Foot Washing.. Anyone??

by Robert Burgess

From a discussion on Footwashing

Dear Sister:

It was no doubt the Lord who has led you to bring this subject up; It was only last night that I felt led to speak about "Foot washing" to an individual from the board here who had sent me an e-mail.

The feet pick up all kinds of unclean things as they make contact with the earth; In fact the "Foot Washing" ceremony that the church used to observe was always very closely connected to what we have been dealing with here in the "Lord's Supper." I personally feel that to literally observe the one and not the other is kind of hypocritical, but that is another issue.

The washing of "Feet" represents the washing of our "Walk" and the "Washing of Water by the Word." We are told we ought to "Wash one anothers feet (or, Walk)." Of course we are the "Feet Company" who walk in the Earthly realm (one foot upon the earth), while simultaneously walking in the Spirit realm (one foot upon the Sea). In order for our feet to be washed, we must first take our shoes off. Moses was commanded to take off His shoes in the presence of the Lord at the burning bush; What was God saying? "Take off your old Egyptian way of walking and talking and let your feet (or, Walk) be prepared to come in contact with some both Heavenly, and Earthly realities."

When one takes off their shoes they find that they must walk very gently and carefully, especially in areas that are littered with obstacles; The Priests were commanded to walk barefooted in the Tabernacle of Moses. They had to watch how they stepped and where, lest they dash their foot against a stone (Christ).

We also have to watch our step carefully when we come into the house of God as Solomon said; "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to HEAR, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil (Eccl 5:1)."

Foot washing in the body of Christ is not always an easy job, because some are still wearing the same old "Hobnail Shoes" with iron toes in them that they wore when they were out in the world. Sometimes without our knowing it, we can pick up all kinds of things just walking among the ungodly elements of this world; Spirits are picked up and carried into the House of the Lord unbeknown to us. Who, and what, we associate ourselves with can often be a big problem. This is where we need to take off our old wordly ways of Walking and Talking (Shoes have Tongues) and submit ourselves to some good old fashioned "Foot Washing" every now and then.

The Shepherds used to dip their sheep's feet in a mixed solution of Lye, Turpentine, and Water; This was to kill the insects and germs which could infect the sheep and eventually kill them if they were not so treated. Sometimes God has to use some pretty powerful solutions in dealing with the problems in our walk..

Does anyone remember when Grandma and Grandpa used to make soap?? The old timers used ashes to make Lye soap; Ashes speak loudly to us of past experiences where the Wood, Hay, and Stubble in our lives was judged by God's Holy Fire. What is left over is only ashes, but they are not just worthless reminders of our bad choices, sometimes those hard knocks can be applied in the right way to help kill the infection and disease in a brother or sister.

Turpentine is a powerful penetrant, made from the sap of the Cedar and Pine trees; I am sure that Brother Darrell knows something about Turpentine and Pine Soap, being from North Carolina where much of it originated from. The Sap of the Cedar and the Pine speaks to us of the "Eternal Spirit (Evergreen);" God's Spirit is a powerful "Penetrant" when it comes to things like this. We need His Spirit to "Penetrate" our old hard shells and get inside of us and cleanse us where so many other things that are only "Superficial" and "External" cannot reach.

Then we need the washing of the Water of the Word to keep those old worldly and religious spirits off of us before they can get inside us. Foot washing may not be easy for some to submit to because of the old calloused hands that are often so willing to do it. Certain brothers won't let a Sister do it, they think that is a "Sin," and there are Sisters who won't receive anything from a Brother because they think the Brother is some kind of a male "Egotist."

I have been made to "Stand in the corner" by many men in the Ministry over the years for teaching that the Sisters have just as much right to preach the Gospel as any man; And I have also been denounced as a "False Prophet" for preaching "Universal Reconciliation." Some people that know me look upon me as some kind of an "Enigma" because on the one hand I believe in the "Reconcilation of All," and on the other, I speak out firmly against sin. Why should this present a problem?? Did not the Apostles, and our Lord Jesus do the same?

I am one who doesn't always enjoy the benefits of Congregational Worship, and often when I do, it doesn't wash my feet very well; So I come to the board here, really desiring to find a good solid Word that I can just sit and soak my poor old weary feet in, but usually (not always) it is not here. I mean no offense to anyone, but the Power of God in most of the messages we give out is just simply not there. It is as if someone would sit down and just crank out any old thing and call it the "Word;" Does anyone remember the Ministries like Bill Britton, T. Austin~Sparks, George Hawtin, and others like them?? Whew!! Those men are all dead now, but they are the kind of Ministries that are so needed in this hour to wash our feet. I hope no one is offended; So many folks get mad at me for expressing my feelings about this kind of thing. But Dear Sister, you asked me to respond and I have; I love you, and respect you very highly for your works sake, and the writings that you bring have brought much enjoyment and refreshing to many.

Pray for me, I live all alone and have a lot of time on my hands to pray and seek the Lord, this is good, but that in itself is not always enough; Sitting here alone like this I often get so burdened for people and things, that I start to cry out for the Lord to give me something that will help their situations. I have shed so many tears over the months (as I am right now), for different Brothers and Sisters here on this board; I can only pray and believe that the Lord will somehow use these tears to water His Word in your lives, and help you each one, to see clearly what it is that He is calling us to, and requiring of us, and see how to attain to it.

Love and blessings to you, Your Brother;

Robert

5/19/2000

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