cleanse my filth
Posted by cindy in Uncategorized at 4:35 pm | 
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Community, is it really that important? “Just me and you God, just me and you.” is what I tend to say. I’ve been struck by the call to community that Jesus gives in John. Do you remember the account of Jesus raising Lazerus from the dead? Who took the death clothes off of him? Did he unwrap himself? Did Jesus do it? No, Jesus instructed those witnessing the event to do it. “Get in there and help the man. Take off those stinking dirty, rotting clothes.” (not a literal translation. 
And then there is the foot washing scene. Jesus puts a towel around his waste and cleans the followers feet. The followers are then told to do the same thing with each other. What does this mean? We need to help each other get clean after walking in the filth all day long. They weren’t told to go home and wash their own feet or have the servants do it but do it for each other. Am I willing to be in this kind of community? It takes vulnerability and humility and the admitance that I can not do it myself. I need to admit that I NEED other people to cleanse my filth. I need to be willing to help wash the dirt off of others. What do you think Jesus meant?
4th of September, 2006 at 5:22 pm
we’re getting there…we’re getting there…seems like you know what to do…so how you gonna do it?
11th of September, 2006 at 1:14 am
I preached yesterday from the footwashing passage using it as an example of the scandal of God’s grace - free, unmerited. We don’t like that kind of no-holds-barred humility and service, and when it comes to “having loved his own in the world he now showed them the full extent of his love” followed by foot-washing, (by their teacher and master) followed closely by his crucifixion, well we have the most daunting of challenges. But then we aren’t God - just looking to be like Christ, and God knows our current levels of service education far better than we do.
At least being on another continent you don’t have to wash my feet - they’re rank!
21st of October, 2006 at 10:44 am
I remember having a group of guys wash each others feet at a Hall Meeting when I lived in the dorms at college. Having the guy in charge of the hall set a tone of humility and brotherhood that was unrivaled. Yet it was fascinating because when he came to me, I told him no. I let him do it but it was so hard, and with tears running down my face I couldn’t imagine the humility it took for Jesus to do that. Yet at the same time I knew exactly the pride and struggle that Peter was going through when Jesus came to wash his feet. Wow…
24th of October, 2006 at 4:22 pm
Hi Cindy,
I saw your blog link from Eric’s ‘Crashing into the Future…’ and I wanted to give you a link to one of my favorite preachers, Tony Evans. He has a sermon out there (today 10/24/06) and its a very good message (just a little longer than 20 min). It speaks to one facet of the answer to your need for community.
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/The_Alternative/archives.asp?bcd=2006-10-24
Here’s some highlights:
God allows your affliction, and comforts you in your affliction, so that he can use you as an agent of comforting somebody else in their affliction.
See, it’s one thing to stand up, even with a bible in your hand, and tell folk what God can do. It’s one thing to be able to stand up here off the ground and speak and say God is real…God is able. But it’s a whole different ball game…when you done been there. And you are talking not simply out of your Biblical knowledge…but out of your life experience.
You won’t be disappointed. God bless you sister!
Samuel’s Daddy
27th of October, 2006 at 11:16 pm
Hey Guys, Thanks for all of the comments. It’s cool to know we’re all in this together. Samual’s Daddy, thanks for the link. I will go check it out
21st of June, 2007 at 10:28 pm
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