on your name. Let us cry for the transforming cleansing of our enemies.

Wash away the wickedness of hypocrisy. Let the many churches and organizations who are raising money for response work be true and not duplicitous. Let the resources be received by And if it is us. O Lord, take away the things that do not please you. Convict the hearts of your people who hire cleaning companies then disrespect them. Change the mindset of the wealthy households who disregard the image of God placed on the very people who keep their homes live-able. Please, Lord, make us more respectful and honorable. Make us heavy tippers for hotel cleaning staff. Make us rise from sleeping and not rest until we have blessed someone that we did not realize we had made an enemy, who is essential to our living. Please do it today, Lord. Please wash away our double minded-ness today.

Wash away the wickedness of apathy. You have shown us the beauty of passion. Will you rekindle our hearts to a holy passion for all your children? Forgive us when we fall into indifference and doubt the worth of these ones who you have called precious.

Wash away the wickedness of war. O God make systemic oppression and all global conflicts cease. Bring a grand and humble vision of your righteous reign to the eyes and intellects of kings, queens and rulers around the world. 

Wash away the wickedness of tyranny. Jesus please, by your Spirit, power down the world leaders who fail to follow your example of servant leadership. Make them rest in you or let them rest from leading. We cannot take this anymore.

Wash away the wickedness of bigotry. Today. Lord. Today. Heal the hearts of people who despise your queer and trans children. 

Wash away the wickedness of misogyny. Transform the enemies of women and femme spirited beloveds in your house and around the world. 

Wash away the wickedness of racism. Again we cry, transform O God, transform. Give a testimony of love to the people whose mouths salivate with terrorism. 

O God wash away our inner enemies. Wash away our sins. Wash away Ageism, and ableism, cleanse us free from colorism. Rid us of the jaded hearts that hate our enemies before we seek your healing. 

These are truly our enemies, O God. Even in our own families, at our own tables and your sacred spaces. They seek our destruction. They cause us to hate it here. 

So Lord, we would come to your throne room this evening. In our living rooms, at our dining tables, in our hospitals, our hovels and hotels. In the open air, O God, your un-housed beloved are calling on you for cleansing in your anointed water. Oh how precious is the flow!

We are all your children, and we long to see your healing power, Lord. We want to be your healing power. Feet washed, over and over again, consecrated to touch the soil and stride over cement. Sealed with a baptism that makes us clean inside and blessed all over. Take your hands to our feet and our hands to the plow. Lead on, King of the common cup, and let us join your movement of mercy. Amen.

Experience: Black Nature, Poems of Promise and Survival https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126029674

Songs: Order My Steps, GMWA Women of Worship // Clean Inside, Hezekiah Walker // Wash Me, John P. Kee // Water, The Roots

Art: Emily Odongo