United Church of Christ in Simi Valley
Maundy Thursday - April 17, 2003
Anne G. Cohen
Table Manners
Last week we watched news clips of Iraqis (with American assistance)
tearing apart a statue of Sadaam Hussein. They
took their shoes off and
beat the statue - especially the face - with their shoes. There were
additional scenes of Iraqis beating Hussein's face on posters and
murals - always with their shoes. American marines got into the act by
wiping
their shoes on his portrait - which had been set into the floor in a tiled
entryway. In Middle Eastern culture it is an act of insult and
degradation - and we can only guess that it has to do with where the
feet have been - and the dirt and dung that cling to one's shoes.
In ancient times and in many cultures today there is a custom of
removing one's shoes before entering a home or sanctuary. The reasons can
be as
simple as avoiding the soiling of the carpet - or as complex as honoring
the host and treating the place as holy ground. In ancient
expected that guests would remove their shoes and wash their feet - or,
in wealthier homes, allow servants to wash their feet - before entering the
living quarters. There is a story told about a woman washing Jesus'
feet with her tears and wiping them dry with her hair. As an expression
of
humility and honor, it was unparalleled. It was so astonishing,
it was
written down and preserved in canon. alongside of the
story of Jesus
washing the feet of his disciples.
To this day this image reminds us of the meaning of serving others -
honoring God by humbling oneself. But it goes deeper - to the dirt and
dung of the street. We see in this act - God's presence, on bended knee,
at
the place of insult and degradation, tenderly washing away the excrement of
life - to reveal the callouses
and tendons, the fragile bones and tired
muscles of precious human feet. Our feet brought us to this place and
time - much as God has brought us here - for better or for worse – for now.
The removal of shoes and washing of feet is not an odd social
convention.
It is foundational to our relationships with each other and with God.
Page Two
On the night on which he was betrayed, Jesus washed the filthy feet of
his friends and then shared the Passover Seder with them. The Seder is an
annual retelling of the story of God's liberation of the Hebrew population
from slavery in
itself - and a declaration that until all people are free - no one is free.
The tradition is to set a low table and lounge about on pillows
surrounding the feast - indulging in the perks and luxuries of the most free -
rich
for one night of the year. Clean feet would be an important part of this
mutually indulgent, hopeful and commemorative event.
The table is set with an extra place or places - for Elijah, the prophet
- saving room for God's presence and message and intervention and
refreshment.
On this particular night - this night of all nights - Jesus took bread
from the table and - without eating himself - blessed it and gave it to the
others - exhorting them to eat the feast of freedom not just once a year
- but often - and to remember him. If you want a powerful, multi-level
metaphor for the faithful life - this is it.
On the last night of Jesus' freedom he encourages a frequent freedom
feast.
And he passes the food to everyone else first - trusting in their
willingness to share and leave some for him - trusting in the abundance
of God's banquet table - modeling the table manners of a generous and
wealthy host after humbling himself in the role of foot servant.
Jesus does one more thing - perhaps the hardest thing of all - on that
night. He relaxes and feasts and tells stories and enjoys the company
of ALL of his friends - knowing full well that one of them will betray him.
away his freedom. And that is the hardest thing for me to remember, let
alone emulate.
How could I ever sit down to dinner with the man who murdered my best
friend? With the camp counselor who betrayed everyone's trust by
molesting children? With the CEOs of ENRON who destroyed the financial
security
of their own employees, let alone so many others? How could I ever sit
down to eat with George Bush or Sadaam Hussein, two
people who make my skin
crawl?
What self-restraint would I have to practice in order to have the table
manners of Jesus? It boggles my mind.
Page Three
But that is exactly what we are called to do every time we gather at the
communion table. We sit at this table not only with other Christians,
other like-minded people who bathe daily and live regular lives. We are
joined here not only by homeless folks who have no access to bath water, widows
and orphans of war, liberated Iraqis - Muslim, Jewish or Christian - the
oppressed and destitute of our ghettos. We are sitting here at table with
rapists and
murderers, madmen and power mongers, the greedy, the heartless, the
destroyers of other people's lives. No one is ever turned away from
this table - EVER.
And we are exhorted to pass the bread to all of our guests before
helping ourselves. The faces that we would normally slam with our shoes -
are
invited to eat our bread and to feast on freedom. And we are asked to
wash their feet and make them welcome. One could say that this is an act
of
mercy - designed to bring an enemy to consciousness, remorse,
restitution and reform. One could say that by eating with our betrayers
we might
shame them into regret and redemption - killing with kindness, so to speak.
One could say that such relentless hospitality is a way of making sure that
we don't sink to their level.
In actuality, it is only by doing this - humbling ourselves utterly -
emptying our hearts of hatred, vengefulness and rage - allowing God to
be sole judge of the human soul - only by having the Table Manners of Jesus
will we save our own souls, be able to live with ourselves, be able to
face God with a steady gaze and an open heart on the morning of our own,
final liberation.
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United
A Covenant Community
Maundy
April 17, 2003
Preparation
Music: Prelude in E Minor, Op. 28, No.4 Chopin
Bob Erickson, piano
Hymn: Just As I Am (Hymnal
#207) Congregation
Foot (Hand) Washing
Ritual: Go and Serve One Another. Anne
Cohen
Hymn: Rock of Ages (Hymnal #596 vv.1-3) Congregation
Supper
Meditation: Table
Manners Anne Cohen
Reading: Luke
22:7-20
Supper: Blessed and Served Anne Cohen
Be Known to Us in Breaking Bread (Hymnal #342)
Prayer: Silent Prayer of Thanksgiving
Congregation
Betrayal
Music: Prelude in C Minor, Op. 28, No. 20 Chopin
Bob Erickson, piano
Reading: Mark 14:26-46 Nancy Pries
Departure: In Silence Congregation
The story continues tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the
United Methodist Church, 2394 Erringer St., Simi
Valley